Agios Georgios Alexandrinos
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Located on the ancient Peripatos pedestrian street, one can only see the ruins of this little church from a distance, since it is located inside the fenced archaeological area at the foothills of the Acropolis, close to the Chroragic Monument of Thrasyllos, surrounded by numerous ancient and more recent fragments, including those of a chapel which was destroyed on purpose during the Greek Independence War, in order to destroy Turkish forces.
For a page with Basic Architectural Terminology, including terms used in the description of the ancient Greek temples and the Orthodox churches of Athens, click here!
Agios Georgios, Alexandrinos, within the archaeological area of the Acropolis.
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Agios Georgios, Alexandrinos, within the archaeological area of the Acropolis.
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Saint Georgios, the holy, glorious and right-victorious Great-martyr and Trophy-bearer, was a Christian Roman soldier killed under emperor Diocletian at the beginning of the fourth century. The Orthodox Church commemorates George on April 23. According to tradition, George was born to a Christian family during the late 3rd century. His father was from Cappadocia and served as an officer of the army. while his mother was from Palestine. She returned to her native city as a widow along with her young son after the martyrdom of George's father, where she provided him with a respectable education and raised him in piety. Georgios followed his father's example in joining the army soon after his coming of age. He proved to be a charismatic soldier and consequently rose quickly through the military ranks of the time. By his late twenties he had gained the rank of tribunus (tribune) and later comes (count). By that time George had been stationed in Nicomedia as a member of the personal guard attached to the emperor Diocletian (reign 284–305). It is believed that George was ordered to take part in the persecution but instead confessed to being a Christian himself and criticized the imperial decision. An enraged Diocletian proceeded in ordering the torture of this apparent traitor and his execution. Following torture, George was executed by decapitation in front of Nicomedia's defensive wall on April 23, 303. George's body was returned to Lydda for burial, where Christians soon came to honor George as a martyr.
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