CONTRARY to an observation made in a letter to the Times (April 7), Georgius was not 'an obscure Roman soldier'. He is said to have been born in the year 270 in Cappadocia, an eastern province of the Roman Empire at a time when the rule of Rome was probably at its zenith.
He was a professional Roman soldier at a time when the Roman army fielded some 25 Legions, each equivalent to a modern infantry division. He was a Tribune, equating to Colonel in modern terms. This was at a time when Christianity was burgeoning throughout the Roman Empire.
The emperor, Diocletian, considered this to be a threat to the empire and ordered Christianity to be suppressed. Georgius, by then a Christian himself refused to comply and he was tortured and ultimately martyred for his faith on April 23 in the year 303.
The next emperor, Constantine, who was born in York, became a Christian and overturned Diocletian's edicts. He decreed that Georgius be venerated as a soldier and a Christian saint throughout this fast growing Christian Empire.
Since this emperor came from York perhaps it is not surprising that Georgius became England's patron saint, yet England is not the only country to recognise him. (With acknowledgements to Mr John Speller, Order of St John Historical Society,
E Devon from an article he published in the WMN on April 23, 2003)
M G Hall
The Royal Society of St George