Laurence

Laurence was a deacon of Rome martyred in 258 during the persecution of the Emperor Valerian. He is among the most celebrated early Roman martyrs, venerated by Augustine, Ambrose, Prudentius, and the patristic tradition. His death was probably by sword, though later tradition elaborated it into a gridiron torture that became central to his iconography.

Traditionally, Laurence was interrogated about the Church's treasures. According to legend, he responded by gathering the poor, sick, and afflicted of Rome and presenting them to his interrogator, declaring that these were the Church's true treasures. This story is known from Ambrose and later sources. Most famously, the tradition of his death by torture on a gridiron (hot iron grate) became central to his iconography, though the earliest sources (Ambrose, Prudentius) describe execution by sword. Some later accounts elaborate the gridiron torment with dialogue ('Turn me over, I am cooked on this side'), which appears in post-4th-century texts.

Laurence served as one of the seven deacons of the Roman church during the persecution initiated by Emperor Valerian in 257–258. According to historical records and patristic accounts, Laurence was arrested in connection with the charge against Pope Sixtus II (who was executed shortly before). The Acta Proconsularia Laurentii (Acts of the Proconsul regarding Lawrence), while not an official court record like some contemporary martyr documents, preserves details that accord with what we know of Valerian's persecution from other sources.

Saint Ambrose of Milan provides one of the earliest detailed accounts in his treatise De Officiis (On Duties), written late in the 4th century. Ambrose knew of Laurence from Roman tradition and treated him as a contemporary example (in spiritual terms) of martyrdom. The Christian poet Prudentius included Laurence in his Peristephanon (II), offering a literary and theological meditation on his martyrdom. Both Ambrose and Prudentius emphasize Laurence's courage and steadfastness.

The Depositio Martyrum (354) lists Laurence on August 10 in the Roman martyrology, confirming the date and his status as a major saint of the Roman church. By the 5th century, Laurence had become one of Christianity's most celebrated deacons, with his feast observed across the Christian world.

• Deacon
• Martyr