The historical George
Persecution of Christianity was not the default situation in the Roman Empire before Constantine. Some Emperors persecuted, some ignored and some even favoured it. The Emperor Severus Alexander may even have been a Christian of sorts. A later spurious biography reports that in his personal altar, he venerated images of Jesus, Abraham, Orpheus and other gods.
The Emperor Diocletian was a persecutor. To some degree an impressive figure, he reorganised and restored the Empire, increasing the size of the bureaucracy and attempting to stabilise the transfer of power. He also attempted to curtail the growth of Christianity. Perhaps he saw it as a rival power base. One of his reforms was the systemisation of two Emperors (in the East and West) with named successors: the so-called Tetrarchy (Rule of Four) with its Augusti (Senior) and Caesares (juniors).
The Great Persecution, or Diocletianic Persecution took place from roughly 303 – 313 CE. It varied in intensity depending on who was Emperor in what area and according to local conditions. The army coming under direct control of the Emperors, faced greater scrutiny. Oaths to the ruling Emperor were a common way to pledge allegiance.
George was perhaps executed in this purge.
The historian Eusebius narrates a similar story (which may be George’s):
1. Immediately on the publication of the decree against the churches in Nicomedia, a certain man, not obscure but very highly honored with distinguished temporal dignities, moved with zeal toward God, and incited with ardent faith, seized the edict as it was posted openly and publicly, and tore it to pieces as a profane and impious thing; and this was done while two of the sovereigns were in the same city — the oldest of all, and the one who held the fourth place in the government after him.
2. But this man, first in that place, after distinguishing himself in such a manner suffered those things which were likely to follow such daring, and kept his spirit cheerful and undisturbed till death.
would slay the dragon. George slew the dragon but angers Aminder, the King of Morocco, who is in love with Sabra.
He defeats Aminder, but Aminder spreads stories that he is trying to convert Sabra to Christianity. The King of Egypt, asks George to take a letter to Persia. In Persia, George is thrown in prison for seven long years.
His escapes, kills a dragon, rescues Sabra, survives a lion attack and arrives back in Coventry, where St David asks him to go on a crusade in Hungary. Whilst fighting in Hungary, the Earl of Coventry attempts to seduce Sabra who like a true Qween of Egypt, stabs him. George returns just in time to save his wife from execution. They live happily ever after and raise three sons Guy, Alexander and David.
Until George goes on pilgrimage to Jerusalem and on his return fights a dragon on Dunmore Heath near Coventry. He defeats the dragon, but like Beowulf “this proved the most fatal of all his adventures, for the vast quantities of poison thrown upon him by that monstrous beast, so infected his ritual spirals, that two days afterward he died in his own house”.
Summary
A lot is going on in this tale. The connections with travel might reflect the interest in George amongst crusaders. This is an orientalised East with monsters and duplicitous royals, yet Coventry is portrayed in the same terms. Perhaps the richness of the tale comes from an individual’s imagination, or perhaps it’s the accretion of years. Either way it is a fascinating tale.
Is it true? Let me know what you think in the comments below.
https://rhakotis.com/2020/04/21/st-george/
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