De sancto Georgio
The Meaning of the Name
The name George is interpreted through various etymologies that highlight his humility, purity, and spiritual struggle.
The name George comes from 'geos,' meaning earth, and 'orge,' meaning to till—as if to say 'tilling the earth,' which refers to his own flesh. Augustine, however, notes in his book On the Trinity that good earth is characterized by the height of its mountains, the temperate nature of its hills, and the flatness of its plains. For the first is good for green herbs, the second for vineyards, and the third for crops. In this way, the blessed George was 'high' by despising lower things, and so he possessed the greenness of purity; he was 'temperate' through discernment, and so he possessed the wine. He was 'flat' through humility, and so he brought forth the crops of good works. Alternatively, the name comes from 'gerar,' meaning sacred, and 'gyon,' meaning sand, as if to say 'sacred sand.' He was indeed 'sand' because he was weighty in the gravity of his character, fine in his humility, and dry of all carnal desire. Or, the name is said to come from 'gerar,' meaning sacred, and 'gyon,' meaning struggle, as if to say 'sacred wrestler,' because he struggled against the dragon and the executioners; or George is said to come from 'gero,' meaning pilgrim, 'gir,' meaning cutting off, and 'ys,' meaning counselor.
The Dragon of Silena
Saint George encounters a dragon terrorizing a city in Libya, leading to the conversion of the king and his people.
He was a pilgrim in his contempt for the world, cut down in the crown of martyrdom, and a counselor in preaching the Kingdom; his legend is counted among the apocryphal writings at the Council of Nicaea because his martyrdom lacks a reliable account. Bede’s calendar records that he suffered in the Persian city of Diospolis, which was previously called Lydda and is near Joppa. Elsewhere it says he suffered under the emperors Diocletian and Maximian; in another place, it says it was under the Persian emperor Diocletian, in the presence of eighty kings of his empire. Here, it says he suffered under the governor Dacian, while Diocletian and Maximian were reigning. George, a tribune of Cappadocian descent, once arrived in the province of Libya, in a city called Silena. Near this city was a pond like a sea, where a pestilent dragon was hiding; it had often put to flight the people who armed themselves against it, and with its breath, it would approach the city walls and infect everyone. Therefore, the citizens were forced to give it two sheep every day to calm its fury, otherwise it would attack the city walls and infect the air, so that many were dying. When, therefore, the sheep were already running out, especially since they could not get enough of them, they took counsel and began to offer one sheep along with a person. Since the sons and daughters of all the people were being given up by lot, and the lot spared no one, and since nearly all the sons and daughters had already been consumed, the king's only daughter was eventually chosen by lot and handed over to the dragon. Then the king, filled with sorrow, said, "Take my gold and silver and half of my kingdom, and let my daughter go, so she doesn't have to die like this." The people answered him in a fury, "You are the one, O king, who made this decree, and now that all our children are dead, you want to save your own daughter?" "Unless you carry out for your daughter what you ordered for the others, we will burn you and your house down." Seeing this, the king began to weep for his daughter, saying, "Woe is me, my sweetest daughter, what am I to do about you?" "Or what can I say?" "When will I ever see your wedding?" And turning to the people, he said, "I beg you, grant me eight days to mourn my daughter." When the people had accepted this, they returned at the end of the eight days in a fury, saying: "Why are you destroying your own people because of your daughter?" Look, we're all dying from the dragon's breath. Then the king, seeing he couldn't save his daughter, dressed her in royal robes and, embracing her with tears, said, "Alas, my sweetest daughter, I expected to raise children from you in the royal palace, and now you're going to be devoured by the dragon." "Alas, my sweetest daughter, I had hoped to invite princes to your wedding, to decorate the palace with pearls, to hear drums and music, and now you're going to be devoured by the dragon." And kissing her, he let her go, saying, "If only, my daughter, I had died before you, rather than losing you like this!" Then she fell at her father's feet, asking for his blessing; and when her father had blessed her with tears, she went on to the lake. When the blessed George, who happened to be passing by, saw her weeping, he asked her what was the matter. And she said, "Good young man, get on your horse quickly and flee, so that you don't die with me." George said to her, "Don't be afraid, daughter, but tell me: what are you waiting for here while everyone is watching?" She replied, "I can see you're a man of great heart, but do you really want to die with me?" Run away quickly!" George said, "I won't leave here until you tell me what's going on." When she had explained everything to him, George said, "Daughter, don't be afraid, for in the name of Christ I will help you." She said, "Good soldier, you should save yourself so you don't perish with me!" It's enough that I alone perish, for you couldn't save me, and you would only die with me." While they were talking, the dragon suddenly appeared and raised its head. Then the girl, trembling, said, "Run, good master, run quickly!" George then mounted his horse, armed himself with the sign of the cross, and boldly attacked the dragon as it came toward him; he struck it hard with his lance, commended himself to God, wounded it severely, and brought it to the ground, then said to the girl, "Don't be afraid, daughter; just throw your belt around the dragon's neck." Once she did this, it followed her like the gentlest dog. When he led it into the city, the people saw it and began to flee over the mountains and hills, crying out, "Woe to us, for we're all going to perish!" Then blessed George signaled to them, saying, "Don't be afraid; the Lord sent me to you for this very reason, to free you from the dragon's torments. Just believe in Christ, and let each of you be baptized, and I will kill this dragon." Then the king and all the people were baptized. Blessed George then drew his sword, killed the dragon, and ordered it to be carried outside the city. Four pairs of oxen dragged it out into a large field; twenty thousand people were baptized that day, not counting the women and children. The king built a church of amazing size in honor of the Blessed Mary and blessed George, from whose altar a living spring flows, whose water heals all the sick. The king offered an infinite amount of money to blessed George, but he refused to take it and ordered it to be given to the poor. George then briefly instructed the king on four things: he should care for God's churches, honor the priests, listen diligently to the divine office, and always be mindful of the poor; and after kissing the king, he departed. In some books, however, it is written that while the dragon was on its way to devour the girl, George armed himself with the cross and, attacking the dragon, killed it.
The Martyrdom of Saint George
George confesses his faith before the governor and endures various tortures, remaining steadfast through divine consolation.
At that time, under the emperors Diocletian and Maximian and the governor Dacian, there was such a persecution of Christians that within a single month seventeen thousand were crowned by martyrdom; because of this, among so many kinds of torture, many Christians gave way and offered sacrifices to idols. Seeing this, Saint George was touched with inward sorrow of heart; he gave away everything he had, cast off his military uniform, put on the habit of the Christians, and stepped into the middle. Leaping forward, he cried out, "All the gods of the nations are demons!" But the Lord made the heavens. The governor, enraged, said to him, "By what presumption do you dare to call our gods demons?" Tell me, where are you from, or by what name are you called? George replied to him, "I am called George; born of a noble Cappadocian family, I conquered Palestine by Christ's favor, but I have abandoned everything so that I might serve the God of heaven more freely." When the governor couldn't sway him, he ordered him to be raised on the rack and his body to be torn apart limb by limb with iron claws; furthermore, he ordered torches to be applied to his sides, and salt to be rubbed into his wounds where the flesh was torn open. That same night, the Lord appeared to him in a great light and comforted him tenderly; he was so strengthened by this honey-sweet vision and conversation that he counted his tortures as nothing. Seeing that he couldn't overcome him with tortures, Dacianus... ...summoned a certain magician and said to him, "The Christians mock our tortures with their magic arts and think little of the sacrifices to our gods." The magician replied, "If I can't overcome his arts, I'll forfeit my life." He therefore cast his spells, invoked the names of his gods, mixed poison into wine, and offered it to Saint George to drink; but the man of God made the sign of the cross over it, drank it, and felt no harm at all. The magician then mixed an even stronger poison, but the man of God made the sign of the cross, drank it all, and suffered no injury. Seeing this, the magician immediately fell at his feet, begged for mercy with lamentations, and asked to become a Christian, but the judge soon had him beheaded. The following day, he ordered George to be placed on a wheel surrounded on all sides by double-edged swords, but it broke immediately, and George was found completely unharmed. Then, in a rage, he ordered him to be thrown into a pan full of molten lead; but George made the sign of the cross and stepped into it, and by the power of God, he began to be refreshed in it as if he were in a bath. Seeing this, Dacianus thought he would soften him with kindness, since he hadn't been able to overcome him with threats or torture, and he said to him, "You see, my son George, how gentle our gods are; they endure your blasphemy so patiently, and they're still ready to forgive you if you're willing to convert." "Do what I ask, then, my dearest son; leave behind your superstition and offer sacrifice to our gods, so that you may receive great honors from them and from me." George smiled at him and said, "Why didn't you persuade me with kind words from the beginning, instead of with torture?" Look, I'm ready to do what you ask." Dacianus was deceived by this agreement and grew joyful. He ordered a herald to announce that everyone should come to see George—who had resisted for so long—finally give in and offer sacrifice. So, when the whole city was decorated for joy and George entered the temple of the idols to offer sacrifice, and everyone was standing there rejoicing, he knelt down and prayed to the Lord to destroy the temple and the idols so completely that nothing of them would remain, for the sake of His own praise and the conversion of the people; and immediately fire descended from heaven and burned up the temple with the gods and the priests, and the earth opened and swallowed up all their remains. Here Ambrose exclaims in his preface: "George, the most faithful soldier of Christ, was the only one among the Christians to fearlessly confess the Son of God while the profession of Christianity was hidden in silence."
The Queen's Confession and Final Victory
The queen is martyred for her faith, followed by George's own execution and his continued intercession for the faithful.
Divine grace granted him such constancy that he despised the commands of tyrannical power and didn't fear the countless torments of punishment. O happy and glorious soldier of the Lord! He wasn't only unmoved by the empty promise of an earthly kingdom, but after deceiving the persecutor, he cast the portents of his idols into the abyss. So says Ambrose. Hearing this, Dacianus had George brought before him and said, "What is this malice of yours, you worst of men, that you have committed such a crime?" George replied to him, "Don't believe, King, that it is so; but come with me and see me offer sacrifice again." The King answered, "I understand your trickery, for you want me to be swallowed up just as you made the temple and my gods be swallowed up." George said to him, "Tell me, you wretch, if your gods couldn't help themselves, how will they help you?" The king was furious and said to his wife, Alexandria, "I'm going to die of frustration, because I see that I've been beaten by this man." She replied, "You cruel tyrant and butcher, didn't I tell you not to keep harassing the Christians, because their God fights for them? And now you should know that I want to become a Christian." Stunned, the king said, "Alas, what grief!" "Have you been seduced too?" He had her hung up by her hair and beaten most cruelly with whips. While she was being beaten, she said to George, "George, light of truth, where do you think I will arrive, not yet reborn by the water of baptism?" George answered her, "Do not hesitate, daughter, because the shedding of your blood will be counted for you as baptism and a crown." Then, praying to the Lord, she gave up her spirit. Ambrose confirms this in his preface, saying: "For this reason, even the queen of the Persians, though she had not yet received the grace of baptism, earned the palm of a glorious passion by the sentence pronounced by a cruel man; and so we cannot doubt that, bathed in the rose-colored wave of her blood, she earned the right to enter the opened gates of heaven and possess the kingdom of God." So says Ambrose. The next day, George was sentenced: he was to be dragged through the entire city and then beheaded. He prayed to the Lord that anyone seeking his help would have their petitions granted, and a divine voice answered that it would be done just as he had prayed. After finishing his prayer, he completed his martyrdom by the beheading under Diocletian and Maximian, who began their reign around the year of the Lord 287; but as Dacianus was returning to the palace from the place where George was beheaded, fire fell from heaven and consumed him along with his attendants. Gregory of Tours reports that when some people carrying relics of Saint George stayed overnight in an oratory, they couldn't move the chest the next morning until they left a portion of the relics behind. The history of Antioch records that while Christians were on their way to besiege Jerusalem, a handsome youth appeared to a priest, claiming to be Saint George, the leader of the Christians. He told them to take his relics to Jerusalem, promising that he would be with them. When they had besieged Jerusalem and, because the Saracens were resisting, did not dare to climb up the ladders, the blessed George appeared, dressed in white armor and marked with a red cross, signaling them to climb up safely behind him and take the city. Encouraged by this, they took the city and killed the Saracens.
Read the original Latin
Georgius dicitur a geos, quod est terra, et orge, quod est colere, quasi colens terram, id est carnem suam. Augustinus autem in libro de trinitate, quod bona terra est altitudine montium, temperamento collium, planitie corporum. Prima enim est bona ad virentes herbas, secunda ad vineas, tertia ad fruges. Sic beatus Georgius fuit altus despiciendo inferiora et ideo habuit virorem puritatis, temperatus per discretionem et ideo habuit vinum !) acternae jucunditatis, planus pér humilitatem et ideo protulit fruges bonae operationis. Vel dicitur a gerar, quod est sacrum, et gyon, quod est arena, quasi sacra arena. Fuit enim arena, quia ponderosus morum gravitate, minutus humilitate, et siccus a carnali voluptate. Vel dicitur a gerar, quod est sacrum, et gyon, quod est luctatio, quasi sacer luctator, quia luctatus est cum dracone et carnifices vel Georgius dicitur a gero, quod est peregrinus, et gir praecisio et ys consiliator.
Ipse enim fuit peregrinus in contemtu mundi, praecisus in corona martyrii et consiliator in prae17 dicatione regni, Ejus legenda inter scripturas apocryphas in Nicaeno concilio connumeratur ex eo, quod ejus martirium certam relationem non habet. Nam in calendario Bedae legitur, quod sit passus in Persica civitate Dyaspoli, quae prius Lidda vocabatur, et est juxta Joppen. Alibi, quod passus sit sub Dyocletiano et Maximiniano imperatoribus; alibi quod sub Dyocletiano imperatore Persarum praesentibus LXXX regibus imperii sui. Hic, quod sub Daciano praeside imperantibus Dyocletiano et Maximiniano. Georgius tribunus genere Cappadocum pervenit quadam vice in provinciam Libyae in civitatem, quae dicitur Silena. Juxta quam civitatem erat stagnum instar maris, in quo draco pestifer latitabat, qui saepe populum contra se armatum in fugam converterat flataque suo ad muros civitatis accedens omnes inüciebat. Quapropter compulsi cives duas oves quotidie sibi dabant, ut ejus furorem sedarent, alioquin sie muros civitatis invadebat et aérem inficiebat, quod plurimi interibant. Cum ergo jam oves paene deficerent, maxime cum harum copiam habere non possent, inito consilio ovem cum adjuncto homine tribuebant.
Cum igitur sorte omnium filii et filiae hominum darentur et sors neminem exciperet, et jam paene omnes filii et filiae essent consumti, quadam vice filia regis unica sorte est deprehensa et draconi adjudicata. Tunc rex contristatus ait: tollite aurum et argentum et dimidium regni mei et filiam mihi dimittite, ne taliter moriatur. Cui populus cum furore respondit: tu, o rex, hoc edictum fecisti et nunc omnes pueri nostri mortui sunt et tu vis filiam tuam salvare? nisi in filia tua compleveris, quod in aliis ordinasti, succendemus te et domum tuum. Quod rexvidens coepit filiam suam flere dicens: heu me, filia mea dulcissima, quid de te faciam? aut quid dicam? quando plus videbo nuptias tuas? Et conversus ad populum dixit: oro, ut inducias octo dierum lugendi mihi filiam tribuatis.
Quod cum populus admisisset, in fine octo dierum reversus populus est cum furore dicens: quare perdis populum tuum propter filiam tuam? En omnes afflatu draconis morimur. Tunc rex videns, quod'non posset filiam liberare, induit eam vestibus regalibus et amplexatus eam cum lacrymis dixit: heu me, filia mea dulcissima, de te filios in regali gremio nutrire credebam et nunc vadis, ut a dracone devoreris. Heu me, filia mea dulcissima, sperabam ad tuas nuptias principes invitare, palatium margaritis ornare, tympana et organa audire, et nunc vadis, ut a dracone devoreris. Et deosculans dimisit eam dicens: utinam, filia mea, ego ante te mortuus essem, quam te sic amisissem! "Tunc illa procidit ad pedes patris petens ab eo benedictionem suam: quam cum pater cum lacrymis benedixisset, ad lacum processit. Quam beatus Georgius casu inde transiens ut plorantem vidit, eam, quid haberet, interrogavit. Et illa: bone juvenis velociter equum adscende et fuge, ne mecum pariter moriaris.
Cui Georgius: noli timere, filia, sed dic mihi, quid hie praestolaris omni plebe spectante? Et illa: ut video, bone juvenis, magnifici cordis es tu, sed mecum mori desideras? fuge velociter. Cei Georgius: hinc ego non discedam, donec mihi, quid habeas, intimabis, Cum ergo totum sibi exposuisset, ait Gregorius: filia, noli timere, quia in Christi nomine te juvabo. Et illa: bone miles,sed te ipsum salvare festines, mecum non pereas! sufficit enim, si sola peream, nam me liberare non posses et tu mecum perires. Dum haec loquerentur, ecce draco veniens ' caput delaculevavit. Tunc puella tremefacta dixit: fuge, bone domine, fuge velociter.
Tunc Georgius equum ascendens et cruce se muniens draconem contra se advenientem andaciter aggreditur et lanceam fortiter vibrans et se Deo commendans ipsum graviter vulneravit et ad terram dejecit dixitque puellae: projice zonam tuam in collum draconis nihil dubitans, filia. Quod cum fecisset, sequebatur eam velut mansuetissima canis. Cum ergo eum in ci vitatem duceret, populi hoc videntes per montes et colles fugere coeperunt dicentes: vae nobis, quiv jam omnes peribimus Tunc beatus Georgius innuit iis dicens: nolite timere, ad hoc enim me misit dominus ad vos, ut à poenis vos liberarem draconis; tantummodo in Christum credite et unusquisque vestrum baptizetur et draconem istum occidam. Tunc rex et omnes populi baptizati sunt. beatus autem Georgius evaginato gladio draconem occidit et ipsum extra civitatem efferri praecepit. Tunc quatuor paria boum ipsum in magnum campum foras duxerunt, baptisati autem sunt in illa die XX millia exceptis parvulis et mulieribus, rex autem in honorem beatae Mariae et beati Georgii ecclesiam mirae magnitudinis construxit, de cujus altari fons vivus emanat, cujus potus omnes languidos sanat, rex vero infinitam pecuniam beato Georgio obtulit, quam ille recipere nolens pauperibus eam dari praecepit. Tunc Georgius regem de quatuor breviter instruxit, scilicet ut ecclesiarum Dei curam haberet, sacerdotes honoraret, divinum officium diligenter audiret et semper pauperum memor esset, et osculato rege inde recessit. In aliquibus tamen libris legitur, quod, dum draco ad devorandam puellam pergeret, Georgius se cruce munivit et draconem aggrediens interfecit.
Eo tempore imperantibus Dyocletiano et Maximiano sub praeside Daciano tanta persecutio christianorum fuit, ut infra unum mensem XVII millia martirio coronarenlur, unde inter tot tormentorum genera multi christiani deficiebant et ydolis immolabant. Quod videns sanctus Georgius tactus dolore cordis intrinsecus omnia, quae habebat, dispersát, militarem habitum abjecit, christianorum habitum induit et in medium. prosiliens exclamavit: omnes Dii gentium daemonia! dominus autem caelos fecit. Cui praeses iratus dixit: qua praesumtione audes Deos nostros daemonia appellare? Dic, unde es tu aut quo nomine voceris? Cui Georgius ait: Georgius vocor, ex nobili Cappadocium prosapia ortus Palaestinam Christo favente devici, sed omnia deserui, ut servire possem liberius Deo coeli. Cum autem praeses eum ad se inclinare non posset, jussit eum in equuleum levari et membratim corpus ejus ungulis laniari, appositis iusuper ad latera facibus patentibus viscerum rimis sale plagas ejus fricari jussit.
Eadem nocte dominus cum ingenti lumine ei apparuit et ipsum dulciter confortavit, cujus melliflua visione et allocutione sic confortatus est, ut pro nihilo duceret cruciatus. Videns Dacianus, quod eum poenis superare non posset, quendam. magum accersivit eique dixit: Christiani suis magicis artibus tormenta ludificant et Deorum nostrorum sacrificia parvi pendunt. Cui magus: si artes ejus superare nequivero, capitis reus ero. Ipse, igitur maleficiis suis injectis et Deorum suorum nominibus invocatis venenum vino immiscuit et sancto Georgio sumendum porrexit, contra quod vir Dei signum crucis edidit haustoque eo nil laesionis sensit. Rursum magus priore fortius venenum immiscuit, quod vir Dei signo crucis edito sine laesione aliqua totum bibit. Quo viso magus statim ad pedes ejus cecidit, veniam lamentabiliter petiit et se christianum fieri postulavit, quem mox judex decollari fecit. Sequenti die jussit Georgium poni in rota, gladiis bis acutis undique circumsepta, sed statim frangitur et Georgius illaesus penitus invenitur.
Tunc iratus jussit eum in sarlaginem plumbo liquefacto plenam projici, qui facto signo crucis in eam intravit, sed virtute Dei coepit in ea quasi in balneo refoveri. Quod videns Dacianus cogitavit eum emollire blanditiis, quem minis superare non poterat vel tormentis, dixitque illi: vides, fili Georgi, quantae mansuetudinis sunt Dii nostri, qui te blasphemum tam patienter sustinent, parati nihilominus, si converti volueris, indulgere. Age ergo, dilectissime fili, quod hortor, ut superstitione relicta Diis nostris sacrifices, ut magnos ab ipsis et a nobis consequaris honores. Cui Georgius subridens ait: )ad quid a principio non magis mihi persuasisti blandis sermonibus quam tormentis? ecce paratus sum facere, quod hortaris. Hac Dacianus permissione delusus laetus efficitur jussitque sub voce praeconis, ut omnes ad se convenirent et Georgium tamdiu reluctantem tandem cedere et sacrificare viderent. Ornata igitur tota civitate prae gau- dio cum Georgius ydolorum templum sacrificaturus intraret et omnes ibidem gaudentes adstarent, flexis genibus dominum exoravit, ut templum cum ydolis sic omnino destrueret, quatenus ad sui laudem et populi conversionem nihil de eo penitus remaneret, statimque ignis de coelo descendens templum cum Diis et sacerdotibus concremavit terraque se aperiens omnes eorum reliquias deglativit. Hic exclamat Ambrosius in praefatione dicens: Georgius fidelissimus miles Christi, dum christianitatis professio silentio tegeretur, solus inter christicolas intrepidus Dei filium est confessus.
Cui et tantam constantiam gratia divina concessit, ut et tyrannicae potestatis praecepta contemneret et innumerabilium non formidaret tormenta poenarum. O felix et inclitus domini proeliator! Quem non solum temporalis regni blanda non persuasit promissio, sed persecutore deluso simulacrorum ejus portenta in abyssum dejecit. Haee Ambrosius. Hoc audiens Dacianus Georgium ad se adduci fecit eique dixit: quae 7 malitia tua, pessime hominum, quod tautum facinus commisisti? Cui Georgius: ne credas, rex, sic esse, sed mecum perge et iterum me immolare vide. Cui ille: intelligo fraudem tuam, quia vis me facere absorberi, sicut templum et Deos meos absorberi fecisti. Cui Georgius: dic mihi miser, Dii tui, qui se juvare non potuerunt, quomodo te juvabunt?
Iratus rex nimis dixit Alexandriae uxori suae: deficiens moriar, quia ab hoc homine me superatum cerno. Cui illa: tyranne crudelis et carnifex, numquid non dixi tibi, ne saepius christianis molestus esses, quia Deus eorum pro ipsis pugnaret, et nunc scias, me velle fieri christianam, Stupefactus rex ait: heu proh dolor! numquid et tu es seducta? Fecitque eam per capillos suspendi et flagellis durissime caedi. Quae dum caederetur, dixit Georgio: Georgi lumen veritatis, quo, putes, perveniam nondum aqua baptismi renata? Cui Georgius nihil haesites, filia, quia sanguinis tui effusio baptismus tibi reputabitur et corona. Tunc illa orans ad dominum emisit spiritum. Huic attestatur Ambrosius in praefatione dicens: ob hoc et gentium regina Persarum crudeli a viro dictata sententia nondum baptismi gratiam consecuta gloriosae passionis meruit palmam, unde nec dubitare possumus, quod rosea perfusa sanguinis unda reseratas poli januas ingredi meruit regnumque: possidere coelorum.
Haec Ambrosius. Sequenti vero die Georgius accepit sententiam, ut +per totam civitatem traheretur, postmodum capite puniretur. Oravit autem ad dominum, ut quicunque ejus imploraret auxilium , petitionis suae consequeretur effectum, divina autem vox ad eum venit, quod Sic fieret, ut oravit. Completa oratione capitis abscisione martirium consummavit sub Dyocletiano et Maximiano, qui coeperunt circa annum domini CCLXXXVII, Dacianus autem cum de loco, in quo decollatus est, ad palatium rediret, ignis de coelo cecidit et ipsum cum ministris suis consumsit. Refert Gregorius Turonensis, quod, cum quidam quasdam reliquias sancti Georgii deferrent et in quodam oratorio hospitati fuissent, mane nullatenus capsam movere potuerunt, donec ibidem reliquiarum particulam dimiserunt. Legitur in hystoria Antiochena, quod, cum christiani ad obsidendum Jerusalem pergerent, quidam juvenis speciosissimus cuidam sacerdoti apparuit, qui sanctum Georgium ducem christianorum se esse dicens monuit, ut ejus reliquias secum in Jerusalem deportarent et ipse cum iis esset. Cum autem Jerusalem obsedissent et Saracenis resistentibus per scalas adscendere non auderent, beatus Georgius albis armis indutus et cruce rubra insignitus apparuit innuens, ut post se securi adscenderent et civitatem obtinerent. Qui hoc animati civitatem ceperunt et Saracenos occiderunt.
The Golden Legend (Legenda Aurea) companion
Continue through all 240 chapters, one saint a day
Chosen Portion serves the Golden Legend as a daily portion on iOS, free, alongside the full Sub Rosa archive
The Legenda Aurea was organized for day-by-day use across the liturgical year, and Chosen Portion restores that original one-feast-per-day reading rhythm
- A complete saint's life or feast reading most days in 5-10 minutes
- 240 chapters - enough daily readings to cover a full liturgical year and beyond
- Daily reminders so the plan survives busy weeks