37. Saint Valentine of Terni may have been executed for marrying couples against the explicit orders of the Roman Emperor
According to one popular legend, Saint Valentine of Terni was executed on the orders of Emperor Claudius II for the crime of carrying out illegal Christian ceremonies. The Emperor had taken the unpopular step of barring the men of Rome from getting married as he desperately needed single men to swell the dwindling ranks of his army. Valentine is said to have carried on marrying couples in secret. When the Emperor found out, he ordered the Bishop to be killed. As with most legends, however, there’s little or no real evidence to suggest that this is more than a nice story.