Sebastian lived under the Roman emperor Diocletian, whose eponymous persecution was perhaps the fiercest attempt ever at the elimination of Christianity. Sebastian was a guard of the emperor ...

The persecutions that began under Diocletian, however ... the Roman authorities and making offerings to the Roman gods. The persecution came to an end in 313, when the co-emperors Constantine ...

He followed his father's profession of soldier and became part of the retinue of the Emperor Diocletian. The emperor ordered the systematic persecution of Christians and George refused to take part.