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medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture > Sebastian (d. c. 300) Sebastian was a victim of Diocletian's persecution. > Diocletian ordered S. shot to death > with arrows. Thus all the art of Sebastian looking like a porcupine. But, > despite the iconography, Sebastian failed to die of this treatment; he was > miraculously revived and turned up at the palace again the next day. If I am not mistaken, early depictions of Sebastian were innocent of this dramatic moment; indeed, I am given to understand he was originally portrayed as a bearded older man (perhaps more nearly resembling the porcupine). The enormous number of paintings of a youthful, virile, nearly nude Sebastian are largely functions of Renaissance patrons' interests (often attributed to painters' interests). The presumption is that Sebastian offered a rare opportunity for a sanctioned male nude prior to the ascendence of Classical myths as subjects for artists (and for patrons' commissions). ********************************************************************** To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME to: [log in to unmask] To send a message to the list, address it to: [log in to unmask] To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion to: [log in to unmask] In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to: [log in to unmask] For further information, visit our web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html