Emygdius

Saint Emygdius

Saint Emygdius (Latin: Emidius, Æmedius, Emigdius, Hemigidius; Italian: Sant'Emidio; c. 279 – c. 309 AD) is venerated as a Christian bishop and martyr. Tradition holds that his life and martyrdom occurred during the persecution of Diocletian.

Life and Historical Context

According to his hagiography, Emygdius was initially a pagan from Trier who converted to Christianity. He traveled to Rome, where he performed miraculous healings, including curing the paralytic daughter of his host, Gratianus, whose family subsequently converted. He also healed a blind man. The people of Rome, mistaking him for the son of Apollo, brought him to the Temple of Asclepius, where he continued to cure the sick. Declaring himself a Christian, Emygdius tore down pagan altars and destroyed a statue of Asclepius, converting many to Christianity, which angered the prefect of the city.

He was ordained a bishop by Pope Marcellus I (or Pope Marcellinus) and sent to Ascoli Piceno. On his journey, Emygdius made further conversions and performed a miracle by making water gush from a mountain after striking a cliff. Polymius, the local governor, attempted to persuade Emygdius to worship Jupiter and the goddess Angitia, and offered him his daughter, Polisia. Instead, Emygdius baptized Polisia and many others in the Tronto river. Enraged, Polymius beheaded Emygdius and his followers, Eupolus, Germanus, and Valentius. The hagiography states that Emygdius then carried his own head to a mountain where he had built an oratory.

Veneration and Legacy

The cult of Saint Emygdius is ancient, with churches dedicated to him dating back to the eighth century. His hagiography was likely written in the eleventh century by a monk of Frankish origin, though it was attributed to his disciple Valentius. The translation of his relics to the crypt of the Ascoli Piceno cathedral likely occurred around the year 1000.

Emygdius is famously invoked as a protector against earthquakes. This devotion was significantly bolstered after the city of Ascoli Piceno was spared from a violent earthquake in 1703, an event attributed to his intercession. Consequently, the city dedicated a church to him in 1717. Other towns have also appointed him as their patron, and all Catholic churches in the State of California are mandated to commemorate his feast day for protection against earthquakes.

Beyond earthquakes, Emygdius is credited with protecting Ascoli from other dangers. A vision of him is said to have deterred Alaric I from destroying the city in 409. In 1038, during the passage of Conrad II's troops carrying the plague, Bishop Bernardo I invoked Emygdius's aid, and the plague ceased. During World War II, he is said to have protected Ascoli against German movements against Italian partisans.