Every Christmas, this figure comes close to gnawing off his chains while imprisoned within Montenegro’s Morača river (“MO-rah-chah”). Serbian legends conflate this figure with the Devil when describing how he stole the sun and some flesh off the foot of either the Archangel Gabriel or John the Baptist. This is the elder of two rulers who learned that the “just on Earth” were hindering Apollo’s advice at the oracle of Didyma. Dionysius Exiguus crafted the phrase (*) “anno domini” for his Easter Table to avoid a dating practice that used this figure’s name. A girl executed for refusing an official who served this ruler is usually portrayed holding a lamb. This ruler had an army captain clubbed to death after arrows failed to kill him. Eusebius and later hagiographers exaggerated a policy under this ruler that resulted in the executions of Saint Agnes and Saint Sebestian. For 10 points, name this Roman Emperor who ordered the Great Persecution. ■END■
ANSWER: Diocletian [or Diocles or Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus; accept Jovius or Dukljan; accept anno Diocletiani]
<Henry Atkins, Beliefs>
= Average correct buzz position