Saint Erasmus or Saint Elmo (Antioch, ca. 240 – Formia, 303) was an Italian bishop and patron saint of the sailors. His attribute was the capstan, a winch on which the anchor chains were rolled up. He died as a martyr for his faith, and his bones were transferred to Gaeta in the 9th century, where they are kept in the cathedral to this day. The electric phenomenon of Saint Elmus fire is named after Saint Erasmus and the 16th C humanist Desiderius Erasmus. Little is known with certainty about Saint Erasmus' life. However, many legends may have been passed on orally until the - no older writings are known with certainty. His birthplace was in present-day Syria. However, the persecution of Christians under Emperor Diocletian forced him to flee to Mount Lebanon. Legend has it that an angel visited him with the message to return home, which he did. In Antioch, he was immediately captured and tortured. Again he managed to escape, this time to Italy. He is said to have continued his preaching in Campania and the last seven years of his long life in Formia, where his executioners finally caught up with him. Saint Erasmus was tried and tortured to death. The nature of torture has not been described in the literature. In the art, on the other hand, it is presented as if his executioners tied him on the pain bench and cut open his belly. With a winch, his small and large intestines were slowly turned out of his stomach. His life and eventual fate have been depicted countless times over the centuries. He is traditionally shown with a bishop's staff and mitre in the visual arts. Only a few works refer to his martyrdom.