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Introduction
Welcome

History
Pre 1400AD
1400AD-1800AD
1800AD to now
Pre-Christian mythology

Other facts
The Saints
Cards
Valentines around the world

References

Three Saints called Valentine

February 14th is, or at least was, dedicated to three saints called Valentine – and there is a fourth Valentine lurking in the wings.

Valentine of Rome was a priest in Rome and he was martyred around 496AD and buried on the Via Flaminia. It is of he that people associate the

Valentine myths: helping couples to marry when their marriage was illegal; and writing to the blind daughter of his jailer. This last point may have something to do with the idea that he was a doctor an cured a blind girl.
Valentine of Terni was bishop of Interamna (modern Terni) around 197AD and killed by the Emperor Aurelian. He was also buried on the Via Flaminia. There are some who claim that the legends belong to this Valentine, and also others that say they were the same person.

The third Valentine was killed in Africa but nothing else is known about him.

In some ways the fourth Valentine is the most interesting and historically significant, although probably the least acceptable to the Roman Catholic church.

Valentinius of Alexandria ( about 100AD –153AD) was an influential Gnostic teacher who taught that the marriage bed was central to his version of Christian love which was rather out of step with the stoical beliefs of the church at that time.

In 1969, the Catholic Church revised its liturgical calendar, removing the feast days of saints whose historical origins were questionable. St. Valentine was one of the casualties.