The Ante-Nicene Church · AD 180–313
Saint Maurice & the Theban Legion
d. c. AD 287 (martyrs) · Commander of the Theban Legion · Martyrs · Agaunum (St-Maurice, Valais)
The Ante-Nicene Church
Who Saint Maurice & the Theban Legion was
The commander of a body of Christian soldiers who, in the account of Bishop Eucherius of Lyon, were decimated and then destroyed to a man at Agaunum for refusing to sacrifice — or, in the older telling, to turn their swords on fellow Christians. The abbey of Saint-Maurice rose over the site and keeps the cult to this day.
Eucherius's Passio Acaunensium (c. 440–450) alone within the horizon.
Also listed in martyrs.
Common questions
When did Saint Maurice & die?
Saint Maurice & the Theban Legion is dated d. c. AD 287 (martyrs) in the archive, which places Saint Maurice & in the Ante-Nicene Church (AD 180–313). The dating is traditional and approximate; the archive marks it as uncertain rather than fixing a year the sources do not give.
Which early sources mention Saint Maurice &?
Saint Maurice & the Theban Legion is named in 1 primary-source passage catalogued here, drawn from Eucherius of Lyon. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Where was Saint Maurice & from?
The archive associates Saint Maurice & the Theban Legion with Agaunum (St-Maurice, Valais). The sources record more than one location, so the places are listed in the order the record moves through them.
Who were Saint Maurice &’s contemporaries?
The archive links Saint Maurice & the Theban Legion to 1 other figure, including Emperor Diocletian. Each connection is drawn from a source that places them together, not from inference.
Primary-source mentions (1)
Every passage below is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Eucherius of Lyon, The Passion of the Martyrs of Agaunum (c. AD 440–450; original Latin, working translation)
c. AD 440[First attested ~150 years after the traditional event; the episode is historically disputed.] 'Emperor, we are thy soldiers, but before that we are the servants of God. To thee we owe military service; to Him, innocence... We have arms, and we do not resist — for we would rather die than kill.'Eucherius of Lyon · source text
Connected in the archive
People
Events in this lifetime
- AD 235 · Maximinus Thrax targets the clergy, AD 235
- AD 250 · The Decian persecution, AD 250
- AD 251 · The Novatianist schism, AD 251
- AD 257 · The Valerian persecution, AD 257
- AD 260 · Gallienus’ edict of toleration, AD 260
- AD 268 · Antioch deposes Paul of Samosata, AD 268
- AD 272 · Aurelian awards the Antioch church, AD 272