Saint Longinus
Roman soldier, and saint, who pierced the side of Jesus
b. 1st century · d. 1st century
Longinus is the name given to the unknown Roman soldier who pierced the side of Jesus with a lance, who in medieval and some modern Christian traditions is described as a convert to Christianity. His name first appeared in the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus. The lance is called in Catholic Christianity the "Holy Lance" (lancea) and the story is related in the Gospel of John during the Crucifixion. This act is said to have created the last of the Five Holy Wounds of Christ.
Events
Commemorated
Places
How we know
A figure the record marks as legend — kept, and marked. Apocrypha of the New Testament (ANF vol. 8) — ANF VIII, Gospel of Nicodemus I (Acts of Pilate), 2nd Greek Form ch. 11; the 1st Greek Form gives the name only in a note — 'Some of the mss. add: And the soldier Longinus, taking a spear, pierced His side'
- Gospel of Mark 1 claim — crucifixion of Jesus
Glosses
- The saint who never was Some saints are not remembered people at all but accidents that hardened. Delehaye’s examples are concrete and none of them involves anyone lying. A trivial catacomb epitaph, once scholars had no way of telling which…