Pagan Alter Ego of St. George: Divus Galerius?
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This study investigates the pagan origins of the cult of St. George, focusing on the controversial hypothesis that the imperial cult of Emperor Galerius, a renowned military hero, last deified emperor, and fierce Christian persecutor, served as the role model for building the image of popular Christian military saint, St. George. Employing a multidisciplinary approach, it examines the interplay between historical evidence, cultural practices, and religious beliefs while analyzing the blurred historiographies of Galerius and George, which seem highly interlinked. The study argues that the transformation of institutionalized Roman cultural memory facilitated the inscription of a pagan heroic cult onto the personality of St. George. The article seeks to open a debate on the issue by contributing to the understanding of the complex interplay and parallelism between pagan and Christian traditions and beliefs.
Source: Hiperboreea Journal of History
Author: Aleksandra Terzić
Institution: Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić” SASA
Language: English
Topic: Classical Antiquity Studies
Subfield: Anthropology
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7081914597
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