Saint Alban
Saint Alban
Martyr
Born	unknown, Verulamium
Died	disputed: 22 June 209, c.251 or 305, Holywell Hill (formerly Holmhurst Hill), St Albans
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church; Anglican Communion; Eastern Orthodox Church
Major shrine	Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban
Feast	22 June
Attributes	Soldier with a very tall cross and a sword; decapitated, with his head in a holly bush and the eyes of his executioner dropping out
Patronage	converts, refugees, torture victims, Great Britain
Saints Portal

Saint Alban was, along with saints Julius and Aaron, one of three Christian martyrs in Britain. Alban is listed in the Church of England calendar of England and Wales for 22 June and he continues to be venerated in the Anglican, Catholic, and Orthodox Communions. St Alban is mentioned in "Acta Martyrum", and also by Constantius of Lyon in his Life of St Germanus of Auxerre, written about 480. He also appears in Gildas's 6th century polemic De Excidio Britanniae. Saint Alban was the first Christian martyr in Britain. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Remains of the city walls Verulamium was the third largest city in Roman Britain. ... is the 173rd day of the year (174th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events Publius Septimius Geta receives the titles of Imperator and Augustus from his father, Roman emperor Septimius Severus. ... Events July 1 – In the Battle of Abrittus, the Goths defeat the Romans; emperors Decius and Herennius Etruscus are killed. ... Events May 1 - Diocletian and Maximian, emperors of Rome, retire from office. ... , St Albans is the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans in southern Hertfordshire, England, around 22 miles (35km) north of central London. ... Catholic Church redirects here. ... This box:      Anglicanism most commonly refers to the beliefs and practices of the Anglican Communion, a world-wide affiliation of Christian Churches, most of which have historical connections with the Church of England. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Coptic Orthodox Pope · Roman Catholic Pope Archbishop of Canterbury · Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Faith... Eastern Orthodox shrine Buddhist shrine just outside Wat Phnom. ... St Albans Cathedral from the west. ... The calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organising a liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more saints, and referring to the day as that saints day. ... is the 173rd day of the year (174th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Saint symbology was important to people who couldnt read because they can figure out what symbols mean. ... Saint Quentin is the patron saint of locksmiths and is also invoked against coughs and sneezes. ... Image File history File links Gloriole. ... Saints Julius and Aaron are celebrated as two British martyrs who died during the religious persecutions of the Emperor Diocletian in AD 304. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... Historically, a martyr is a person who dies for his or her religious faith. ... The Church of England logo since 1998 The Church of England is the officially established Christian church[1] in England, and acts as the mother and senior branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion, as well as a founding member of the Porvoo Communion. ... Main article: Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is a world-wide affiliation of Anglican Churches. ... Eastern Orthodoxy (also called Greek Orthodoxy and Russian Orthodoxy) is a Christian tradition which represents the majority of Eastern Christianity. ... The term Communion is derived from Latin communio (sharing in common). ... Constantius of Lyon (fl. ... Germanus of Auxerre (378–31 July 448) became bishop of Auxerre in Gaul. ... Events Odoacer defeats an attempt by Julius Nepos to recapture Italy, and has Julius killed; Odoacer also captured Dalmatia. ... Gildas (c. ...

Life

According to Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People, I.vii and xviii, Alban was a pagan living at Verulamium (now St Albans), who converted to Christianity, and was executed by decapitation on a hill above the Roman settlement of Verulamium. St Albans Abbey at St Albans, Hertfordshire, England was later founded near this site. For other uses, see Bede (disambiguation). ... Folio 3v from Codex Beda Petersburgiensis (746) The Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum (in English: Ecclesiastical History of the English People) is a work in Latin by the Venerable Bede on the history of the Church in England, and of England generally; its main focus is on the conflict between Roman... Pagan and heathen redirect here. ... Remains of the city walls Verulamium was the third largest city in Roman Britain. ... , St Albans is the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans in southern Hertfordshire, England, around 22 miles (35km) north of central London. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... Decapitation (from Latin, caput, capitis, meaning head), or beheading, is the removal of a living organisms head. ... For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation). ... Remains of the city walls Verulamium was the third largest city in Roman Britain. ... Abbey gateway St Albans Abbey was an abbey at St Albans, Hertfordshire, England, dissolved in 1539 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. ... , St Albans is the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans in southern Hertfordshire, England, around 22 miles (35km) north of central London. ... For the similarly named county in the West Midlands region, see Herefordshire. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ...

Shrine of Saint Alban in St Albans Cathedral

The date of the execution is best left to the venerable Bede: "when the cruel Emperors first published their edicts against the Christians". In other words, sometime after the publication of the edicts by Eastern Roman Emperor Diocletian in 303 and before the proclamation of the toleration Edict of Milan by co-ruling Roman Emperors Constantine I and Licinius in 313. The year 304 has been suggested. Download high resolution version (685x1041, 123 KB)Shrine of Saint Alban, St Albans Cathedral. ... Download high resolution version (685x1041, 123 KB)Shrine of Saint Alban, St Albans Cathedral. ... St Albans Cathedral from the west. ... This is a list of Byzantine Emperors. ... Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus (c. ... Events Diocletian launched the last major persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire; Hierocles was said to have been the instigator of the fierce persecution of the Christians under February 24 - Galerius, Roman Emperor, publishes his edict that begins the persecution of Christians in his portion of the Empire. ... The Edict of Milan was a letter that proclaimed religious toleration in the Roman Empire. ... This is a list of Roman Emperors with the dates they controlled the Roman Empire. ... Head of Constantines colossal statue at Musei Capitolini Gaius Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus[1] (February 27, 272–May 22, 337), commonly known as Constantine I, Constantine the Great, or (among Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic[2] Christians) Saint Constantine, was a Roman Emperor, proclaimed Augustus by his troops on... Aureus of Licinius, celebrating his tenth year of reign and the fifth year of his son Licinius (on the obverse). ... February - Wtf is up mah cracka??. Constantine issues the Edict of Milan, ending all persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire. ... For other uses, see 304 (disambiguation). ...

In 1968, English historian John Morris suggested that St Alban's martyrdom took place during the persecutions under Emperor Septimus Severus in 209. Morris bases his claims on earlier manuscript sources, unknown to Bede, especially an 8th-century copy of a 3rd century manuscript found in Turin which states, ""Alban received a fugitive cleric and put on his garment and his cloak (habitu et caracalla) that he was wearing and delivered himself up to be killed instead of the priest.... and was delivered immediately to the evil Caesar Severus." St Gildas knew this source, but mistranslated the name "Severus" as an adjective, and wrongly identified the emperor as Diocletian. Bede accepted this identification as fact, and dated St Alban's martyrdom to this later period. As Morris points out, Diocletian reigned only in the East, and would not have been involved in British affairs in 304; Severus, however, was in Britain from 208 to 211. Morris thus dates Alban's death to 209^[1]. Subsequent scholars (W.H.C. Frend and Charles Thomas for example) have argued that such a single, localized British martyrdom in 209 would have been unusual, and have suggested the period of 251-259 as more likely. Dr. John Morris was the late 20th century Senior Lecturer in Ancient History at University College, London. ... Emperor Septimius Severus Lucius Septimius Severus, (April 11, 146 - February 4, 211) was Roman emperor from April 9, 193 to 211. ... For other uses, see Turin (disambiguation). ... A cleric is a member of the clergy of a religion, especially one that has trained or ordained priests, preachers, or other religious professionals. ... Gildas (c. ... Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus (c. ... The Reverend Professor W. H. C. Frend (11 January 1916-1 August 2005) Ecclesiastical historian; archaeologist; priest. ... Anthony Charles Thomas, (Born April 24, 1928[1]), Professor of of Cornish Studies at Exeter University and first Director of the Institute of Cornish Studies from 1971 until his retirement in 1991. ...

Alban sheltered a Christian priest (Geoffrey of Monmouth's later interpolation giving his name as "Amphibalus", the name for the cloak) in his home, and was converted and baptised by him. When the "impious prince", as Bede has called him, sent Roman soldiers to Alban's house to look for the priest, Alban exchanged cloaks with the priest and was arrested in his stead at Chantry Island. Alban was taken before the magistrate, who was furious at the deception and ordered that Alban be given the punishment due to the priest if he had indeed become a Christian. Alban declared, "I worship and adore the true and living God who created all things." These words are still used in prayer at St Albans Abbey. St Alban was eventually sacrificed to the Roman gods and was condemned to death. He was taken out of the town across the River Ver to the top of the hill opposite. The reputed place of his beheading is where St Albans Cathedral now stands. Geoffrey of Monmouth (in Welsh: Gruffudd ap Arthur or Sieffre o Fynwy) (c. ... Saint Amphibalus was formerly venerated as the Christian priest traditionally sheltered by Saint Alban, who was converted by him, as a consequence of which Alban was martyred. ... A magistrate is a judicial officer. ... Roman mythology can be considered as two parts. ... River Ver in St Albans The River Ver is a river in Hertfordshire. ... St Albans Cathedral from the west. ...

Cult of Saint Alban

A cult connected with Alban was already in existence in the 6th century, for Bede quotes a line from one of the Carmina of Venantius Fortunatus, Albanum egregium fæcunda Britannia profert ("Fruitful Britain holy Alban yields"). The 6th century is the period from 501 - 600 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ... Venantius Honorius Clementianus Fortunatus (c. ...

The martyrdom of St Alban, from a 13th century manuscript, now in the Trinity College Library, Dublin. Note the executioner's eyes falling out of his head.

Church of Saint Alban at Cathcart in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa on the road to Aliwal North.

Bede tells several legends associated with the story of Alban's execution. On his way to the execution, Alban had to cross a river, and finding the bridge full of people, he made the waters part and crossed over on dry land. And the executioner was so impressed with Alban's faith that he also converted to Christianity on the spot, and refused to kill him. Another executioner was quickly found (whose eyes dropped out of his head when he did the deed), and the first was killed after Alban, thereby becoming the second British Christian martyr. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1897x1245, 258 KB) The martyrdom of St. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1897x1245, 258 KB) The martyrdom of St. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 442 KB) Author: Gregorydavid 20:38, 29 December 2006 (UTC) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 442 KB) Author: Gregorydavid 20:38, 29 December 2006 (UTC) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Capital Bhisho Largest city Port Elizabeth Premier Nosimo Balindlela Area - Total Ranked 2nd 169,580 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 3rd 6,436,761 38/km² Languages Xhosa (83%) Afrikaans (9. ... A map of the nine provinces of South Africa South Africa is currently divided into nine provinces. ... Aliwal North is a town on the Orange River, in central South Africa. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is...

Alban is represented in art as carrying his head between his hands, having been beheaded.

The "Albanifest", the largest annual festival to be held in a historic town in Switzerland, is named after him. This takes place in Winterthur, where Alban is one of the three city-saints. The city church of Winterthur, a local landmark Winterthur is a city in the canton of Zurich in Switzerland. ...

Feast day: June 22. The calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organising a liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more saints, and referring to the day as that saints day. ... is the 173rd day of the year (174th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Fellowship of Saint Alban and Saint Sergius is named in part after Alban. The Fellowship of Saint Alban and Saint Sergius is a religious organization founded in 1928 to facilitate contact between Eastern and Western Christians, specifically Anglican and Eastern Orthodox Christians. ...

Saint Alban of Mainz

Some details added to St Alban's tradition come from confusing him with another Saint Alban of Mainz, or Albinus, who was martyred at Mainz, where he was decapitated by the Vandals in 406. Alban von Mainz Saint Alban of Mainz (* in Italy, † around 406 in Mainz) was a priest, missionary, and martyr. ... Mainz is a city in Germany and the capital of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. ... Vandal and Vandali redirect here. ...

An example is the crest of arms for the Austrian community of Matrei: it depicts St Alban with his head in his right hand and a sword in the left hand, although the local church is dedicated to Albinus.

Shrine

In June 2002 a clavicle (collar bone), believed to be a relic of St Alban, was presented to St Albans Cathedral and placed inside the saint’s restored 13th century shrine. The bone was given by the Church of St Pantaleon in Cologne, Germany[2]. St Pantaleon's, like St Albans Cathedral a former Benedictine abbey church that had a shrine dedicated to St Alban, has possessed remains believed to be those of St Alban since the 10th century. It is entirely possible that further relics were acquired by the church in the 16th century at the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries in England, when many such relics were smuggled abroad to prevent their destruction. St Albans Abbey was dissolved in 1539. Collarbone and collar bone redirect here. ... A relic is an object, especially a piece of the body or a personal item of someone of religious significance, carefully preserved with an air of veneration as a tangible memorial, Relics are an important aspect of Buddhism, some denominations of Christianity, Hinduism, shamanism, and many other personal belief systems. ... For other uses, see Cologne (disambiguation). ... For the college, see Benedictine College. ... For other uses of the term dissolution see Dissolution. ... Events May 30 - In Florida, Hernando de Soto lands at Tampa Bay with 600 soldiers with the goal to find gold. ...

References

External links

• Bede, Ecclesiastical History Book i.vii: the story of Saint Alban*Catholic encyclopedia: St Alban
• The Story of Alban on the Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban's website
• Alban on Catholic-Forum.com
• Early British Kingdoms: St Alban