Exuperius (Theban Legion)

Saint Exuperius
El Greco, The Martyrdom of St Maurice.
Martyr
Born	Africa?
Died	286 AD Agaunum
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church
Major shrine	formerly Gembloux Abbey
Feast	September 22
Attributes	Military attire
Patronage	Gembloux Abbey

Exuperius or Exupernis is venerated as a saint and martyr by the Catholic Church; according to tradition, he was the standard-bearer of the Theban Legion^[1] and thus a companion to Saint Maurice.

Veneration

Exuperius’ relics were translated in the 10th century to Gembloux Abbey. This translation was performed by the monastery’s founder, Saint Guibert (Guibertus), who dedicated the monastery in honor of Saint Peter and Saint Exuperius.^[1] The saint thus enjoyed special veneration at Gembloux; Sigebert of Gembloux wrote a long poem on the martyrdom of the Theban Legion.^[2] The buildings of the abbey, which largely survived, are used for the Agronomical University of Gembloux.

References

1. Henry Wace, A Dictionary of Christian Biography, Literature, Sects and Doctrines (1880), 439.
2. CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Sigebert of Gembloux