| This article is about the Roman Legion martyred at Agaunum. You may be looking for the cult dedicated to them. |
The Theban Legion, also sometimes known as the Martyrs of Agaunum, were a Legion of the Roman Empire from Thebes, Egypt.[1] Said to have been led by Maurice and being composed of 6,666 Christian soldiers, the group was killed at the Roman Switzerland outpost of Agaunum in 286. Their sacrifice was considered to have made the site hallowed ground and some of its figures, such that of Maurice, were later revered as saints. The group is mentioned in Saint Maurice's hagiography, in one of Eucherius' letters, and in the 6th century accounts by Gregory of Tours.[2]
Legacy[]
By the sixth century, a cult calling themselves the "Martyrs of Agaunum" had risen in the region, as well as the belief that the Legion had miraculous healing powers granted to them after their death. Gregory of Tours recounted that the group used the dust from the soldiers' graves to perform their rituals.[2] An incarnation of this group was active up until 824, when they were all killed in Baghdad.[3]
Appearances[]
- Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Daughter of No One (mentioned only)
References[]
- ↑
Theban Legion on Wikipedia
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Daughter of No One – Chapter Fifteen - Karachi, 824
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Daughter of No One – Chapter Nineteen - Baghdad, 824