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| ST. GEORGE'S CHASTITY | ST. GEORGE'S SUFFERlNGS |
| IN THE EMPEROR'S PALACE | HIS FlGHT WITH THE DRAGON |
St.
George was born about 280 A.D. of a Christian family that was wealthy
and of noble origin, in the city of Capadocia, a city of the Eastern Empire,
in Asia Minor.
He followed the usual career of young nobleman and joined the Roman
army, where his ability and charm brought him quick promotion. The Emperor
heard about him and as a rcsult made him a tribune or an officer in the Im-
perial Guard.
One story says that he was a frielld of Constantine another officer, who
later became the first Christian emperor. The legend says that St. George came
with Constantine to Britain and visited some holy places as Glastonbury and
Caerleon. On his return to Nicomedia, the capital of the Eatern Empire where
Diocletian settled, he met the fiercy storm of persecution.
Diocletian gave orders for the issue of a formal edict against the Christians
on February 23, in the year 303 A.D., being the feast of Termhlalia.
The provisions of this edict which was published on the next day in the
market place, were as follows: "All churches should be levelled to the ground.
All sacred books to be burned. All Christians who hold any honorable rank
are not only to be degraded, but to be deprived of civil rights. Also, All Chris-
tians who are not officials are to be reduced to slavery".
In great courage, the young man George, pushed his way through the market
place to read the proclamation, and then in front of the awe-stricken crown,
he deliberately tore down the Imperial edict and threw it away. Consequently
he was arrested and brought to the presence of Diocletian.
Some historians believe that St. George was not the young man who tore
the proclamation, but as the edict was proclaimed and the great church in
Nicomedia was ransacked and destroyed by the pretorian guard, he liberated
his slaves, distributed all his wealth to the poor and prepared himself for mar-
tyrdom. he entered Diocletian's palace and rebuked him for his behaviour
against the Christians.
The Emperor tried to seduce him by promises that he would be granted
a higher positon in the Empire. But as these promises failed to attract him,
the Emperor began to threaten him with unbearable tortures that he will in-
flict on him. Lastly he put him in prison.
Diocletian knew that nothing, except sin, could destroy the strength, and
demolish the integrity of this Saint. Thus he arranged for a very beautiful
woman to spend the night with him in prison and try to debauch him. St.
George who could only look forward to heavenly joy, began to pray and within
a short while he managed to swing her heart to the christian faith. Soon she
seriously began to inquire about salvation, and by the morning she declared
that she found her true Bridegroom Jesus Christ. With great courage she announced
her Christianity to the emperol and his mell, aild joined thc other saintly martrys.
It is not the purpose of this paper to go through the tortures that wer.
applieci to St. George, in depth, but nevertheless I wish to bring to light his
utmost love for Christ, by listing sorne of them.
During all these tortures, although the Saint had enollgh paills and sufferings
of his own, but nevertheless kept on talking to Diocletian about the powers
of the Christian faith. At the end the Emperor asked him if he could raise
a dead man he knew of. St. George prayed to our Lord and the dead man
came back to life. The result of that was the conversion of both the dead
man and the magician as well as many others. They all were martyred.
When all methods failed to incite St. George, the Emperor invited him in
his palace to entertain him. He offered him an apointment as a prince if he
only sacrificed once to the idols. The Saint replied "Tomorrow you will see
the powers of your gods"
At the palace, St. George met Empress Alexanefra, who llad a f:air idea about
the Saint's God. She spoke with him, but the conversation quickly changed
its course and the Saint began to preach to her about Jesus Christ, the Saviour
of the world.
On the following day many people went to thc temple to witness St. George's
saerifice to the idols. The Saint stretched his hands, raised his eyes to
Heaven..and in a moment, the idols collapsed and fell to the ground!!. The
crowds shouted "we believe in George's God" At this, the Emperor and his
men put an end to the lives of the new Christians, St. George, and Empress
Alexandra in 23 Baramouda, 303 A.D.
St. George was buried in his mother's home that was situated on the
seashore at Lydda, in Palestine. Before long his fame was spread all over the
world. King Constantine, who took over after Diocletian, considcred that St.
George was the true model of the young christian man, and ordered a church to be
built over his grave. In Egypt, the Copts call him, "The Prince of Martyrs", and built
over 200 churches named after him. Moreover he is a personal friend of the majority
of the Copts, who believe in the power of his prayers for them. The Greeks call him
"the Great Martyr".
Legends grew up about this Saint, but the most famous one is about his fight with
the dragon, which was documented in a book called "the Colden l,egend" by James
de Voragine, a bishop of Genoa. It happened when St. George was once stationed
with the Roman army near Salone in Libya, North Africa. In that area a Dragon which
was described as a huge crocodile with scaled wings, had eaten so many of the coun-
try folks around Salone that the remaining lot fled to the town and took shelter behind
its walls. There, the dragon was positioned outside the city gates, and nobody could
get in or out. Moreover its poisonous breath was so lethal that as it snored over the
city wall, people could actually drop dead in the nearby area. In order to keep the
beast away from the walls, two sheep were tethered every day, some distance away.
The system worked fine until they ran out of sheep and the miserable people could
not think of any other alternative but to sacriSlce one child everyday.
One day the lot fell on the king's daughter, Sabra, a girl of fourteen. sometimes
called Cleodolinda. Dressed in her most splendid clothers, as for her wedding, the
poor girl was taken outside the city walls. While she was waiting for the dragon, weep-
hlg, George the tribune came up mounting his white horse. On hearing the story he
decided to put an end to that tragedy, and decided to kill the dragon.
"Fair girl" he said, "do not be afraid for I will save you life with the aid of my
I ord Jesus Christ". When lhe dragon appeared George the hero got engaged with
the wild beast in a great combat. Finally he managed to wound it with his lance so
badly that it could fight no more. Now the two of them tied a rope around its neck,
and dragged it to the town. There in the market place, George cut off its head in front
of all the cheering hlhabitants, and the people of the whole town were baptized and
became Christians.
The above story seems to be exaggerated, which is perhaps true, and it could have
started by a fight between St. George and an ordinary crocodile. However, it became
very popular all over the world, because of its spiritual meaning that St. George defeated
the devil by the Cross and his righteousness in Christ.
