St. Valentine: Martyr or Myth? Quiz

Answer: Rome

One of the reasons that St. Valentine was removed from the General Roman Calendar was because there were so many saints named Valentine that it was difficult to tell them all apart. Valentine, a named that comes from the Latin "valens", means "worthy", "strong", and "powerful"; it was an extremely popular name during the later years of the Roman Empire and the beginning of the Dark Ages. According to "Catholic Online", there are twelve saints that are named Valentine and more than one is associated with February 14. One of the them was from Africa and was said to have died in Africa.

The other two are believed by many to have been the same person. One, called St. Valentine of Terni, was a bishop who was sentenced to death in Rome in 270 AD; the other, called St. Valentine of Rome was a priest who was executed in Rome in 269 AD. Both were from Italy, sentenced to death by the same person, and were reportedly buried in the same location.

Answer: It was the date he was martyred.

Whether we are speaking of St. Valentine of Rome or St. Valentine of Terni - assuming, of course, that they are two different people - both were martyred on February 14. Interestingly, both died in basically the same way. In both cases, the emperor's wrath and subsequent condemnation were said to have been caused by the fact that St. Valentine had tried to convert him to Christianity. Both executions were carried out in a similar fashion, and were recorded as occurring along the Via Flaminia, a road that led north from Rome to the city of Ariminum.

Answer: Claudius II

Claudius II, who was also known as Claudius Gothicus, was Roman Emperor from 268-270. It is believed that many records that would reveal his actions toward Christians were destroyed during the period that was called the Great Persecution. A story called "Passio Marii et Marthae" was published about St. Valentine in the 5th or 6th century; even though it has been very difficult to verify, many people believe that it relates to the policies of Claudius II.

The story was retold throughout the centuries in "The Golden Legend" (1260) and "Nuremberg Chronicle" (1493). Claudius II was a military man who led the army against various groups of invaders, spending much of his reign away from Rome.

Answer: Married men didn't want to serve in the military.

The Roman Empire was under attack by many different groups toward the end of its long history. A massive military machine was needed if the Romans had any chance of withstanding repeated attacks, yet it was very difficult to find men who were interested in joining the military.

The emperor believed that the reason was because married men didn't want to be away from their families, so he banned marriage. Valentine, however, married couples in secret; when his actions were discovered, he was sentenced to death for defying the emperor's laws. Both Valentines are associated with the story of a friendship with the jailer's or judge's child while awaiting their sentence.

Answer: False

Although Christians suffered persecutions by the Romans prior to the reign (39-68) of Nero, as evidenced by the stoning of Stephen in 37 AD, the first recorded action took place after the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD. Nero, needing to find a scapegoat for what had happened, blamed the Christians, whose persecution and martyrdom became events in his private circus.

There is very little evidence that supports the idea that Christians were singled out for their religious beliefs and killed in the Colosseum, although it is true that people who were Christians probably died there while participating in the games. Christians continued to be intermittently targeted in the Roman Empire although it was not a matter of Roman policy; the Great Persecution occurred during the time of Diocletian, beginning in 303 AD.

It is considered to have been the final and most harsh persecution that ended with Constantine's Edict of Milan in 313. So - while it is extremely unlikely that St. Valentine died in the Colosseum, it is for certain that his death took place before the Great Persecution began.

It was written that Valentine of Terni was stoned and then beheaded and Valentine of Rome was clubbed, stoned and then beheaded.

Answer: Epileptics

St. Valentine is also the patron saint of plague and beekeepers. In German-speaking areas it is thought that he became associated with epilepsy because "Valentine" means "fallen"; for centuries epilepsy was known as the "falling disease" or "St. Valentine's illness".

There are also stories of Valentine curing people of their seizures; throughout the centuries these stories have been repeated, numerous people have prayed to Valentine for his intervention with the disease, and those who became better believed.

In fact, there is religious art that shows him healing those afflicted. It must be noted that there are many saints - some sources say at least forty - connected with epilepsy, and the belief in who is the best patron appears to be regional.

For example, St. Joan is the patron of those with epilepsy in France.

Answer: Gelasius I

Gelasius I served as pope from 492-496. A productive writer, he is known for writing letters and it partially credited with writing the "Decretum Gelasianum", decrees associated with the canon law of the Catholic Church. In addition he is known for the canonization of St. Valentine and the establishment of his Feast Day on February 14.

By the way, did you know that there was a pope actually named Valentine? He served as pope in 829. His papacy is a bit unusual as he was chosen to be the pope before he was even a priest. After the death of the previous pope, it was decided that Valentine was the best person for the job. He was installed as a bishop at St. Peter's Basilica - and died five weeks later.

Answer: Restored a blind girl's vision

One of the stories associated with Valentine is that while he was jailed he befriended his judge (or jailer depending on the source), a man named Asterius. When asked to cure the man's young daughter of blindness, Valentine put his hands over her eyes and restored her sight. That way the girl, who some sources call Julia, could read the note Valentine was said to have left behind and signed "Your Valentine".

Some sources also say that Valentine healed a young boy who was the son of the jailer.

Answer: Santa Maria in Cosmedin

A skull that is believed to have belonged to St. Valentine is on display at the Santa Maria in Cosmedin in Rome. The church was constructed in the 7th century over the Templum Herculis Pompeiani; it was situated in an area where the ancient Romans gave handouts to the poor.

The skull can be seen in a glass reliquary, adorned with flowers. Actually, relics that people believe belonged to St. Valentine are found in many other churches, including St Anton's Church in Madrid, Whitefriar Street Church in Dublin, and St. Mary's Assumption in Chelmno.

Answer: Lupercalia

Whether or not St. Valentine's Day replaced the ancient Roman Lupercalia is a question that is still debated by many historians. It is true that the Lupercalia was celebrated on February 15 as a purification and fertility festival. It was an event that was older than Rome itself and the Lupercalia was pretty wild. Half-dressed priests would run through the crowd lashing at people - especially women - who hoped that being struck would render them fertile if they weren't pregnant, and give them an easier birth if they were.

There was drinking and coupling and apparently it was a bit of a free for all. Surprisingly, the festival continued after other events that had been deemed as being "too pagan" had been banned by later Christian rulers. Apparently the Lupercalia was too important to the well-being of Rome and the Romans to take the chance of messing things up by canceling it.

While many people have attempted to prove a connection between the end of the Lupercalia and the beginning of St. Valentine's Day, there is not much evidence to prove that beyond a shadow of a doubt.

It is known, however, that many Christian festivals did replace pagan ones as Christianity spread and eventually became the state religion of the Roman Empire. Some sources claim that the connection between the two was actually made by Geoffrey Chaucer in his "Parlement of Foules" (1382).