Egyptians at the Alps Swiss at the Pyramids

I was vaguely familiar with the story of Saint Maurice before writing my book. As I started my research, I was amazed to come about a fountain of history, a source of both wonder and pride, a story rarely matched in history. 

 

The timing could have not been better; the Saint Maurice Abbey - built 515 hence the oldest in the west world - was celebrating its fifteenth centennial. The festivities started on September 22nd 2014 and continued for one full year in association with the UNESCO.

 

The story of the Theban legion began in 286 when Emperor Hercules Maximian of the Western Roman Empire requested military enforcements from his comrade Emperor Diocletian of the Eastern Roman Empire to assist in subduing rebels. Emperor Diocletian issued his orders to transport 6,600 Egyptian soldiers from Thebes (today Luxor) in Upper Egypt to Northern Italy where they would join the forces of Emperor Maximian and be deployed as he sees fit.

 

Hence one Legion - composed of 6,600 Egyptian Christian soldiers forming 12 battalions of 500 men each - were deployed in Northern Italy and all the way up till Xanten in today's Northern Germany. One (or two) of those battalions were stationed in Agaunum (today Valais south of Switzerland) were the events that lead to the martyrdom of the whole battalion by order of the brutal Emperor Maximian took place. The battalion soldiers driven by their Christian faith and the support of their commander Maurice disobeyed the Emperor orders to take part in Roman pagan rituals or in executing prisoners.

 

The Emperor orders extended to include the whole Legion, hence the execution orders followed them wherever they were and good Egyptian Christian soldiers where martyred all the way from Northern Italy till Northern Germany. The stories of those soldiers martyrdom, their faith and their sacrifices made a huge impact on the inhabitants who admired the sacrifices made by those soldiers and their new faith. Many historians claim that the story of the Theban Legion had played a major role in spreading Christianity in Western Europe which claim is evidenced by the fact that less than 30 years later and in 313 Christianity was allowed in the Roman Empire and by 380 became the official religion of the Roman Empire.

 

The site of the initial execution at Agaunum became later the site of Saint Maurice Abbey the first monastery in the western world.

 

I was surprised to discover that only a few - Swiss or Egyptians - are familiar with the story of the Theban Legion; a story which forms a very interesting part of our common history and the History of Christianity in the western world in general.

 

After I finished my book, I started to work on a new book to tell the story of Saint Maurice and The Theban Legion. The first issue is in Arabic language; I plan to produce other issues issues in English, French and German.