▁to ▁the ▁faithful ▁during ▁the ▁fe ast ▁of ▁Saint ▁Sebastian . ▁ ▁As ▁prote ctor ▁against ▁pl ague ▁ ▁The ▁belief ▁that ▁Saint ▁Sebastian ▁was ▁a ▁defense ▁against ▁the ▁pl ague ▁was ▁a ▁medieval ▁addition ▁to ▁his ▁reputation , ▁which ▁largely ▁accounts ▁for ▁the ▁enorm ous ▁increase ▁in ▁his ▁importance ▁in ▁the ▁Late ▁Middle ▁A ges . ▁The ▁connection ▁of ▁the ▁mart yr ▁shot ▁with ▁ar rows ▁with ▁the ▁pl ague ▁is ▁not ▁an ▁intuit ive ▁one , ▁however . ▁In ▁Gre co - R oman ▁myth , ▁Apol lo , ▁the ▁arch er ▁god , ▁at ▁times ▁dest ro ys ▁his ▁enemies ▁by ▁shooting ▁pl ague - arrow s ▁from ▁the ▁heav ens , ▁but ▁is ▁also ▁the ▁deliver er ▁from ▁p est il ence ; ▁the ▁figure ▁of ▁Sebastian ▁Christian izes ▁this ▁folk lor ic ▁association . ▁ ▁Similar ▁met aph ors ▁for ▁divine ▁dis ple asure ▁occur ▁in ▁the ▁Heb rew ▁Bible . ▁ ▁The ▁hope ful ▁example ▁of ▁Sebastian ▁being ▁able ▁to ▁recover ▁from ▁his ▁" first ▁mart yr dom " ▁( or ▁" s ag itt ation ", ▁as ▁it ▁is ▁sometimes ▁called ) ▁was ▁also ▁relevant , ▁and ▁the ▁arrow - w ounds ▁can ▁res emble ▁the ▁b ub o es ▁that ▁were ▁sympt oms ▁of ▁b ub onic ▁pl ague . ▁ ▁Vis ually , ▁" the ▁arrow ▁w ounds ▁call ▁to ▁God ▁for ▁mer cy ▁to ▁us , ▁as ▁the ▁sympt oms ▁of ▁the ▁unf irm ▁call ▁for ▁pity ▁from ▁the ▁passer by ", ▁as