St. Maximilian
Encyclopedia
Saint Maximilian of Tebessa is a Christian
saint
whose feast day is observed on 12 March. He is a martyr
of the Christian Church
from the third century CE, born in AD 274. Because his father Fabius Victor was a soldier in the Roman army
, Maximilian was obliged to join at the age of 21. Brought before the proconsul of Numidia
Cassius Dion, he refused, stating that, as a Christian, he could not serve in the military. This led to his martyrdom by beheading
on 12 March, AD 295, at the City of Thavaste (now: Tébessa
, Algeria), North Africa. He is noted as an early conscientious objector
.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
whose feast day is observed on 12 March. He is a martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
of the Christian Church
Christian Church
The Christian Church is the assembly or association of followers of Jesus Christ. The Greek term ἐκκλησία that in its appearances in the New Testament is usually translated as "church" basically means "assembly"...
from the third century CE, born in AD 274. Because his father Fabius Victor was a soldier in the Roman army
Roman army
The Roman army is the generic term for the terrestrial armed forces deployed by the kingdom of Rome , the Roman Republic , the Roman Empire and its successor, the Byzantine empire...
, Maximilian was obliged to join at the age of 21. Brought before the proconsul of Numidia
Numidia
Numidia was an ancient Berber kingdom in part of present-day Eastern Algeria and Western Tunisia in North Africa. It is known today as the Chawi-land, the land of the Chawi people , the direct descendants of the historical Numidians or the Massyles The kingdom began as a sovereign state and later...
Cassius Dion, he refused, stating that, as a Christian, he could not serve in the military. This led to his martyrdom by beheading
Decapitation
Decapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
on 12 March, AD 295, at the City of Thavaste (now: Tébessa
Tébessa
Tébessa is the capital city of Tébessa Province, Algeria, 20 kilometers west from the border with Tunisia. Nearby is also a phosphate mine. The city is famous for the traditional Algerian carpets in the region, and is home to over 161,440 people.-History:...
, Algeria), North Africa. He is noted as an early conscientious objector
Conscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
.