Object ID
2006.31.6
Object Name
Icon
Object Entities
Demetrakakes, Angela (is related to)
George, Saint (is related to)
Alexandra, (is related to)
Prisca, (is related to)
Diocletian, Emperor (is related to)
Object Description
FRAMED PAPER ICON OF ST. GEORGE GOLD FRAME W/ GLASS FRONT

Pictured in this icon is Saint George. He is wearing a green tunic, light gold tights, gold breast plate armor, a red cape, a red headband, and what looks to be red and gold Grecian/Roman sandals. He is mounted on top of a white horse, and is shown slaying a green dragon with a long, brown spear. St. George and the dragon are on a grassy terrain, with a body of water in the background, along with trees and mountains in the sunset skyline. Off to the right and in the distance, stands a maiden dressed in white, red, and gold robes, and wearing a crown. She looks admiringly upon St. George slaying the dragon. This icon is framed in metallic gold frame.
Origin
Saint George and the dragon, the story that this icon depicts, is a commonly told story that is thought to have been brought back by the Crusaders. There are two adaptions of the story. The first is that there was a dragon that made its nest near the body of water that the people of Silene (thought to possibly be modern day Cyrene in Lybia) needed to get their water from. Daily, they would have to distract the dragon in order to draw water for their town. At first, they would offer a sheep, but if no sheep were available, then maidens were soon chosen from a random selection to be thrown to the dragon. One day, this random selection happened to be the princess. The monarch begged for her life to be spared, but his wish was not granted. Just as the princess prepared to be given to the dragon, then came St. George from his travels. Protected by the sign of the cross, he defeats the dragon. It is said that the people of the city of Silene then abandoned their ancestral pageanism and converted to Christianity.

The other adaptation of this tale is that the dragon that is being slayn in the icon, stands for a pagean cult. St. George is seen as defeating that, because of his common association with being a martyr for Christianity. After losing both of his parents as a young adult, St. George presented himself to Emperor Diocletian to apply for a career as a solider. St. George's father had been a very loyal and admired soldier, and because of that, Emperor Diocletian welcomed St. George with open arms. He was soon promoted to be an imperial guard for the Emperor at Nicomedia. Diocletian soon ordered for all Christian soldiers to be arrested and for the other soldiers to offer a sacrifice to the Roman gods. St. George confronted Emperor Diocletian and professed his faith and his disagreement with the Emperor's decision. The Emperor, not wanting to lose one of his best soldiers, tried to get St. George to convert, but he would not. He was sentenced to torture and death, and is hailed as a leader, an example of Christianity, and a martyr.
Rights and Reproduction
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Citation
Icon, National Hellenic Museum, https://collections.nationalhellenicmuseum.org/Detail/objects/11502. Accessed 03/28/24.