Image of Saint Defendens, 1885. Oil on canvas, Marcello Baschenis
Martyr
Born
Africa?
Died
286 AD Agaunum
Venerated in
Roman Catholic Church
Feast
January 2
Attributes
military attire
Patronage
Romano di Lombardia; invoked against wolves and fires[1]
Defendens of Thebes (Italian: San Defendente di Tebe) is venerated as a martyr by the Catholic Church. Venerated as a soldier-saint, Defendens was, according to Christian tradition, a member of the Theban Legion, and thus martyred at Agaunum.[1]
Particular veneration for Defendens was widespread in Northern Italy;[2] evidence for this cult dates from as early as 1328.[1] His feast day was celebrated in the cities of Chivasso, Casale Monferrato, Novara, and Lodi on January 2, and oratories, altars, and confraternities were dedicated to him.[1] He also enjoyed veneration in Marseilles; the Catholic Encyclopedia states that “several saints belong in a particular way to Marseilles: the soldier St. Victor, martyr under Maximian; the soldier St. Defendens and his companions, martyrs at the same time...”[3] But as Antonio Borrelli writes, some scholars believe that the Defendens venerated in Italy is different from the martyr who was a member of the Theban Legion.[1]
^ abcdeSan Defendente di Tebe
^"Mescia - Comune di Invorio". Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2008-07-06.
Defendens of Thebes (Italian: San Defendente di Tebe) is venerated as a martyr by the Catholic Church. Venerated as a soldier-saint, Defendens was, according...
Defendente may refer to: Defendens, a martyr of the Theban Legion Defendente Ferrari (c. 1480/1485 – c. 1540), an Italian painter active in Piedmont This...
Bessus Candidus Cassius and Florentius Chiaffredo (Theofredus) Constantius Defendens Exuperius (Exupernis) Felix and Regula, the patron saints of Zürich Fidelis...
Time zone UTC+1 (CET) • Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST) Postal code 22027 Dialing code 031 Patron saint St. Victor and St. Defendens Website Official website...
and Satan, 1885 Historical Ponte Carrega, in Genova, Italy, 1870 Saint Defendens on horseback, 1884 Pacciûgo e Pacciûga, one of the two paintings shown...
Empire?", Johns Hopkins Magazine, 2. ReVelle, C.; Rosing, K. (2000), "Defendens Imperium Romanum: A classical problem in military strategy", Amer. Math...
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