Mauritius (Saint Maurice) was a legion commander martyred in 287 at Auganum, Switzerland. He is the patron saint of military orders, including the Swiss pikemen who guard the Vatican.
Martyrdom and relics
Moved with his men from Upper Egypt to the Alps, he refused to suppress Christians. His legions were decimated (one in ten executed), then the whole legion was immolated; Mauritius died last, on the corpses of his followers.
In 1240 his lance, sword and spurs were found in Magdeburg Cathedral; they formed part of the coronation regalia of the Austro-Hungarian emperors until 1916. In that cathedral Otto the Great was buried (975), and a Good Friday fire destroyed the whole building in 1207 (“the devil took it”). Davos is another place marked in the memory of Saint Maurice.
See also
- Minborgen, who fought in a legion of Sol Invictus
- Axum, origin of the legionaries (Upper Egypt)