Jeannie Meekins - Saint George: Dragon Slayer

A LearningIsland.com

15 - Minute Book

Editor: Caitlind Alexander

Smashwords Edition

(c) Copyright 2013. Jeannie Meekins. Allrights reserved.

Published by LearningIsland.com.

This e-book is licensed for your personalenjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away toother people. If you would like to share this book with anotherperson, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Ifyou're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was notpurchased for your use only, please purchase your own copy from anyof several online e-book stores. Thank you for respecting the hardwork of this author.

Saint George: Dragon Slayer / JeannieMeekins

Summary: Biography of the man who slew adragon and became the patron saint of archers, scouts andsoldiers.

1. Biography. Juvenile Literature. 2.Catholicism. Juvenile Literature. 3. Holidays. JuvenileLiterature.

Words: 2431

Reading Level: 6.9

Ages 8 and up

Scenes from the life of St. George, KremikovtsiMonastery, Bulgaria

St George, defender of the helpless andslayer of dragons is a saint honored by many countries and manyreligions. He is as popular with Muslims and Jews as he is withChristians.

How could this happen? We know dragons neverexisted. How could someone be so well known and honored worldwidefor something that could never have happened?

Early Life

There is little information on the earlylife of St George. Two stories tell of his possible origins.

One says that he was born in the city ofCappadocia, which is in the middle of Turkey, in 270 AD. Manypeople still worshipped the Roman gods. Georges parents were bothChristian, and they brought him up to be a Christian.

His father died when he was fourteen, andhis mother took George back to her homeland of Palestine. Atseventeen, he joined the Roman army.

A second story says that Georges fathercame from Cappadocia. His mother was from Lydda, in Palestine, andGeorge was born in Lydda.

The exact date of his birth is not known,but is somewhere between 275 and 281 AD, but possibly as late as285 AD.

Both of his parents were from noble Greekfamilies and gave him the Greek name of Georgios. Georges fatherdied when he was fourteen, and his mother died a few yearslater.

Georges father had been an officer in theRoman army, so George joined the Roman army as soon as hecould.

St. George as a Roman soldier

George the Roman Soldier

The imperial city of the Roman Empire wasNicomedia, in Eastern Turkey. George went to the Emperor atNicomedia.

Diocletian was the Roman Emperor at thetime. He had been a friend of Georges father and welcomed the boyinto his army. George was a brave and honorable soldier. He reachedthe rank of Tribune and became an imperial guard of the Emperor. ATribune is a Roman officer who is elected by the people torepresent their interests.

Diocletian

Diocletian believed in the Roman gods. Hewould make sacrifices and seek the advice of the gods to predictthe future. He would make sacrifices and the haruspices (readers ofthe innards of sacrificed animals) would tell him what the godssaid.

Sometime in 299 AD, the haruspices wereunable to make such readings. They blamed Christians. To satisfythe Roman gods, the Emperors palace had to be purified. This meantthat all the soldiers in the army and all the people in theEmperors household had to make sacrifices to the Roman gods.Anyone who did not do so was thrown out of the army or out of theEmperors palace.

Diocletian argued with Galerius, one of hisjunior co-emperors, about Christians. Galerius was the man whoDiocletian was preparing to be the next emperor of Rome. Diocletianbelieved the gods would be happy if the Christians were forced out.Galerius believed they should be forced to revert to the old godsor be killed.

During the winter of 302, Diocletian soughtadvice about Christians this time from the Oracle of Apollo. TheOracle could not give clear advice.

Diocletian was encouraged by Galerius andmembers of his court. Purification would mean getting rid of allthe Christians in the Empire.

On February 24, 303, Diocletian made a newlaw. All Christian churches and scriptures were destroyed. Morelaws followed, and all Christian priests were to be thrown in jail.They would only be freed when they had given up their faith andmade sacrifices to the Roman gods.

St. George being drug through thestreets

The Death of George

George stood up to Emperor Diocletian. Somestories say he tore up the laws. Other stories say he confrontedDiocletian and told him that his laws were wrong and cruel. He toldthe emperor and all his fellow officers and soldiers that he was aChristian.

Under his own laws, Diocletian arrestedGeorge and had him thrown into prison.

There are slightly differing versions onGeorges death. All versions agreed on these facts. George wastortured, refused to give up his faith, and was beheaded on April23, 303. His body was buried in Lydda.

In one version, Diocletian offered him giftsof land, money and slaves. George still refused to give up hisfaith.

Diocletian had George tortured. There arestories that say he was forced to swallow poisons. His body wascrushed between two spiked wheels, (the spikes were possiblyswords). He is said to have passed out three times and wasresuscitated. He was also boiled in a pot of molten lead.

None of these brutal acts killed him. Everynight, Jesus would come to him and heal his wounds.

George knew he was going to die. If thetortures didnt kill him, then Diocletian would have him executed.He gave away all his money and possessions to the poor.

Diocletian told George he would spare hislife if he would make sacrifices to the Roman gods. George hadinspired many people with his courage and generosity, and how hecontinued to be happy in his faith. They came to see what Georgewould do.

George prayed to the Christian God.

People told of how fire immediately camedown from heaven. An earthquake shook the ground. Idols, templebuildings and even priests were destroyed.

George was beheaded at the city wall ofNicomedia on April 23, 303.

A second version says that he was arrestedone day and tortured. He refused the give up his faith. The nextday he was tied to a horse and dragged through the streets ofNicomedia before being beheaded.

A third version agrees that he was arrested,tortured and dragged through the streets before being beheaded, butsays that it happened in Lydda, not Nicomedia.

Georges courage and faith inspiredDiocletians wife, Empress Alexandra, to give up the Roman gods andbecome a Christian. She was also arrested under the law and wasexecuted.