medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (22. September) is the feast day of:
the Theban Legion (d. c. 287) A group of Roman soldiers led by
Mauritius was martyred on this day by order of Emperor Maximian
Herculius. Perhaps not (very probably not) an entire legion, but it
seems pretty certain that a group of soldiers originally from upper
Egypt was indeed killed in what is now Switzerland (at Agaunum).
Phocas the Gardener (?) Phocas was a reclusive gardener at Sinope in
Paphlagonia until he was martyred. Legend tells that he was
denounced and sentenced; a group of soldiers was sent off to kill
him. They came to his house and he gave them hospitality, promising
to tell them where to find Phocas in the morning. He then spent the
night praying and digging his grave and told who he was in the
morning, encouraging the soldiers to behead him when they hesitated.
Felix III (d. 530) Theodoric the Ostrogoth chose Felix as pope in
526. He was an active pontiff, converting temples to Christian
worship, denouncing semi-pelagianism, etc.
Emmeram (d. c. 690) Emmeram was a Frankish missionary priest who
went to evangelize Bavaria at the duke's request. After several
successful years he set off on pilgrimage to Rome, but made it no
further than the area where Munich was eventually founded before he
was attacked by some followers of the duke (we don't know why) and
soon died of his wounds. He may have become bishop of Regensburg;
certainly his relics made it there.
A sort-of modern saint: Thomas of Villanova (d. 1555) Thomas was a
Castilian who became a professor at the University of Alcala. He
became an Augustinian and in time chaplain to Emperor Charles V, who
in 1544 appointed him archbishop of Valencia, a see that had been
vacant for 90 years. T. rebuilt the diocese, founded schools,
promoted reform, and even tried to convert Moors. He was canonized
in 1658.
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