ON STS. DOMINA AND ANCILLA, MARTYRS AMONG THE GREEKS.
CommentaryDomina and Ancilla, Martyrs among the Greeks (SS.)
G. H.
The Greeks in the printed Menaea and in Maximus Bishop of Cythera, after the reference to Saint Thermus the Martyr burned with fire, under a peculiar title have these things: "On the same day, of the holy women Kyria or Domina (Lady) and Doule (Maidservant)." In the MSS. Menaea of Dijon it is added that she fell by the sword, and this is confirmed by the distich added in the Menaea:
It was fitting that the Maidservant follow her Lady, Going from earth to God through the sword.
We said above on the eulogy of St. Thermus that to this there is added his sister with a maidservant in the MSS. Menaea of Turin of the Duke of Savoy, which we less approved
and insinuated there. But that Kyria and Doule ought to be taken appellatively, and not taken as proper names, we scarcely doubt. And concerning Ancilla, the author of the distich did not doubt, when appellatively he said Doulida, who in the title was Doule. Concerning Domina you will hesitate less, if you notice that several pairings of such correlative Martyrs, designated without proper name, are celebrated in the Menaea. Thus a Mother with two Sons extinguished by fire is commemorated on January 2: a Mother and Daughter Martyrs slain by the sword, on the 28th of the same month: Father and Son crucified, on February 13: and finally in the preceding month of March, on the 9th, a Grandfather, Grandmother; Father, Mother; and two Sons as Martyrs. Other examples, to be commemorated in their own times, will be given by the following months after this one.