Saint Martina refusing to worship idols - Northern school circa 1700

Northern School circa 1700
Saint Martine refusing to worship idols
H. 30 cm; L. 23.5 cm

Rediscovered by the Church in the 17th century, Saint Martine lived in Rome in the 3rd century, at the time of Emperor Severus Alexander. This period of pseudo-tolerance of Christianity gave rise to the legend of the saint. The daughter of a Roman consul, the young woman chose to donate her entire family fortune to charity. While praying in a church, she was arrested and brought before the emperor, who condemned her to sacrifice herself in the heart of Apollo's temple. As she entered the temple, an earthquake toppled the building and shattered the statue of the god inside. The emperor ordered the young woman to be tortured, but she resisted and succeeded in converting her tormentors. Nevertheless, she underwent the required punishment and was carried to the arena to be devoured by lions. The lions lay protectively at her feet. She was then placed on a pyre whose flames did not reach her, but burned the spectators... To finish off, the emperor himself came to behead her.