St. Sebastian (also known as the patron saint of athletes and archers) distinguished himself for his excellent service, he was promoted to serve in the Praetorian Guard to protect Emperor Diocletian. While serving in the Roman troops he made the dire mistake of convincing many of the locals to convert to Christianity. In 286 it was finally discovered that Sebastian was converting locals, and he was sentenced to be tortured to death.
They punished Sebastian by tying him up to a tree and using him as an arrow target, thus we get the piece of art by Peter Paul Rubens. Archers riddled his body with arrows; his body was described as, “full of arrows as an urchin.” Believed to be dead, the archers left his body for retrieval and burial. He was recovered by Irene of Rome, whose Christian husband was a servant to Diocletian and also martyred. Irene discovered that Sebastian was still living, and she hid him and nursed him back to health. Once Sebastian was well enough he confronted the Emperor in charge of oppressing Christians. The Emperor immediately sentenced him to death by clubbing and then threw his body into a sewer.
St. Sebastian was commonly invoked as a protector against the plague. According to historical records, he was prayed to and his blessings defended the city of Rome against the plague in 680. His association with the plague could be because he survived being shot full of arrows, and in pagan belief, pestilence was delivered by arrows shot by the gods above.
Maddie: In the first paragraph, you suggest that he was alive in 286, but in the second you say that he “defended the city of Room against the plague in 680.” Something’s not right.