Saint George was a Roman soldier of Greek origin and a member of the Praetorian Guard for Roman emperor Diocletian. When the emperor began persecuting Christians, Saint George declared his faith publicly and refused to recant, leading to his martyrdom.
The legend of Saint George and the Dragon tells of a dragon that made its nest by the freshwater spring from which a town was drawing water. In order to access the water, the inhabitants of the town would have to distract the dragon with offerings of sheep, and when the sheep were depleted, they started to give it their own children, selected by lottery. One day, the lot fell on the king's daughter. Saint George happened to ride past the lake where the princess was about to be sacrificed. He faced the dragon, protected himself with the sign of the Cross, and slew the dragon.
After slaying the dragon, Saint George gave a rousing speech that led to the conversion of the town's people to Christianity. He is often depicted in art as a knight mounted on a white horse slaying a dragon. His feast day is celebrated on April 23. Saint George is also recognized as the patron saint of various countries and cities around the world.