Chasse of Saint Adrian
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The Chasse of Saint Adrian
The history of Saint Adrian is one of pure fascination, dramatized over the years by artists and clergy alike. He is known to be the patron saint of soldiers, butchers, and brewers and it was believed that evoking his power would generate protection from the plague. His legend is nearly as interesting as the variety of powers he is said to have.
Saint Adrian was a third century Roman soldier from Nicomedia. He was originally a Pagan, employed by the king and in charge of executions of Christians. A group of thirty-three Christians were discovered when the emperor Maximian ordered that the populace should hunt out all of the Christians in the country.
The captured Christians were brought in front of the emperor and angered him by announcing that they understood the consequences of believing in a Christian God and "laughed at the stupidity of his decree" (Voragine, 160). Adrian questioned the Christians, after the king sentenced them to torture, on what they expected to gain from their unlawful beliefs. They responded by enlightening Adrian on the subject of heaven and it so moved him that he declared publicly that he, too, was a Christian.
Adrian's wife, Natalia, was also a Christian, but kept her faith a secret on account of the persecutions...