Saint Gregory the Great, was the bishop of Rome from 590 until his death in 604.
He is known for instigating the first recorded large-scale mission from Rome, the Gregorian Mission, to convert the then-pagan Anglo-Saxons in England to Christianity. Gregory is also well known for his many theological writings and sermons. He was an outstanding administrator, and also left a lasting legacy on church worship and liturgy, and on liturgical music.
In this painting, the artist has chosen to depict a particular episode in Gregory's life. According to tradition, Gregory, before he became pope, happened to see some Anglo-Saxon children being sold as slaves in a Roman marketplace.
On seeing these fair-haired children, Gregory asked “What nation are they?” “They are Angles (English),” he was told. “Not Angles but angels” Gregory said in reply. As a result of this event, he wished to convert the then pagan Anglo-Saxons to Christianity. Some years later, when Gregory became Pope he sent 40 monks under St. Augustine of Canterbury to England in the year 597.
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