22
September 287 A.D. The Martyr Legion of Thebes: When Doctrine Mattered
Graves, Dan. “The Martyr Legion from Thebes.” Christianity.com. Jun 2007. http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1-300/the-martyr-legion-from-thebes-11629630.html. Accessed 23 May
2014.
That was the Theban Legion and why do many western
churches commemorate it on this day, September 22?
According to the earliest accounts we have, an entire Roman legion was martyred
for refusing to sacrifice to pagan gods and/or take an oath to extirpate the Christians of
Gaul.
The year was 287 or thereabouts.
Diocletian shared imperial rule with
Maximian Herculius. The two claimed to be sons of the gods, incorporated the
names of Jove and Hercules into their titles, and set about imposing Roman
peace to the empire. A revolt was in progress in Gaul, its adherents calling
themselves the Bagaudians. It was to quell this disturbance that Maximian
brought up the Theban Legion from Egypt.
The region of Thebes was the
most fiercely Christian of all Egypt. Supposedly this whole legion of 6,600 men
were Christians. Ordered to sacrifice to pagan deities they refused, and were
encouraged by their commanders, Maurice, Exuperius and Candidus to remain
strong. Consequently, Maximian had 1/10th of the Theban soldiers executed. When
the rest of the men remained stubborn, he killed more, and finally slaughtered
everyone who was left. Certainly Maximian was brutal enough to order such a
deed. Maurice was beheaded, too. This took place near Lake Geneva.
The memory of the event was so
strong that in the middle of the following century, a church was built in honor
of the martyrs. Bishop Theodore claimed he had a vision showing where the
martyrs' bones were buried. The name of the town of Saint-Moritz, Switzerland
preserves the memory of Maurice.
But is the tale probable as
told? Most writers doubt it. It seems incredible that every one of over 6,600
men would remain a dedicated Christian in face of death. Furthermore, there is
reason to believe that not all the Thebans were present at the site of the
massacre. Nor do Christian historians who lived at the time mention the event,
which, if it took place as recorded, was surely an astonishing occurrence. More
likely, a single squad or detachment was involved.
Just what happened we will
probably never know in this life. The problem is that the first significant
account we have of the affair was written 150 years after the events by
Eucherius, who was Bishop of Lyons from 435 to 450. Because some details of his
account are wrong, there is reason to suspect the other details, too, although
he assured his readers that he had the story on good authority.
Bibliography:
1. Baring-Gould, Sabine. "SS. Maurice and Comp., MM." Lives of the
Saints. Edinburgh: John Grant, 1914.
2. Butler, Alban. "SS. Maurice and His Companions, Martyrs of the
Theban Legion." Lives of the Saints. Various editions.
3. Firth, John B. Constantine the Great. New York:
Putnam, 1905. Source of the portrait.
4. Gibbon, Edward. The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume I.
Britannica Great Books. Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, 1952; see p. 225f for
a discussion of Maximian's implacable hatred toward Christianity.
5. Masri, Iris Habib el. The Story of the Copts; the true story of
Christianity in Egypt. Merry Springs, California: St. Anmny
Monastery, p. 107 ff.
6. "Maurice, St." and "Theban Legion." The Oxford
Dictionary of the Christian Church. Edited by F. L. Cross and E. A.
Livingstone. Oxford, 1997.
7. Scarre, Chris. Chronicle of the Roman Emperors.
(Thames and Hudson, 1995), especially pp. 196 ff (this account paints a rosier
picture of Maximian than seems warranted).
8. Various internet articles.
Last updated June,
2007
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