ON SAINT ARDALIO, MIME AND MARTYR.
UNDER THE EMPEROR MAXIMIAN.
CommentaryArdalio, mime and Martyr (St.)
G. H.
[1] Baronius observes in his Notes on this April 14, that the Gentiles were accustomed, in mockery of the Christian religion, to bring persons onto the stage who would represent the Acts of Christians, but that God, who mocks the mockers, turned jokes into serious matter, fables into history, and mimes into Martyrs. Such a one we gave on February 27, St. Gelasius, Among other mimes converted or Gelasinus, Martyr at Heliopolis in Phoenicia in the year of Christ 297, converted when he was mocking the baptism of Christians. Such also is Genesius, who at Rome, when he was mocking the mysteries of Christians, was suddenly converted to the faith, and obtained the palm of martyrdom on August 25. Such also was St. Ardalio, concerning whom these things are read in today's Tables of the Roman Martyrology: St. Ardalio is inscribed in the Roman Calendars, "On the same day of St. Ardalio the mime, who when he was mocking the sacred things of the Christians in the theater; suddenly changed, he confirmed them not only with words, but also with the testimony of his own blood." In the Notes is cited the Menologium of the Greeks, collected by Cardinal Sirleto from the Great Menaea, in which that elogium is contained.
[2] "On the same day of the holy Martyr, the venerable Ardalio. Under the reign of Maximian he played the mimic role in the theaters, elogium from the Greek Menaea, and imitated the customs, vices, passions and deeds of others. It pleased him also to express the constancy of Christians in martyrdom in mockery on the stage. Therefore having been suspended, as if he did not wish to sacrifice to the gods, and suddenly changed. When therefore he was applauded by the spectators, and publicly praised, and acclaimed with loud voices, because he most excellently played the Christian role, and imitated their patience; he, having commanded silence on those present, proclaimed himself to be truly a Christian. Whence, when the Governor exhorted him with many words, that he would change his mind; he did nothing. For the Martyr, constantly persisting in the faith of Christ, was cast into the living burning of a pyre, was extinguished in the same, and obtained the palm of martyrdom." These are the Menaea, both printed and variously written by hand, and with them Maximus Bishop of Cythera in his Lives of the Saints.
[3] The same things are read on April 16 in the Synaxarion of Cardinal Mazarin at Paris and in the Milanese MS. Menaea of the Ambrosian Library, April 16 and 17 in the codex marked with the letter o and number 148. In the Menaea, according to custom, a distich is prefixed to the elogium, alluding to the mimic profession, named from the Greek for "imitating."
Νῦν Μῖμος ὄντως Ἀρδαλίων ἢ πάλαι Μιμούμενον γὰρ Μάρτυρας τὸ πῦρ φλέγει.
Now Ardalio is truly more a mime than before. For the flames burn him imitating the Martyrs.
In the Menologium also of Basil Porphyrogenitus the Emperor, called that of April 17, an elogium is placed, which on account of many circumstances, explaining the deed more fully, we here also add.
"On the same day, the 17th, the contest of the holy Martyr Ardalio. and the Menologium of the Emperor Basil. He under the reign of Maximian the mimic
art practiced; by which art he wondrously excelled also in other theatrical plays. Therefore, when he was placing his effort in this pursuit, he himself made himself a Martyr, fighting bravely for Christ. For on a certain occasion, when naked in the scene before the tyrant, he was playing a hanged man, and was being applauded by the spectators, who praised his tolerance; he cried out with a loud voice; and, having requested and obtained silence, turning to the people he said: "Do not think that I am now performing trifling things, but receive these things in the truth of the Christian religion. For I am a Christian." Then the Ruler, changed in face, first indeed exhorted him, that he should turn his mind from what he had said, and not cast himself into a shameful death: then when he did not assent to these words, but affirmed that he wished to persist even to death in the faith of Christ; the Ruler ordered a huge fire to be kindled: into whose midst Ardalio, cast, received the end of this life, exulting with joy, by this means inflicting a deadly wound on the devil.
[4] On the 18th day of April the sacred memory of Ardalio is celebrated in the MS. Greek Synaxarion of the Parisian College of Clermont of the Society of Jesus, with nearly the same elogium added, memorial April 18. which we have already given from the Menaea. The place of martyrdom is nowhere expressed: nevertheless, not entirely rashly will someone suspect that the deed was done in the East, since Maximian might have been acting there by chance; from the fact that all knowledge of it was derived through the Greeks to the Latin Church: which only now, having been taught the name of Ardalio and his Martyrdom from them, has inserted him in its Martyrologies.