Maurice of Agaunum

About Maurice of Agaunum

Maurice commanded the Theban Legion, an elite Roman unit recruited from Egypt and composed entirely of Christians. When Emperor Maximian ordered the legion to participate in pagan sacrifices and persecute Christians in Gaul, Maurice and his men refused. The legion was ordered decimated (every tenth man killed), but they still refused to sacrifice or persecute. Finally, Maximian ordered the entire legion—about 6,600 men—massacred at Agaunum (modern Switzerland) around 287. Whether the numbers are historical or symbolic, the martyrdom of Maurice and the Theban Legion represents corporate Christian witness and the refusal of soldiers to commit atrocities even under military authority. Maurice became patron of soldiers who serve with honor and conscience.