St. Sergius and St. Bachus

by Rick Saint

Title

St. Sergius and St. Bachus

Artist

Rick Saint

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

Part of my series inspired by the works of Caravaggio, this piece depicts St. Sergius and St. Bacchus.

Saints Sergius and Bacchus were fourth-century Roman Christian soldiers revered as martyrs and military saints by the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches. Sergius and Bacchus were Roman citizens and high-ranking officers of the Roman Army, but their covert Christianity was discovered when they attempted to avoid accompanying a Roman official into a pagan temple with the rest of his bodyguard. After they persisted in refusing to sacrifice to Jupiter in Galerius' company, they were publicly humiliated by being chained, dressed in female attire and paraded around town. Galerius then sent them to Barbalissos in Mesopotamia to be tried by Antiochus, the military commander there and an old friend of Sergius. Antiochus could not convince them to give up their faith, however, and Bacchus was beaten to death. The next day Bacchus' spirit appeared to Sergius and encouraged him to remain strong so they could be together forever. Over the next days, Sergius was also brutally tortured and finally executed at Resafa, where his death was marked by miraculous happenings.

The oldest text of their martyrology describes them as "erastai" (lovers) and the two were even united in a rite known as adelphopoiesis or (brother-making).

Uploaded

August 4th, 2018

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