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Icon of
St. Caesarius, Deacon & Martyr of Africa
Feast: November 1
St. Caesarius was a Deacon of
Africa, martyred at Terracina in Italy. When Caesarius denounced the
pagan custom of having one youth per year immolate himself to the
demons by jumping off a cliff in honour of the false god Apollo, the
priest of Apollo had him arrested and taken before the governor. He was
sentenced to be sewn into a sack and thrown into the sea. In the
manuscript illumination above, top centre, the Saint watches the pagan
sacrifice. Left: Lucian, the self-sacrifice, offers in the temple then
plunges to his death. On rt., spectators watch the suicide. Below, St.
Caesarius is condemned on charges of sorcery. Finally, in the lowest
panel, the Saint is sewn into the sack and drowned in the sea. At Old
Rome there was a church built in honour of the Martyr. Holy Martyr
Caesarius, pray to God for us!
Iconic illumination is from a
manuscript in the British Library.
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