Tuesday, March 16, 2004 at 11:00 AM EST
The Real St. Patrick
A new biography reveals that much of what we thought we knew about St. Patrick — how he drove the snakes out of Ireland, and used a shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity — isn’t true. St. Patrick was actually born Patricius to Roman aristocrats in 4th century England, and he didn’t get to Ireland until Irish marauders kidnapped him and brought him over as a slave at age 15. Nevertheless, St. Patrick had a profound impact on Irish culture, spreading Christianity and permanently altering the country’s social hierarchies.
Guests:
Philip Freeman, Professor of Classics at Washington University in St. Louis, author of “St. Patrick of Ireland: A Biography.”
