From Gaza to Ukraine, detention is a hidden weapon of war
Saint Catherine was sentenced to die on a spiked wheel (a torture device that eventually became known as a Catherine wheel), but the wheel broke to pieces when Catherine touched it. The persecutors then beheaded her.
Mercurius served in the Roman army during the 3rd century. He was visited by an angel during a battle, who told him that God was going to lead him to victory. He did, but this then meant Mercurius was in debt with the Lord.
So Mercurius dedicated his life to Christ. But when Emperor Decius discovered Mercurius was a Christian, he ordered him to be tied to pillars over a fire and cut with knives. His blood is said to have put out the fire and then an angel healed him. Saint Mercurius was eventually beheaded.
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See also: The most disturbing parts of the Bible
So the persecutors tried to burn Agnes at the stake. But then the flames miraculously parted. So they decided that stabbing her in the throat and beheading her would do. And it did.
As a result, she was thrown into a brothel. But her hair grew and covered her naked body and the men who lusted for her were struck blind!
Local officials arrested Cassian and sentenced him to death. But the twisted part was that he'd die at the hands of his own students, who used tools such as iron styluses and penknives to slowly kill him.
Agatha's breasts were cut off as part of the torture. But it is said that Agatha then witnessed an apparition of Saint Peter, who healed her wounds. Then the Romans tried to burn her at the stake, but the flames were doused by a mysterious earthquake. Torture continued, including being rolled over hot coals and shards of rock, until Agatha died.
Saint Agatha is usually depicted holding her severed breasts on a plate. She is the patron saint of wet nurses, breast cancer patients, and all things related to breasts. Curiously, because in some of Agatha's portraits it seems like she's holding two small bells, she is also the patron saint of bell-makers.
This 4th-century bishop was imprisoned by the Romans. Saint Blaise is known for saving a boy from choking to death on a fishbone, making him the patron saint of those suffering from throat issues.
Like Saint Lucy, this virgin martyr from Sicily was also persecuted by the Romans. After rejecting a powerful Roman official, she was imprisoned and tortured.
But when men came to take her to the brothel, they couldn't move her. More men and even oxen tried to drag her, but she miraculously remained in the same place. So they decided to torture Lucy. First by burning her, but that didn't work either. The persecutors eventually managed to kill Lucy by stabbing her.
Though before they did, it is said that they removed her eyes. This is why she's usually depicted in art holding them on a plate. Saint Lucy is the patron saint of the blind.
Coming from a wealthy background, Lucy was promised to a man from a rich family. However, she decided to dedicate her life to Christ and remain a virgin. That is, until this man reported her to the Roman authorities, who sentenced her to forced sex work.
Like other saints in this gallery, this 4th-century virgin martyr was also persecuted by the Romans. Saint Catherine of Alexandria also pledged her life to Christ.
Catherine went as far as debating Christianity with scholars and philosophers, managing to convert a few of them in the process. Of course, she was then imprisoned and tortured.
Sebastian came to Rome and joined the Roman army. He started converting other soldiers to Christianity, which really went against Emperor Diocletian's rules. As a result, he was sentenced to be killed with arrows.
Agnes was yet another beautiful young woman who rejected the advances of a powerful man (the governor's son) because she pledged her chastity to God.
He too had a very gruesome death. Saint Blaise had his skin raked off with hot wool combers' irons. This was followed by decapitation.
Lawrence was a young disciple of Pope Sixtus II. However, when the Pope was killed in the 3rd century, Lawrence was arrested by the Romans. The persecutors demanded Lawrence give them all of the Church's treasures, but instead, Lawrence distributed all the riches among the poor and sick.
The former bishop was exiled from Brescia, Italy, and moved to Imola, where he retired and became a schoolmaster. This was until the emperor ordered the whole town to make sacrifices to a pagan god. Cassian refused, and that got him into trouble.
Bartholomew was skinned alive! And if that wasn't a gruesome enough way to die, it is believed that he was then beheaded.
The martyrdom of Saint Sebastian is probably one of the most depicted in art. His body covered with arrows is indeed a popular image. Though apparently he didn't actually die from these wounds.
Many of Jesus' disciples died in brutal ways, and Bartholomew was no exception. In fact, he is said to have had a very painful death indeed.
Then the persecutors resorted to beheading her. Although this also proved to be difficult. After three whacks, the executioner couldn't complete the decapitation, so Cecilia was left to bleed out for three days until she finally died.
Martyrdom is one of the paths to canonization, and a very painful one indeed. Many saints underwent painful torture methods and ended up dying in a gruesome manner. Can you imagine being skinned alive? Or being mutilated before decapitation? These are just some of the brutal ways saints have died, according to Christian history.
Click through this gallery and discover the gruesome ways saints have died.
First they whipped and burned Lawrence with scalding plates, and then he was essentially roasted alive. Legend says that he had a sense of humor, telling the torturers' things such as "Turn me over, I'm done on this side," and "I'm finished now, you can eat me." This is why Saint Lawrence is also the patron saint of comedians, in addition to firefighters, chefs, and tanners.
Except, Sebastian was healed by a Christian widow. Sebastian then presented himself to Emperor Diocletian, who could not believe his eyes. But soon the Roman emperor found a solution and had Sebastian clubbed to death.
Dioscorus discovered that his daughter was a Christian and, after other torture methods failed, Dioscorus beheaded Barbara. Following this tragic episode, Barbara's father was struck by lightning.
Dioscorus went away while the tower was being built, only to return and find that the tower had three windows–a symbol of the Holy Trinity.
Barbara's father, a pagan nobleman named Dioscorus, ordered for a tower to be built to lock up his daughter until marriage. However, Barbara had pledged her life to Christ and was therefore a virgin.
When requested by the Romans to hand over all the riches, Lawrence presented the poor and said, "Here are the treasures of the Church." The Romans had enough and tortured Lawrence until he died.
Saint Cecilia is known to be the patron saint of music, and she too suffered a gruesome death. First Romans tried to suffocate Cecilia by locking her in a heated bathhouse, but she reportedly didn't even sweat.
The gruesome ways saints have died
Martyrdom was extremely brutal for some of these believers
LIFESTYLE Martyrdom
Martyrdom is one of the paths to canonization, and a very painful one indeed. Many saints underwent painful torture methods and ended up dying in a gruesome manner. Can you imagine being skinned alive? Or being mutilated before decapitation? These are just some of the brutal ways saints have died, according to Christian history.
Click through this gallery and discover the gruesome ways saints have died.