Claudius Gothicus - Saint Valentine

Saint Valentine

Claudius Gothicus has been linked to Saint Valentine since at least the Middle Ages. According to the Nuremberg Chronicle of 1493 AD, the emperor martyred the Roman priest during a general persecution of Christians. The text states that St. Valentine was beaten with clubs and finally beheaded for giving aid to Christians in Rome. The Golden Legend of 1260 AD recounts how St. Valentine refused to deny Christ before the "Emperor Claudius" in 270 AD and as a result was beheaded. Some 20th-century historians have questioned these medieval accounts, claiming that references to St. Valentine are scanty in old historical records and many of the accounts of the life of the saint appear to have originated with Geoffrey Chaucer. Further, little evidence exists that Claudius II reversed Gallienus's policy of toleration for Christians. Since then, February 14 marks Valentine's Day, a day set aside by the Christian church in memory of the Roman priest and physician.