They were a trio and t… Read Full Bio ↴Holy Martyr formed in the middle of the nineties.
They were a trio and they were led by guitarist Ivano Spiga.
The band started writing songs, which were in the vein of the classic British metal and of the eighties epic metal.
After numerous changes in the line-up, the band finally found stability in 2002, when they released their first demo cd called “Hatred And Warlust”.
With its relentless savage attack, the cd made proselytes all over Europe, and Holy Martyr gained prestige as one of the best undergound Italian Heavy Metal bands of the new century.
Anyway, the band was not too happy of these great results, so after just 5 months they started composing new stuff and they recorded their second Ep called “Hail to Hellas”.
It was based upon the famous battle of Thermopylae, fought by 300 Spartans. The Ep gained prestige among the most famous Italian, German and Greek magazines, and the band became a cult Heavy Metal band in Europe.
For this album, Holy Martyr asked and got funds from more than 200 fans.
This was quite unusual for an underground band, but they managed to create a huge group of faithful fans all over the world in a short time.
Thanks to the numerous good reviews, Holy Martyr were asked to join the German Festival “Keep It True”, along with bands such as Manilla Road, Elixir and Wizard.
The band got an enormous success in this first abroad appearance, and they were asked to join another festival, this time in Greece (Athens) and along with Cloven Hoof.
Here, they received an enthusiastic welcome.
In 2005, after the positive experience of the previous years, the band produced their third Ep, which was put of print within a few months after its release.
It was called “Vis Et Honor”, and it showed another improvement in the style of the band, which anyway stick to their origins: an epic, aggressive and melodic work, this time inspired by the Ancient Rome and Roman Soldiers.
This third chapter gained the interest of DragonHeart Records, which offered the band a contract and the chance to finally record their debut album, in the name of steel and blood!
Legion's Oath
Holy Martyr Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nostram vitam, romaw offerimus.
Non fugemus, non cedemus, non timebimus cruciatum et dolorem.
Abhinc fini mundi, erimus ad latum roame Caesaris imperio, quamdiu lux est.
The lyrics of Holy Martyr's song Legion's Oath (March of the Legionaries) capture the unwavering loyalty and commitment of ancient Roman soldiers to their empire. The opening line, "Iuppiter victor, hoc ius aurem praebe," translates to "Jupiter the victor, lend your ear to this law" and invokes the Roman god of sky and thunder as a witness to their oath. The next few lines represent the soldiers' willingness to sacrifice their strength, blood, and even their lives for Rome. They declare that they will not flee, surrender, or fear torture or pain.
The final lines of the song speak of the soldiers' unwavering devotion to Rome and their emperor, pledging to serve the empire until the end of the world as long as its light shines. The lyrics evoke a sense of duty and patriotism that was deeply ingrained in ancient Roman society, where soldiers took an oath of allegiance to the emperor and were willing to die in battle in service of their empire.
Line by Line Meaning
Iuppiter victor, hoc ius aurem praebe.
Oh victorious Jupiter, lend us your ear and listen to our plea.
Nostram vim, nostrum sanguinem, nostram vitam, romaw offerimus.
We offer our strength, our blood, our lives to Rome.
Non fugemus, non cedemus, non timebimus cruciatum et dolorem.
We will not flee, we will not withdraw, we will not fear torture and pain.
Abhinc fini mundi, erimus ad latum roame Caesaris imperio, quamdiu lux est.
From now until the end of the world, we will stand by the side of Rome's Caesar, as long as there is light.
Writer(s): Spiga Ivano
Contributed by Adeline H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.