The New Student's Reference Work/Valentine

For works with similar titles, see Valentine.

Valentine or Valenti′nus, presbyter and martyr, according to the Roman legend, was arrested and thrown into chains at the instance of Emperor Claudius about 270 A. D. He was handed over to Calphurnius, who employed one Asterius to win him back to idolatry, but, instead of this, Asterius was won over to the Christian faith on account of the healing of his blind daughter by Valentine. The saint was kept in prison for a long time, but was finally beheaded. The custom of sending valentines is the survival of a practice connected with the worship of Juno on or about Feb. 14, and its association with this saint is purely accidental.