Herculanus of Perugia
Herculanus of Perugia (died 549 AD) was a bishop of Perugia. He was canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church and is recognised as patron saint of Perugia. His main feast day is November 7; his second feast is celebrated on March 1. According to Pope Gregory the Great in his Dialogues, Herculanus suffered martyrdom when Totila, king of the Ostrogoths, captured Perugia in 549.
Before the city was captured, Herculanus is said to have tried to save the city by feeding the last sack of grain to the last lamb. This was meant to give the Ostrogoth forces the impression that the Perugians had food to spare, and were able to feed a weak lamb with their precious grain. With food to spare, they were thus able to withstand the siege. However, Totila was not fooled by this trick and captured the city just the same.
Totila is said to have given orders for Herculanus to be completely flayed. However, the Ostrogoth soldier who had to perform this task took pity on the bishop and decapitated Herculanus before the flaying had been completed.
Patron saint of Perugia
In the Martyrology
- November 7 Saint Ercolano, bishop of Perugia and martyr