Saint George was born around 270 AD in Cappadocia of wealthy and prominent parents, acquired a wide education and at a young age joined the Roman Army where, thanks to his skills and martial activity, he quickly rose to the rank of Captain. His future, as an Axe, was bright. But when the Emperor of Rome, Diocletian, declared a new persecution of Christians, Chiliarch George refused to arrest and deliver Christians to torture as ordered. Instead, he proclaimed and boldly revealed that he himself had converted to Christianity. Diocletian, in order to dissuade him, offered him great offices and positions in the Empire. But when he finally found that neither promises nor threats had succeeded in bending or even shaking his faith in Christ, he ordered him to be put to torture.
He was then subjected to the torture of hunger, thirst and flogging. He endured with patience the pain of the red-hot sandals they forced him to wear. He angrily renounced idols and remained faithful to Christ until the moment he was put to death by beheading (April 23, 303 AD). That steadfast faith of the Christian Chiliarch George gave courage and soul to all Christians, from the depths of Asia to the then distant England and Egypt to the northern peoples of Europe, for which Christianity proclaimed him a saint.
The posthumous miraculous appearance of St. George refers to the years after the fall of Constantinople and specifically during the campaign of the Turks against the Christian Hegemon of Moldavia Stephen. Threatened with destruction and asking for Christ’s help, he saw in his dream St. George who encouraged him and told him to have faith in God and to attack the enemy whom he would defeat. The next day he explained the dream to his troops and ordered them to attack holding the icon of the Saint in their hands. Thus the miracle took place and the enemy was defeated and fled in disorderly flight. Since then, the Hegemon Stephen placed the image of St. George on the flags and later, in commemoration of this event, it prevailed that the flags of the infantry, which precede in battles and sacrifices, should bear the image of St. George. By Royal Decree issued in 1864, the State definitively established that the Battle Flags should bear the image of St. George and by another Royal Decree in 1953, the 23rd of April, the day on which St. George was martyred, was established as the feast day of the Infantry and the other Arms and Corps of the Army, except the Artillery.
By order of the General Staff, it has been established, every year, to celebrate at the Infantry School camp, the Patron Saint of the Land Army (except Artillery), the Great Martyr St. George, in the presence of the state, political and military leadership and a large number of people. This celebration is an important event for the city of Chalkida.