Guard of Roman emperor Galerius (died 306)
Adrian and Natalia of Nicomedia
|
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Saint Adrian and his wife, Saint Natalia
|
|
Died
| 4 March 306
Nicomedia
[1]
(modern-day
?zmit
,
Turkey
)
|
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Venerated in
| Roman Catholic Church
Coptic Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
|
---|
Major
shrine
| Argyropolis (Thrace)
near
Constantinople
;
Geraardsbergen
,
Belgium
;
Church of
Sant'Adriano al Foro
,
Rome
[2]
|
---|
Feast
| 8 September
1 December
[3]
|
---|
Attributes
| depicted
armed
, with an
anvil
in his hands or at his feet
|
---|
Patronage
| plague
,
epilepsy
,
arms dealers
,
butchers
,
guards
,
soldiers
,
peacekeeping missions
|
---|
Adrian of Nicomedia
(also known as Hadrian) or
Saint Adrian
(
Greek
:
?δριαν?? Νικομηδε?α?
,
romanized
:
Adrianos Nikom?deias
, died 4 March 306)
[2]
was a
Herculian Guard
of the
Roman Emperor
Galerius Maximian
. After becoming a convert to
Christianity
with his wife
Natalia
(Ναταλ?α), Adrian was
martyred
at
Nicomedia
in
Asia-Minor
(
Turkey
).
[2]
Adrian was the chief
military saint
of Northern Europe for many ages, second only to
Saint George
, and is much revered in
Flanders
,
Germany
and the north of
France
.
Martyrdom
[
edit
]
Adrian and Natalia lived in Nicomedia during the time of Emperor Maximian in the early fourth century.
[4]
The twenty-eight-year-old Adrian was head of the
praetorium
.
It is said that while presiding over the torture of a band of Christians, he asked them what reward they expected to receive from God. They replied, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither has entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."
[5]
He was so amazed at their courage that he publicly confessed his faith, though he had not yet been
baptized
. He was then immediately imprisoned. He was forbidden visitors, but accounts state that his wife Natalia came to visit him, dressed as a boy, to ask for his prayers when he entered
Heaven
.
[6]
After his execution, the executioners wanted to burn the bodies of the dead, but a storm arose and quenched the fire.
[7]
Natalia recovered one of Adrian's hands.
Historicity
[
edit
]
The accuracy of the recorded story has been questioned. A second Hadrian is said to have been a son of the
Emperor Probus
, and, having embraced Christianity, to have been put to death (A.D. 320), at Nicomedia in Asia Minor, by Emperor
Licinius
. But no reliable information concerning him is extant. He is commemorated on August 26.
[8]
Feast day and patronage
[
edit
]
In the
Eastern Orthodox Church
, Saint Adrian shares a
feast day
with his wife on 26 August in the Church Calendar, which for the majority of Orthodox Christians remains on the Julian Calendar, is on 8 September in the Gregorian and global civil calendars; he also has feast days alone on 4 March. In the
Roman Catholic Church
, he is venerated alone, without his wife, on September 8.
[9]
The Coptic Orthodox Church likewise venerates St. Adrian and his companions on the third day of the Coptic month known as Nesi (corresponding to September 8), mentioning his wife's role during the Synaxarion reading of that day.
Saint Hadrian was the chief
military saint
of Northern Europe for many ages, second only to
Saint George
, and is much revered in
Flanders
,
Germany
and the north of
France
. He is usually represented armed, with an anvil in his hands or at his feet.
[
citation needed
]
Sant'Adriano al Foro
, a church in the
Roman Forum
(founded AD 630), was named in his honour. The name was later transferred to
Santa Maria della Mercede e Sant'Adriano a Villa Albani
(1958) when the old church was demolished.
[10]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
Further reading
[
edit
]
- Attwater, Donald and Catherine Rachel John (1993).
The Penguin Dictionary of Saints
(3rd ed.). New York: Penguin Books.
ISBN
0-14-051312-4
.
- Greene, E. A. (1908).
"S. Adrian"
.
Saints and Their Symbols: A Companion in the Churches and Picture Galleries of Europe
. p. 32.
OCLC
16907745
.
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Adrian of Nicomedia
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Natalia of Nicomedia
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