ON THE HOLY ALEXANDRIAN MARTYRS
APOLLONIUS THE PRIEST, GRANUS, HILARIUS, DONATUS, CONCESSUS, SATURNINUS,
CommentaryApollonius the Priest, Martyr of Alexandria (St.)
Granus, Martyr of Alexandria (St.)
Hilarius, Martyr of Alexandria (St.)
Donatus, Martyr of Alexandria (St.)
Concessus, Martyr of Alexandria (St.)
Saturninus, Martyr of Alexandria (St.)
G. H.
To this illustrious band of Alexandrian Martyrs St. Apollonius the Priest is set forth as leader, and he alone is recorded by Notker, and in the Manuscript Martyrologies of Cassino, Altempsian, of St. Cyriac, and others. Memorial in the ancient Fasti, In the Kalendar of the ancient Missal and Breviary of Milan the memorial of St. Apollonius the Priest and his fellow Martyrs is kept. Usuard has this: "At Alexandria, St. Apollonius, Priest and Martyr, and of five others." With Usuard agree very many ancient Manuscripts. Grevenus in his Addition to Usuard adds besides Saturninus and Granus: and the individual names, but the latter is called Grainus in the Manuscript of Aachen. In the Barberini codex and that of St. Maximinus are added Saturninus and Concessus, to whom in the Manuscript of Prague is joined Gaianus. Saturninus alone is placed in the Manuscripts of Arras and Tournai. In the very ancient Martyrology of St. Jerome these things are read: "At Alexandria, Apollonius the Priest, Granus, Hilarius, Donatus, Concessus, Saturninus, Gaianus." So the apograph of Lucca. But the last is absent in the very old codex of Echternach, and in place of him in the apograph of Corbie published at Paris is read Saturus, and Gaianus is placed in the place of Granus. In the Manuscript of Paris communicated by Labbaeus are found the Alexandrian Martyrs, Apolonius, Granius, Saturninus, Hilarius, Donatus: which same are also in the Manuscript of Augsburg of St. Udalric. In the Manuscript of Tamlacht are expressed the names of Apollonius, Hilarius, Saturninus, Donata, Concessa, as also the last two names are written in the Manuscript of Echternach: but in all others Donatus and Concessus: after whom in the Bloomian codex is had with the other Saints. And these are what are noted concerning these Martyrs in the more ancient Fasti. Gaianus we separate, intending to treat of him under the following title. Saturnus is omitted as supernumerary, and perhaps doubled somewhere from the name Saturninus not correctly written.
[2] Maurolycus joins this elogium to these Martyrs: "At Alexandria, St. Apollonius the Priest, and of five others. Is Philemon to be given as companion to Apollonius? This one, when he had lived most holily as a monk, placed in chains, converted his guard Philemon: with whom delivered to the fire, he remained unharmed: whence the Judge and many were converted: the Prefect of Alexandria ordered him drowned in the sea, but the bodies cast onto the shore were buried with worthy honor." Similar things have Felicius, Galesinius, Canisius, and the Martyrology published at Cologne and Lübeck in the year 1490. In today's Roman Martyrology this elogium
is recited: "At Alexandria, of the holy Martyrs Apollonius the Priest, and of five others: who in the persecution of Maximinus were drowned in the sea." Baronius in his Notes cites Usuard, who has only the first part, and Peter de Natalibus in the Catalogue, book 4, chapter 43.
It is added in the same Notes that their deeds are found in the Lives of the Fathers, namely in Palladius, chapters 66 and 67, and Rufinus chapter 19, which Chapter Baronius cites both in this place and on March 8, where he treats of Sts. Apollonius and Philemon, and the President Arianus, are both reported in the Lives of the Fathers? Theoticus and companions, of whom the last is said to have been drowned in the sea. We have accurately illustrated the Acts of these on the said March 8: but those do not sufficiently accord with what is recited in the Lives of the Fathers, and much less with the ancient Martyrologies already recited by us. Peter de Natalibus in the cited place contracted the contest of Apollonius and companions from the Lives of the Fathers: but perhaps to accommodate himself to Usuard, he called Apollonius a Priest, whereas in the Lives of the Fathers he is called a Deacon in these words in Rufinus: "The elders reported that there was at the time of persecution a certain monk, by name Apollonius, who when he had led a magnificent life among the brethren, was also ordained a Deacon. In the time therefore of persecution… arrested, by his gentleness he converted Philemon." This Philemon in the Acts of March 8 and in the Lives of the Fathers is called a public, or most famous, musician, and Apollonius a Deacon, so that the tradition of the elders, cited by Rufinus, seems not to have been so accurate that it did not err in many circumstances. Entirely different, indeed, do Apollonius the Deacon with Philemon, who suffered at Antinoë on March 8, whom then their Judge Arianus with four Protectors followed to Martyrdom at the turning of the year on the 16th of the same month, or within the same year on December 14, and Apollonius the Priest attributed by Usuard with five others to Alexandria, seem to us; and perhaps he went forth to the contest in another persecution, or at least another year.