▁which ▁became ▁a ▁popular ▁subject ▁in ▁ 1 7 th - century ▁painting . ▁In ▁all ▁versions ▁of ▁the ▁story , ▁shortly ▁after ▁his ▁recovery ▁he ▁went ▁to ▁Dioc let ian ▁to ▁warn ▁him ▁about ▁his ▁s ins , ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁was ▁club bed ▁to ▁death . ▁He ▁is ▁v ener ated ▁in ▁the ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁and ▁the ▁Orth odox ▁Church . ▁ ▁The ▁details ▁of ▁Saint ▁Sebastian ' s ▁mart yr dom ▁were ▁first ▁spoken ▁of ▁by ▁ 4 th - century ▁bishop ▁Am bro se ▁of ▁Milan ▁( Saint ▁Am bro se ), ▁in ▁his ▁ser mon ▁on ▁Ps alm ▁ 1 1 8 . ▁Am bro se ▁stated ▁that ▁Sebastian ▁came ▁from ▁Milan ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁already ▁v ener ated ▁there ▁at ▁that ▁time . ▁Saint ▁Sebastian ▁is ▁a ▁popular ▁male ▁saint , ▁especially ▁today ▁among ▁athlet es . ▁ ▁In ▁historical ▁times , ▁he ▁was ▁regarded ▁as ▁a ▁saint ▁with ▁a ▁special ▁ability ▁to ▁inter ced e ▁to ▁protect ▁from ▁pl ague , ▁and ▁dev otion ▁to ▁him ▁greatly ▁increased ▁when ▁pl ague ▁was ▁active . ▁ ▁Life ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁surv iving ▁account ▁of ▁Sebastian ' s ▁life ▁and ▁death ▁is ▁the ▁Pass io ▁San ct i ▁Sebast iani , ▁long ▁thought ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁written ▁by ▁Am bro se ▁of ▁Milan ▁in ▁the ▁ 4 th ▁century , ▁but ▁now ▁regarded ▁as ▁a ▁ 5 th - century ▁account ▁by ▁an ▁unknown ▁author . ▁This ▁includes ▁the ▁" two ▁mart yr dom s