Mosaic inspired image of England's favourite saint

[PsychoDad]

Mosaic inspired image of England's favourite saint
By Norman Hammond, Archaeology Correspondent

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1684979,00.html

THE earliest known template for the image of St George slaying the dragon has been found in Syria, archaeologists believe.
A mosaic floor dating from approximately AD260 depicting the figure who became the patron saint of England has been found in the city of Palmyra in the Syrian desert. Experts say that the portrait is one of the finest classical mosaics yet uncovered and may even be the source of the St George legend.

George was reputedly a Roman soldier, martyred in Palestine some 1,700 years ago. The mosaic shows Bellerophon, a hero in Greek mythology, killing a chimera, and it was found in what appears to have been a dining room in Palmyra.
...
St George was martyred in about 303 and the Bellerophon design provided a ready-made image to illustrate his emerging legend.

[grumpy old fart]

1. Who was St. George?

"Saint George was a man who abandoned one army for another: he gave up the rank of tribune to enlist as a soldier for Christ. Eager to encounter the enemy, he first stripped away his worldly wealth by giving all he had to he poor. Then, free and unencumbered, bearing the shield of faith, he plunged into the think of the battle, an ardent soldier for Christ."

http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintg05.htm

Christ had an Army in 3rd century? Actually, there seems no basis for this, or any other assertion regarding this George fellow.

Nobody really knows who this guy was, or what he may have actually done, or not done. Odd history for someone gaining the stature of "England's Favorite Saint".

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06453a.htm