Sebastian

Sebastian, ST, a martyr of the early church, was a native of Narbonne. Under Diocletian he became a captain of the pratorian guard, and secretly a Christian. It coming to the ears of Diocletian how Sebastian personally encouraged those who were being led out to death for being Christians, the emperor had his captain tied to a stake and shot to death by archers. But they did not wholly kill him; a pious woman, Irene by name, took him away, and tended his wounds. As soon as he was recovered Sebastian boldly faced the tyrant, and upbraided him for his cruelty. Diocletian then ordered him to be beaten to death (288) with rods. He is a protector against plague and pestilence, and is specially honoured on 20th January. His first martyrdom—a young and handsome soldier bristling with arrows—was a favourite subject for the Italian religious painters, as Mantegna, Veronese, and Domenichino.