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Because the dragon was the natural enemy of man, his death became the ultimate goal, consequently there are innumberable battles between gods and dragons, saints and dragons, and in the medieval world, knights and dragons.
In Greek legends, the dragon fought on the side of the Titans and attacked Athene, who flung him into the heavens, where he became a constellation around the Pole Star. Hercules encountered, and killed the dragon Ladon while fulfilling his eleventh labor. In Scandinavian literature, Beowulf was slain by a dragon.
Dragons are popular attributes of many saints including St. George of the Cappadocia, St. Philip the Apostle, St. Martha of Tarascon, St. Radegund of Poitiers, St. Victor of Bayeux, St. Romian of Rouen, St. Andrew of Aix-en-Provence, St Clement of Metz, St. Armentaire of Draguignan, and St. Michael the Archangel. These saints and Christ are often shown crushing a dragon under foot and thus representing the triumph of Christianity over the forces of evil, and the banishment of paganism from a land.
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