Heliodorus of Catania (, ; , ; died 778 in

Catania Catania (, , , Sicilian and ) is the second-largest municipality on Sicily, after Palermo, both by area and by population. Despite being the second city of the island, Catania is the center of the most densely populated Sicilian conurbation, wh ...

) is a semi-legendary persona accused by his contemporaries of being a

necromancer Necromancy () is the practice of magic involving communication with the dead by summoning their spirits as apparitions or visions for the purpose of divination; imparting the means to foretell future events and discover hidden knowledge. ...

practicing

witchcraft Witchcraft is the use of Magic (supernatural), magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meanin ...

. Son of a noble Sicilian family, he was originally a

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

, and was even a candidate to assume the diocese of Catania. In that period the ''Etnean City'' came under the jurisdiction of the

Eastern Roman Empire The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

governed by then-Emperor

Leo III the Isaurian Leo III the Isaurian (; 685 – 18 June 741), also known as the Syrian, was the first List of Byzantine emperors, Byzantine emperor of the Isaurian dynasty from 717 until his death in 741. He put an end to the Twenty Years' Anarchy, a period o ...

. Having failed to attain the office of bishop, conferred instead on an archdeacon from

Ravenna Ravenna ( ; , also ; ) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire during the 5th century until its Fall of Rome, collapse in 476, after which ...

named Leo, he apostatized from the faith and began to practice magic and sorcery. Besides the accusation of necromancy, Heliodorus was pointed to as an idolmaker and "a disciple of the

Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

". He remained a vocal opponent of Saint Leo Thaumaturgus, who led the church of Catania as bishop from A.D. 765 to 785. The

Elephant Fountain The Elephant Fountain () is a monument located in the center of Piazza del Duomo, Catania, Piazza del Duomo in the Sicily, Sicilian city of Catania, designed by architect Giovanni Battista Vaccarini between 1735 and 1737. Its main element is a bla ...

in Catania is popularly known in Sicilian as , after a legend involving Heliodorus.

References

* *

Portrayals

''Giuseppe Platania (Palermo 1780-1852) - Saint Leo and the burning Heliodorus (Museum of Castello Ursino - Catania)''
* ''Matteo Desiderato (XVIII-XIX) - Saint Leo overcomes Heliodorus (Mother Church of Santa Maria di Licodìa - Province of Catania)''
''Painting with Saint Leo and Heliodorus (Parishional Church of Saint Leo - Saracena - Province of Cosenza)''

''Mural artistic creation - Saint Leo, Heliodorus and the pyre & the Unscathed Saint Leo (Parishional Church of Saint Leo - Saracena - Province of Cosenza)''
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305180113/http://www.uvip.it/Fotografie/Chiesa%20San%20Leone/Oriz%20(W700)/_MG_6947.jpg , date=2012-03-05 Catania People from Catania 778 deaths