Herculanus of Perugia
Herculanus of Perugia († 549 in Perugia ) was a bishop of Perugia and after his martyrdom the patron saint of the city. Its feast day is November 7th , but it is also remembered on March 1st . The most important source for his life are the dialogues of Pope Gregory I.
Life
According to Gregory's account, Herculanus suffered his martyrdom during the Gothic War when Totila besieged Perugia. In order to deceive the Ostrogoth besiegers, Bishop Herculanus resorted to a ruse. He said he gave the last available grain to a hungry lamb to lull the besiegers into believing that the city had more than enough food. Totila, however, was not fooled and continued the siege until Perugia had to surrender.
After taking the city, Totila ordered Herculanus to be skinned. The Ostrogoth soldier entrusted with this cruel task beheaded the bishop in order to spare him unnecessary torture. Gregory reports that forty days later the corpse of Herculanus was found intact, the head connected to the body.
literature
- Ekkart Sauser : Herculanus of Perugia. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 22, Bautz, Nordhausen 2003, ISBN 3-88309-133-2 , Sp. 517.
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Herculanus of Perugia |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Sant'Ercolano |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Bishop of Perugia, saint |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 5th century or 6th century |
| DATE OF DEATH | 549 |
| Place of death | Perugia |