A dragon's-eye overview

St George is the patron saint of England. The evidence about who he really was is scanty, but it is suggested that he is the man mentioned by Eusebius of Caesarea (writing c. 322), Eusebius wrote of a soldier of noble birth who was put to death under Diocletian at Nicomedia in 303 A.D., but makes no mention of his name, his country or his place of burial. St George is so strongly identified with this historical figure, even though it is unknown whether the two are in any way related, that it has passed into folklore history. This man, then, was born in Cappadocia, and died on 23rd April, 303, before the time of Constantine.

Many legends have gathered around the name of Saint George, one of the fourteen Holy Helpers, and there are differing accounts of his origin. Proceeding as if this attribution of George as the historical figure mentioned were proven, this George held the rank of tribune in the Roman army and was beheaded by Diocletian for protesting against the Emperor's persecution of Christians. He made a reputation for himself as a fearless officer and highly respected leader of men.

According to this tale, St George resigned his commission in the Roman army rather than participate in any of the pagan rituals expected of the soldiers. He preached the Gospel and baptised many into the Christian faith. The Greeks called him "the great martyr". He also resented the merciless persecution of the Christians, whose ranks he joined in a total commitment to Christianity. On the outbreak of persecution, George declared himself a Christian and distributed his money to the poor.

As a result, he was subjected to nameless tortures over a period of seven years. He was tied to a revolving wheel of blades and swords, thrown into a pit of quicklime, made to run in red-hot shoes, scourged with thongs of hide, beaten with sledgehammers, and cast over a precipice; his limbs were broken and exposed to flame, and he suffered many other torments. He is said to have miraculously escaped from a cauldron of burning oil after he destroyed the temple of Apollo. Three times is George put to death – chopped into small pieces, buried deep in the earth and consumed by fire-but each time he is resuscitated by the power of God. One version says that by making the Sign of the Cross, he remained unhurt in all these intermediate trials. Frustrated that their tortures had little effect, the Roman Emperor Diocletian had George beheaded in Nikomedia, a town in Asia Minor, for protesting against the Emperor's persecution of Christians. George rapidly became venerated throughout Christendom as an example of bravery in defence of the poor and the defenceless and of the Christian faith.

Because of his widespread following, particularly in the Near East, and the many miracles attributed to him, George became universally recognised as a saint sometime after 900. George had become acknowledged as Patron Saint of England by the end of the fourteenth century. His shield and lance pennant are a red cross on a white background. The famous flag appears in 1284, and in the fourteenth century the red cross on the white ground was worn by both soldiers and sailors. This of course survives in the white ensign of the British Navy, in the flag flown on high days by English parish churches, and it is incorporated in the Union Jack.

Dragon Tale

The best-known form of the legend of St. George and the Dragon is that made popular by the "Legenda Aurea", and translated into English by Caxton. According to this, a terrible dragon had ravaged all the country round a city of Libya, called Selena, making its lair in a marshy swamp. The people had attempted to kill it but were poisoned by the creature's foetid breath.