November 16 — St. George the Victorious Memorial Day: the Saint's Life from military commander to Great Martyr

The story of St. George the Victorious is full of drama and self-sacrifice. Born in the third century into a Christian family, he rose from a brilliant military commander under Emperor Diocletian to a great martyr who died for his faith in 303. His life is filled with testimonies of unshakeable faith, courage and perseverance in the face of severe trials. All the details are in the Izvestia article.

Where was George the Victorious born

St. George was born in the 3rd century into a family of pious Christians, and there are several versions regarding his birthplace. According to some sources, he was born in Cappadocia, a region in Asia Minor, according to others — in the city of Berit (modern Beirut) or in Lydda in Palestine at the foot of the Lebanese Mountains.

His father was a military commander and was martyred for confessing Christ when George was still a child. After this tragedy, the mother, who owned estates in Palestine, moved with her son to her homeland and raised him in strict piety. The boy received a brilliant education and grew up to be a strong, physically strong young man.

How George became a favorite of Emperor Diocletian

Young George decided to continue the family tradition and joined the Roman army. Distinguished by his intelligence, bravery, physical strength, military bearing and extraordinary beauty, he quickly stood out among other warriors.

His outstanding qualities did not go unnoticed by Emperor Diocletian, who ruled from 284 to 305. George reached the rank of commander of thousands and was accepted into the personal guard of the emperor with the rank of komita, one of the senior military commanders. When George's mother died, he was only 20 years old, and he received a rich inheritance. George went to court, hoping to achieve an even higher position, and became one of the people closest to the emperor.

Why did George give away his possessions and declare himself a Christian

Emperor Diocletian, although a talented ruler, was a fanatical follower of the Roman gods. Aiming to revive the dying paganism in the Roman Empire, he initiated the brutal persecution of Christians and went down in history as one of their most ruthless persecutors.

One day in Nicomedia, at the council of the Senate, George heard the inhuman verdict of the extermination of Christians, and his heart was inflamed with compassion for his co-religionists. Anticipating that he too would suffer, he distributed his possessions to the poor and set all his slaves free. Then George appeared to Diocletian and publicly declared himself a Christian, denouncing the emperor of cruelty and injustice. His speech was full of strong and convincing objections to the order to persecute Christians.

How George the Victorious was executed

After the confession, the emperor arrested George, and the saint's eight-day torment began. According to his life, he was subjected to many sophisticated tortures:

• They tied him to poles and placed a heavy stone on his chest.

• They were tortured with a wheel studded with knives and swords, but after the angel appeared, all the wounds were healed.

• They threw him into a pit with quicklime, which did not harm the saint.

• The bones on his arms and legs were broken, but the next morning they were whole.

• Forced to run in red-hot iron boots

At the end of his torment, Diocletian descended into prison and again offered the martyr to renounce Christ. George asked to be taken to the temple of Apollo, where he made the sign of the cross over himself and the statue of God, after which all the idols in the temple collapsed. The wife of Emperor Alexander, who witnessed the miracle, converted to Christianity and threw herself at the feet of the great martyr.​

Angered, Diocletian ordered the beheading of George and his wife. Saint George, having prayed for the last time, laid his head on the block with a calm smile. The execution took place on April 23, 303 (according to other sources — May 6). When George and Alexandra were executed by order of the emperor, according to legend, a whirlwind of fire descended from the sky and incinerated Diocletian himself.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.