St. Valentine

[Legatus Legionis]

I was watching the Daily Show with John Stewart and they made a reference to the martyrdom of St Valentine. I was a little curious about this and searched it on Google. Most of the results say that the Emperor Claudius the Cruel banned marriage to increase his supply of soldiers. St. Valentine continued to marry couples until the emperor had him executed.

 

I find this odd. First of all Gibbon and Cary and Scullard, the authors i have read, both think rather highly of this emperor, something I would doubt for a man who banned marriage. Secondly was Christianity wide spread enough in Rome to hurt the supply of troops.

 

I

[Primus Pilus]

The history of St. Valentine's day is largely a legend. There are mentions of 3 different 'Valentines' (Valentinus) being martyred throughout Roman history. The story of Claudius II denying marriage to soldiers (a precedent set by Septimius Severus nearly a century earlier) has no traceable evidence. And yes Claudius II Gothicus was considered an able leader in a time of great strife. The one completely known (in addition to the other 3) Valentinus was a gnostic leader who had nothing to do with the modern concept of Valentine's Day.

 

Valentine's Day is a simple conversion by the church of a pagan holiday (Lupercalia) to a Christian one (perhaps attesting to the lasting inclusion of things such as Cupid). The martyrdom of one of three men by the name of Valentinus quite possibly may have met with a bit of embellishment to 'sell the story' to the masses.

 

Its my understanding the day has not been considered an official Catholic holiday for some time due to its highly disputable origins, though I'm not quite sure of that.

[fretensis10]

"The story of Claudius II denying marriage to soldiers (a precedent set by Septimius Severus nearly a century earlier) has no traceable evidence."

 

Actually Septimius Severus LIFTED the ban on marriage, allowing the soldiers to settle into a more permanent life, with tremendous consequences for the military.

 

Previously, Roman legionaries were not permitted to marry during active duty to ensure a mobile force that was highly trained. In reality, the soldiers kept common-law wives, but Severus's decision ensured the legions would be more resistant to orders to uproot and move.

 

But yes Valentines seems to have been based on the Roman holiday Lupercalus. See:

 

http://www.nisbett.com/holidays/origin_of_valentines_day.htm

[Primus Pilus]

"The story of Claudius II denying marriage to soldiers (a precedent set by Septimius Severus nearly a century earlier) has no traceable evidence."

 

Actually Septimius Severus LIFTED the ban on marriage, allowing the soldiers to settle into a more permanent life, with tremendous consequences for the military.

 

Previously, Roman legionaries were not permitted to marry during active duty to ensure a mobile force that was highly trained. In reality, the soldiers kept common-law wives, but Severus's decision ensured the legions would be more resistant to orders to uproot and move.

 

But yes Valentines seems to have been based on the Roman holiday Lupercalus. See:

 

http://www.nisbett.com/holidays/origin_of_valentines_day.htm

 

I meant to make clear that Severus set the precedent allowing legal marriage. Apparantly I failed