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History Series: St. Valentine
History of St. Valentine’s Day
The sacred and secular background to this ancient holiday
The day we associate with love and romance has a history that traces back almost three millennia to ancient Rome but winds through Roman North Africa, England, and the United States.
St. Valentine was martyred on February 14. However, Valentine or Valentinus is the name of at least three martyred saints. The most celebrated are the two martyrs whose festival days fall on February 14. One was a Roman priest, the other a bishop of Terni.
Historical Context of St. Valentine
Legend would indicate that both lived during the reign of Emperor Claudius II (Gothicus) around 270; both died on the same day. Both were buried on the Via Flaminia, but at different distances from the city of Rome. A third Valentine was a martyr in the Roman province of North Africa, about whom little is known.
This Claudius the Cruel had banned his soldiers from marrying, believing that unmarried members were more reliable on foreign military campaigns. Valentine was beaten and beheaded because he had secretly married soldiers to their wives, contrary to the ban.
