04 Works, RELIGIOUS ART - Today, January 14, is St. Felix' Day, With Footnotes - 14

Felix of Nola, Saint, beaten and hidden by a spider's web, 15th century

Saint Felix of Nola (d. ca. 250) was a Christian presbyter at Nola near Naples in Italy. He sold off his possessions in order to give to the poor, but was arrested and tortured for his Christian faith during the persecution of the Roman emperor Decius (r. 249–51). He was believed to have died a martyr's death during the persecution of Decius or Valerian(ca. 253), but is now listed in the General Roman Calendar as a confessor of the faith, who survived his tortures.

Felix was the elder son of a Syrian centurion who had retired to Nola, Italy. After his father's death Felix sold off most of his property and possessions, gave the proceeds to the poor, and pursued a clerical vocation. Felix was ordained by, and worked with, Saint Maximus of Nola.

Saint Felix

When bishop Maximus fled to escape the persecution of the Roman emperor Decius, Felix was arrested and beaten for his faith instead. He escaped prison, according to legend being freed by an angel, so that he could help bishop Maximus. Felix found Maximus alone, ill, and helpless, and hid him from soldiers in a vacant building. When the two were safely inside, a spider quickly spun a web over the door, fooling the imperial forces into thinking it was long abandoned, and they left without finding the Christians. A subsequent attempt to arrest Felix followed, which he avoided by hiding in a ruined building where again spider web was spun across the entrance convinced the soldiers the building was abandoned. The two managed to hide from authorities until the persecution ended with the death of Emperor Decius in 251.

Saint Felix and the cob webs

After Maximus's death, the people wanted Felix to be the next bishop of Nola, but he declined, favoring Quintus, a "senior" priest who had seven days more experience than Felix. Felix himself continued as a priest. He also continued to farm his remaining land, and gave most of the proceeds to people even poorer than himself.

Felix died in a good old age, on the fourteenth of January.

He should not be confused with another Saint Felix of Nola, of about a century later, whose feast is on 15 November

Saint Felix

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