Victor of Marseilles
Encyclopedia
Saint Victor of Marseilles was a Christian Martyr
. He is venerated
as a saint
in the Roman Catholic Church
and the Eastern Orthodox Church
.
Saint Victor is said to have been a Roman army
officer in Marseilles, who publicly denounced the worship of idols
. For that, he was brought before the Roman prefect
s, Asterius and Eutychius, who later sent him to the Emperor Maximian
. He was then racked, beaten, dragged through the streets, and thrown into prison, where he converted three other Roman soldiers (Sts Longinus, Alexander, and Felician, all of whom are considered Christian martyrs
). The three were beheaded
, and St Victor himself was crushed under a millstone
and then beheaded
, after refusing to offer incense
to the Roman god Jupiter.
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In the 4th century, Saint John Cassian built a monastery
over the site where the bodies had been buried in a cave, which later became a Benedictine
Abbey and minor Basilica
. This is St Victor's Abbey (Abbaye Saint-Victor).
Saint Victor's feast day, along with Sts Longinus, Alexander and Felician, is celebrated on July 21.
, the capital of Estonia
. His life and martyrdom are celebrated in the scenes depicted in the High Altar of the St. Nicholas' Church, Tallinn
.
Christian martyrs
A Christian martyr is one who is killed for following Christianity, through stoning, crucifixion, burning at the stake or other forms of torture and capital punishment. The word "martyr" comes from the Greek word μάρτυς, mártys, which means "witness."...
. He is venerated
Veneration
Veneration , or veneration of saints, is a special act of honoring a saint: an angel, or a dead person who has been identified by a church committee as singular in the traditions of the religion. It is practiced by the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic, and Eastern Catholic Churches...
as a 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...
in the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
and the Eastern Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
.
Saint Victor is said to have been a 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...
officer in Marseilles, who publicly denounced the worship of idols
Cult image
In the practice of religion, a cult image is a human-made object that is venerated for the deity, spirit or daemon that it embodies or represents...
. For that, he was brought before the Roman prefect
Prefect
Prefect is a magisterial title of varying definition....
s, Asterius and Eutychius, who later sent him to the Emperor Maximian
Maximian
Maximian was Roman Emperor from 286 to 305. He was Caesar from 285 to 286, then Augustus from 286 to 305. He shared the latter title with his co-emperor and superior, Diocletian, whose political brain complemented Maximian's military brawn. Maximian established his residence at Trier but spent...
. He was then racked, beaten, dragged through the streets, and thrown into prison, where he converted three other Roman soldiers (Sts Longinus, Alexander, and Felician, all of whom are considered Christian martyrs
Christian martyrs
A Christian martyr is one who is killed for following Christianity, through stoning, crucifixion, burning at the stake or other forms of torture and capital punishment. The word "martyr" comes from the Greek word μάρτυς, mártys, which means "witness."...
). The three were beheaded
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...
, and St Victor himself was crushed under a millstone
Millstone
Millstones or mill stones are used in windmills and watermills, including tide mills, for grinding wheat or other grains.The type of stone most suitable for making millstones is a siliceous rock called burrstone , an open-textured, porous but tough, fine-grained sandstone, or a silicified,...
and then beheaded
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...
, after refusing to offer incense
Incense
Incense is composed of aromatic biotic materials, which release fragrant smoke when burned. The term "incense" refers to the substance itself, rather than to the odor that it produces. It is used in religious ceremonies, ritual purification, aromatherapy, meditation, for creating a mood, and for...
to the Roman god Jupiter.
Veneration
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
over the site where the bodies had been buried in a cave, which later became a Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
Abbey and minor Basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
. This is St Victor's Abbey (Abbaye Saint-Victor).
Saint Victor's feast day, along with Sts Longinus, Alexander and Felician, is celebrated on July 21.
Patronage
Saint Victor is the patron saint of TallinnTallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
, the capital of Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
. His life and martyrdom are celebrated in the scenes depicted in the High Altar of the St. Nicholas' Church, Tallinn
St. Nicholas' Church, Tallinn
St. Nicholas' Church is a medieval church in Tallinn, Estonia. It is dedicated to Saint Nicholas, the patron of the fishermen and sailors. Originally built in the 13th century, it was partially destroyed in Soviet Bombing of Tallinn in World War II...
.