Callistus

ON STS. CALLISTUS, CHARISIUS, LEONIDES, CHRISTIANA,

GALLA, THEODORA, LOTA, TERTIA, CARISTUS, LIKEWISE CHARIESSA, NICE, GALLENA,

NUNECHIA, BASILISSA, CALIS,

MARTYRS AT CORINTH IN ACHAIA.

3RD CENTURY.

Callistus, Martyr, at Corinth in Achaia (St.)

Charisius, Martyr, at Corinth in Achaia (St.)

Leonides, Martyr, at Corinth in Achaia (St.)

Christiana, Martyr, at Corinth in Achaia (St.)

Galla, Martyr, at Corinth in Achaia (St.)

Theodora, Martyr, at Corinth in Achaia (St.)

Lota, Martyr, at Corinth in Achaia (St.)

Tertia, Martyr, at Corinth in Achaia (St.)

Caristus, Martyr, at Corinth in Achaia (St.)

Chariessa, Martyr, at Corinth in Achaia (St.)

Nice, Martyr, at Corinth in Achaia (St.)

Gallena, Martyr, at Corinth in Achaia (St.)

Nunechia, Martyr, at Corinth in Achaia (St.)

Basilissa, Martyr, at Corinth in Achaia (St.)

Calis, Martyr, at Corinth in Achaia (St.)

BY G. H.

[1] The calendar of the ancient Ambrosian Breviary and Missal commemorates Saint Calixtus and his companions, Martyrs. The Roman Martyrology begins its list of saints on April 16 with these same holy Martyrs in these words: "At Corinth, the birthday of the holy Martyrs Callistus and Charisius, with seven others, Callistus and Charistus with 7 others who were all drowned in the sea." The same is found in Usuard and Ado, cited in the notes, though the former writes "Calistus" and both write "Carisius" for the other. The genuine Martyrology of Bede lacks this day; in the spurious one, the former is also named "Calistus." Peter is also cited in his Catalogue, book 4, chapter 55, where he has this: "Calixtus and Carisius, and seven other companions of theirs, suffered at the city of Corinth; all of whom, for the confession of the Christian name drowned in the sea, merited to receive from the Lord perpetual palms of triumph on the 16th day before the Kalends of May," as Ado says. Of these same saints, before the others already mentioned, Wandalbert sang thus:

"The sixteenth day shines with Charisus and Calistus, Whom the sea, with seven of the people, made blessed by drowning."

[2] who are Leonides, Christiana, Galla, Theodora, Rabanus flourished in the same period as Wandalbert; in his Martyrology four of the companions are indicated by their names. "In Achaia," he says, "in the city of Corinth, Saints Callistus, Carissus, Leonides, Christiana, Galla, Theodora, and many other Saints." Notker, somewhat younger than Usuard and Ado, explains it thus: "In Achaia, in the city of Corinth, the birthday of Saints Callistus, Charisius, Leonides, Christina, Galla, Theodorus: who were all drowned in the sea." In the Roman manuscripts of Cardinal Barberini and in the Trier manuscript of Saint Maximinus, Lota, Tertia after Leonides are added Lota, Tertia, Christiana, Galla, and Theodora; to which, to complete the seven others, Caristus is added in the copies of the Hieronymian Martyrology. Caristus or Calista In the Echternach codex the last two names are written as Theodosia and Callista. In other manuscripts, for Carisius or Charisius are read Carisa, Carissus, and Carissimus.

[3] The Greeks, in the Menology of the Emperor Basil Porphyrogenitus, treat these Martyrs on this same day Elogy of Leonides and companions from the Menology of the Emperor Basil in these words: "On the sixteenth day of the same month of April, the contest of the holy Martyr Leonides and his companions. These Saints were from the region of Greece; and Leonides indeed, when at the feast of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ he was chanting psalms in the church with a large congregation and celebrating the festival, was seized by the idolaters, and bound with chains was led to Corinth. The rest, both men and women, were likewise brought from other places and presented to the Governor of the province. These, bound together with Saint Leonides, were enclosed in prison. Then led out of prison, they were ordered to appear again before the Governor of Corinth, and to deny Christ and to sacrifice to the idols. When they refused to do this, Leonides was suspended on a tree and cruelly beaten, and burned on his sides with torches; then taken down from the tree, together with his companions, he was drowned in the depths of the sea." These things there agree fully with the Latin Martyrologies.

[4] But the Greeks in their Menaea, when they give the names of the Martyrs, disagree more, Other names in the Greek Menaea and tell these things about them: "Saints Leonides, Chariessa, Nice, Galene, Calis, Nunechia, Basilissa, and Theodora. These holy Martyrs were from Greece. Leonides was captured at Troezen, while he was beginning the spiritual chorus in the festive days of the holy Resurrection of Christ, and was taken to Corinth. But Chariessa and Nunechia, and Nunechia's mother Basilissa, and Nice and Galene and Calis and Theodora, also natives of Greece, were sent to Corinth to the Governor Venustus. The Governor, finding Leonides constant and immovable in the faith of Christ, ordered him to be suspended and cruelly beaten, then with the others to be drowned in the deep sea. They assert, however, that Blessed Chariessa, with a public voice, just as Miriam of old at the drowning of the Egyptians, began to sing: 'I ran one mile, Lord, and the army pursued me, Lord, and I did not deny you, Lord: save my spirit.' The rest, listening and chanting, reached the sea, and being cast into a ship, were carried thirty stadia into the deep, then bound to stones, and drowned in the waves. And the manuscript Synaxary The martyrdom of these was accomplished on the first day of Easter." Nearly the same things are reported on the following day in the Parisian Synaxary of the College of Clermont. For "Calis" is written "Callis," and the name of the place where Chariessa was chanting is not given; we gather it was near Corinth. In the Menology of Sirletus the same things are contained in abbreviated form. We treated on March 10 of Saint Codratus and the other Martyrs, who suffered at Corinth about the year 258, and in the second place we gave the Acts of their martyrdom, composed by Nicephorus Gregoras, who together adds various other Saints who at that same place underwent martyrdom following the example of Saint Codratus, and reports these things about these Saints.

[5] "Shining forth from that same assembly and gathering were many other Martyrs, by whose contests Corinth was adorned. For having once already received the pure and sincere seeds of piety from Paul, and having drunk to satiety of the waters of Codratus, Among other Martyrs it brought forth glorious branches of the Catholic Church of Christ, which neither the winters of infidelity nor the raging and most violent winds — such as in those times the adversary, assailing the sacred militia with grave violence, sent forth — could by any means overthrow: the enemy himself rather, broken by disaster turned upon himself, and the author of his own sorrow, took flight with ignominy. And indeed that Tertius, who had striven to fill his right hand with the blood of Martyrs, was driven from life, death decreeing for him perpetual exile, and was consigned to torments that would never have an end. But the wicked successor of that wicked man, under the Commander Venustus Venustus by name, having been made Commander, upon receiving bloodthirsty mandates from the Emperor against the pious, put in at Corinth, so to speak, under full sail, and having kindled very many torches of impiety, while he made many Martyrs of Christ, along with all those, he also seized not a few other disciples of the sacred school of Codratus: Leonides from whose number the first to come forward, Leonides, was at first raised up on a certain tall piece of wood, cruelly torn, and burned with flaming torches. Then taken down, and mangled by such great torments, he nevertheless moved the inhuman Commander to

mercy so little, that he decreed for him torments far greater still, as though he had so far endured none at all.

[6] His garments therefore stripped off, he is stretched out upon iron caltrops, after many torments and the upper parts of his body are savagely beaten with rods, that there might remain nothing in him free from pain: for while the lower members were pierced with most bitter sensation by the spikes of the caltrops penetrating to the very bones, above, by continuous and alternating blows of the rods, his flesh was torn in a pitiable manner. Yet he (O noble soul and most generous endurance, at which every nature, whether earthly or heavenly, stood astounded!) betrayed no pain by even the slightest gesture: rather he rejoiced, while he looked upon his flesh drenched on every side with that precious blood, as though he were some bridegroom in the bordered robe, clad in a garment interwoven with gold. Nevertheless, this sacred body, consecrated to contests, had still to be exercised in other torments, and was not to be released before it had sated that butcher and savage tyrant, and fulfilled the fury of his impious and bestial mind, which was ever intent upon the worst counsels. And now see, I pray, what those reckless men dared, and what sports they performed around the Martyr. They spread his body, which had undergone such torments, upon a hearth, where a fire had been kindled, carelessly, lest it should wholly dissolve, and, failing in spirit, give way: but that the streams of blood should cease to flow, and whatever effervescent and putrid matter remained should be cooked as if fried in a pan. But when the tyrant achieved nothing, cast into the sea: and while trying everything was in all things overcome: at last he orders him to be cast into the sea itself with the holy women, no small number, who at that time completed the same contest for piety, and were no small part of that theater of Martyrs, having conceived masculine strength from the manly exhortations of Codratus, as from irrigations: whose names, because they are worthy of memory, it is pleasing here to add.

[7] namely Chariessa, Nunechia, Basilissa, Nice, Cale, Galene, Theodora, They were then Chariessa and Nunechia, filled with grace and a sober mind. Basilissa and Nice, who fought royally against impiety, and were crowned with the crowns of victory. Cale and Galene, who passed well the salty waters of this life, and arrived at a harbor exposed to no disturbance. Finally Theodora, that gift bestowed upon Corinth together with the others by God. Then indeed, then even the sea is said to have revered the bodies of those Martyrs and refused to swallow them, but for the space of thirty stadia to have served them as dry land. Chariessa also, walking upon the waves, is said to have sung this canticle to the Lord with a loud voice, the others joining in: "I have run one mile, Lord, and you have persecuted the army, Lord, and I have not denied you, Lord; save my spirit"—words similar to those which the sister of Moses and Aaron uttered. And so, with stones tied to their necks, the Martyrs are forcibly thrust into the deep, that wrestling with their bonds and the waves, failing, they might cease to live, and be presented to God as perfect victims.