St. Erasmus, also known as Elmo, was the bishop of Formiae,
Campagna, Italy. During persecution of the Christians under
Emperor Diocletian he fled to Mount Lebanon and lived there for
some time, being fed by a raven. His whereabouts were discovered
and he was thrown into prison, from which an angel rescued him.
Eventually he suffered a martyr's death. He is the member of the
so called Fourteen Holy Helpers, a group of 14 saints, whose
collective cult grew up in the first quarter of the 15th
century. See: Grünewald The Meeting of St. Erasmus and St.
Maurice. Nicolas Poussin. The Martyrdom of St. Erasmus. Lives of
the Saints: From Mary and Francis of Assisi to John XXIII and
Mother Teresa by Richard McBrien (Author). Harper SanFrancisco,
2001.