Pancras of Taormina
According to legend, Pancras of Taormina († allegedly around 40 in Taormina ) was a martyr and saint . Its historical existence is doubtful.
Pankratius is said to have originally come from Antioch on the Orontes and moved to Jerusalem with his parents and met Jesus of Nazareth there . Later he was baptized in Antioch and retired to a cave on the Black Sea coast, where Paul found him. He had sent him on a mission to Taormenum in Sicily (today: Taormina ), where Pankratius was the city's first bishop and where he was finally stoned for his Christian faith .
The legend of Pancrasus is mainly transmitted in a Greek-language saint's life, the author of which calls himself Euagrios and claims to be a contemporary and companion of the saint. In fact, the text was probably not written until the 8th century and has no historical source value for the early Christian period.
The day of remembrance of the saint is traditionally April 3 , but today Pancras is mainly commemorated on July 8 and July 9 ; the latter date is considered to be the day of his martyrdom. Relics of Pancratius are kept in Rome and on Mount Athos . In Taormina, a former Temple of Isis has been converted into a church dedicated to the saint.
Web links
- www.santiebeati.it (Italian)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Cynthia Stallman-Pacitti: The Life of Saint Pankratios of Taormina. Published by John B. Burke (= Byzantina Australiensia. Volume 22). Brill, Leiden / Boston 2018, ISBN 978-90-0436621-3 (scientific edition, translation and analysis of the Pankratius-Vita).
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Pancras of Taormina |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | legendary first bishop of Taormina, martyr, saint |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1st century BC BC or 1st century |
| DATE OF DEATH | at 40 |