Roman Martyrs

ON THE HOLY ROMAN MARTYRS,

ELEUTHERIUS THE BISHOP AND ANTHIA HIS MOTHER, PARTHENIUS, CALOCERUS, FEBUS,

PROCULUS, APOLLONIUS, FORTUNATUS, CRISPINUS, EXPEDITUS, MAPPALICUS, VICTORINUS,

AND GAGUS.

Eleutherius, Martyr at Rome (Saint)

Anthia the mother, Martyr at Rome (Saint)

Parthenius, Martyr at Rome (Saint)

Calocerus, Martyr at Rome (Saint)

Febus, Martyr at Rome (Saint)

Proculus, Martyr at Rome (Saint)

Apollonius, Martyr at Rome (Saint)

Fortunatus, Martyr at Rome (Saint)

Crispinus, Martyr at Rome (Saint)

Expeditus, Martyr at Rome (Saint)

Mappalicus, Martyr at Rome (Saint)

Victorinus, Martyr at Rome (Saint)

Gagus, Martyr at Rome (Saint)

BY D. P.

[1] By the great consensus of all copies of the Hieronymian martyrologies,

Names inscribed in the Calendars: on the eighteenth day of April

these words are inscribed, transcribed thence by the other

martyrologists: At Rome, the natal day

of Saints Eleutherius the Bishop and Anthia his mother.

Only in the writing of the mother's name is there slight variation, so

that what in the Corbie copy, as well as in the Menaia and any Synaxaries

whatsoever, is written, as if a Greek name, Anthia,

in the Lucca copy is called Anchia, in the Epternach Antea,

in the Blumian, as also in the Sicilian and Rieti manuscripts, Antia,

in other Latin Acts Ancia. And because she is said to have been

of most illustrious stock, and the wife of a Consul, indeed of a three-time Roman Consul,

Octavius Cajetanus suspects she was born of the same family

which under Domitian gave C. Antius as extraordinary

Consul, colleague of Julius Quadratus.

Metaphrastes alone called her Euanthia.

[2] There follow in the aforesaid very ancient Martyrologies the names

of Saints Parthenius, are all of the same company? Calocerus, Febus, Proculus,

Apollonius, Fortunatus, Crispinus, Expeditus, Mappalicus,

Victorinus, and Gagus, and this again without any diversity

of copies, except that Victorinus or Victurinus

is absent in the Corbie Manuscript. These Saints follow

the first two, the son and mother, as though they had suffered martyrdom

together with them, or at least in the same place and on the same day;

whence we propose them joined with the aforesaid in today's Roman Martyrology,

although concerning several, and especially Apollonius,

and Calocerus, we rightly fear lest this be the Brescian

Martyr, that one indeed Roman but having suffered under Commodus;

concerning whom, as having their own proper veneration on this same day,

we treat separately. In Notker, to Eleutherius and Anthia martyred at Rome,

are joined Parthenius and Calocerus; in the Reichenau Manuscript

a third is added, Apollonius; in the Cassino manuscript

and two Roman ones of Cardinal Barberini and Duke Altemps,

only Proculus and Apollonius are named; and

with the city of Rome not expressed, in the Augsburg Manuscript of Saint Ulrich

and the Paris manuscript of Labbé, in place of them are named Crispinus,

Mappalicus, Victorinus; and in a very ancient Manuscript

of Trier, of Saint Maximin, Fortunatus and Crispinus. Finally the Roman

Martyrology, Leader of all these, prefers Coroebus;

but the reason he has been passed over by us has already been given.

[3] The cult of Saint Eleutherius at Constantinople celebrated on December 15. And let these things suffice concerning those who

are brought forward from the Martyrologies alone without more distinct notice. Eleutherius

and Antia or Anthia, moreover, celebrated cult in various

places illustrates, but far more celebrated at Constantinople

and in all the Greek churches, which now use only those books

which are in use at Constantinople; so that in the metrical

Ephemeris of the month of December (for on the 15th of that month

the feast of Saint Eleutherius is kept among the Greeks) he is set forth

as the chief Saint of that day in this manner:

Divine

Eleutherius

on the tenth

slew

swords

fifth.

The sword slaughters Eleutherius on the tenth-and-fifth.

The celebrity of this cult is magnified, not only by the

ecclesiastical Office for the whole of that day ordered in the Menaea, but

also by a double Canon; which is rare elsewhere, nor to be found except among the most

celebrated Saints. To this is added the antiquity of the cult:

for George Codinus asserts, because of a temple erected there for him by Arcadius, in his book on the origins

and antiquities of Constantinople, that a temple of Saint

Eleutherius was built in the time of Emperor Arcadius, and

thus not long after the year 400; which we believe to be

that Martyrium or Confessio of which the Menaea make mention,

and they teach that it stood near the Xerolophus,

that is, the Dry Hill; the anniversary of whose dedication

I should think to recur on December 15.

[4] Hence further it is understood that the temple

dedicated to Saint Eleutherius was by no means empty, but his very relics

were there honored; for this the name Martyrium indicates.

Much more clearly the same is confirmed by the words of the aforesaid Canons;

for Ode VIII of one glorifies the Martyr,

because, it says, Your shrine pours forth streams of healings and rivers of miracles

to those who use it; and relics brought there from Rome, But whence were the Relics

brought to Constantinople? From the city of Rome,

near which, at the common zeal of the Illyrians (to whom he had been

consecrated Bishop) who were present at the time of his passion there,

and of the Roman Christians, the sacred bodies were buried,

as Metaphrastes indicates, from other older Acts; in

this matter, concerning the place of first burial and the Bishopric of Illyricum,

more worthy of trust than any other account, since all the Latin

versions, of which more shortly, not obscurely show a Greek

origin.

[5] Wherefore we altogether suppose that, when the sacred bodies

were first disinterred (which we judge to have been done about

the times of the elder Theodosius, together with whatever account of the Life and Passion: or at least under the rule of his sons),

no written Acts of the passion yet existed; but once they had

been disinterred, when part of them was to be sent to Constantinople,

the authors or managers of the future translation anxiously

collected whatever the memory of the faithful retained concerning the torments

inflicted on the Saint, and concerning his age and birth,

and wrote it in Greek; but with Greek faith, that is, with

greater care for exciting admiration than for establishing

truth. But the people of Rieti, to whom another part of the sacred bodies

had come, afterwards obtaining the Greek Acts themselves, rendered them

into Latin. And would that, as it is easy to observe in them

the form of Greek derivation, from which they were first written in Greek, the manner and style of contemporary

authors in narrating things seen and heard were also expressed

near to verisimilitude; for such are introduced in the Rieti

Manuscripts, the Acts concluded by themselves thus.

which under the name of two contemporaries "We two brothers... Eulogius and

Theodulus wrote this, who were ordained by that Eleutherius;

but aided by his exhortations we always

persevered with him; and those things which our eyes have seen

and our ears have heard we have made known to all

Christians; believing that we, both from the edification

of you who read, and from the profit of those

who hear, shall find mercy with the Lord."

[6] We have Latin versions from Rieti Manuscripts, We have these Acts copied from a double ancient Manuscript of Rieti,

with some but slight variety of differing readings; and since we believe they were

translated almost word for word from Greek Acts, which we have not yet found,

it also follows that we believe they can better supply the lack

of the Greek originals than those which in Lipomano and Surius

exist in Latin, and to be read here in Greek at the end of the book,

Metaphrastes composed in his own style, as Allatius thinks.

Since however the same Rieti Manuscripts are in many ways faulty

and to a certain extent fabulous, we cannot hold them

in any other esteem than the Acts of Saints Theodore and George,

published under the names of Pasicrates and Augarus their servants,

as though as eyewitnesses. Moreover, from the Acts copied

at Rieti we think were constructed other Acts, which also exist elsewhere with altered phrasing, which make Saint

Eleutherius Bishop of the city of Aecana in Apulia,

in place of which Troia afterwards stood. For the phrasing is partly

different, partly the same in words, and indeed such

at times that both cannot be believed to be immediately translated from the Greek;

as when in both places it is said that Eleutherius's father "issued the Candida three times."

Further, the text of the Rieti Manuscripts easily appears older

than the other, though both are very ancient. where he is said to have been Bishop of Aecana. These later

Latin Acts we have published in Mombritius, and copied in an ancient

legendary of the monastery of Saint Maximin near Trier; and we judged them

to be the same as those found in the Manuscript of Saint

Hubert in the Ardennes, and another of our College of Douai

in Flanders; likewise with those seen at Naples among the Olivetans,

and at Florence with Carolus Strozzi; and also with a more contracted

epitome, received from the Utrecht Passional of Saint Salvator.

[7] which many followed quite erroneously: The same later Acts appear to have been used by those who wrote Martyrologies

in Gaul and Germany; and not knowing what

Aecana in Apulia was, they twisted the names of that city and region

variously, and gave many occasion to err,

namely Usuard, Ado, Notker, Rabanus, as will appear below.

More cautious and more ancient than all these, Florus of Lyons

composed only this eulogy from those Acts: At Rome

the passion of Saint Eleutherius and his mother Anthia, who

suffered under the Emperor Hadrian. Of whom Eleutherius

was placed on a gridiron, but Florus prudently. set upon coals;

afterwards cast into a burning oven; and not consumed,

he was bound to four untamed horses;

yet not even so torn in pieces, but loosed by an Angel,

finally by the command of the Emperor he was struck with the sword.

And Anthia his mother, having thrown herself upon the body

of her son, confessing herself a Christian, was soon

beheaded. In these words concerning the Passion of the Saints

is contained almost all that deserves to be received as true or likely,

if however you add the rank of Bishop; from which Florus

seems to have abstained because in the Acts it was said that Eleutherius

had not advanced his age beyond the twentieth year, so that he is even called

a boy and a little boy.

[8] Other Acts published from a Syracusan Manuscript Besides the Acts hitherto mentioned, Octavius Cajetanus had

certain others from a Manuscript of the Church of Syracuse,

perhaps transcribed from some Italian Manuscript, which

would be easy to recognize if he had published them word for word. But he

presumed they were received immediately from the Greek, and because the translator

seemed not to have rendered happily enough, he altered the wording,

though with no Greek text guiding him; a few

things also, and as he thinks light ones, he cut out, which anyone

would think should be castigated, and for which he refers

the reader to Metaphrastes. The same man had the Rieti Manuscript, less sincere. and from it

in his Annotations proposes certain things differing from the sense

of his Syracusan Codex, and so similar to the text received from Apulia,

that it becomes probable that the Syracusan copy was taken

from the same: whose sense Cajetanus not only truncated,

among other things omitting what was there read

concerning the Aecanan Bishopric and the relics brought from Rome,

but also altered at pleasure. Why are any published here? Yet it is not

something we should greatly lament, that the copy of that Syracusan Manuscript

has not been faithfully exhibited, since

neither in it nor in any Aecana codex, nor even

in the Rieti one, do we think a sincere history can be found.

But lest this should be said more severely than solidly,

let anyone judge; come, let us faithfully exhibit it such as it is

and weigh it maturely, and then at last let us pass

to those things which are more certain, concerning the Translations

of the Relics.

[9] Cult at Rieti. By what light indication Cajetanus persuaded himself that Saint

Eleutherius was Bishop of Messina will appear from what is to be said below;

certainly there was never any cult of him at Messina;

and if there is now some, it rests only on the authority

of Cajetanus. The people of Rieti, as they are in the most ancient

possession of the Relics, whose Translation is given below,

so also with most celebrated religion venerate those Saints their Patrons

on this day. and at Terracina, The Cathedral Church of Terracina

in Campania, among the suffrages of the Saints (as the Choir

speaks) recites a Collect common to all its holy

Patrons; where among others are named Saints

Eleutherius and Ansa, who seems to be Antia. That

Collect will be given in full on May 13, before the Acts

of Saints Domitilla, Euphrosyna, and Theodora. But

by what title that cult was received by the Terracinan Clergy,

I have not yet learned; it is permitted to suspect that some part of

the Relics also came to them of old, on account of which

this was established and practiced.

[10] Besides the Greek Acts, which Allatius judged to be attributed to Metaphrastes,

as we said above, we found in Paris

with Fr. Francis Combefis a certain Greek encomium

of Saint Eleutherius, beginning thus: a Greek encomium, "I praise

the martyr's stand."

We did not think then that it should be copied,

because the author was unknown, and such

encomia are mostly more recent than the Acts. But now, although

we would wish to have it, nevertheless on account of this difficult

war, by which our communications with the French are broken off,

it does not seem worthwhile to make many efforts for it,

since we have so slight hope of finding anything there from

which any light might come to this Saint shrouded in darkness.

Therefore we shall leave such judgment to Fr. Combefis himself, who,

having read these things, will be able to determine whether for the future

Supplement of our work it deserves to be copied for us.

APOCRYPHAL ACTS falsely attributed to Eulogius and Theodulus, as contemporaries.

From two old Rieti Manuscripts.

Eleutherius, Martyr at Rome (Saint)

Anthia the mother, Martyr at Rome (Saint)

Parthenius, Martyr at Rome (Saint)

Calocerus, Martyr at Rome (Saint)

Febus, Martyr at Rome (Saint)

Proculus, Martyr at Rome (Saint)

Apollonius, Martyr at Rome (Saint)

Fortunatus, Martyr at Rome (Saint)

Crispinus, Martyr at Rome (Saint)

Expeditus, Martyr at Rome (Saint)

Mappalicus, Martyr at Rome (Saint)

Victorinus, Martyr at Rome (Saint)

Gagus, Martyr at Rome (Saint)

BHL Number: 2450, 2451

FROM APOCRYPHAL MANUSCRIPTS.

FROM A MANUSCRIPT.

By D. P.

[1] [aa] Educated as a Christian by his widowed mother, In the twenty-fifth year of his reign, the Emperor Hadrian,

while coming from the East to Rome,

heard of a blessed boy whose name

was Eleutherius. For he was the only son of his widowed mother,

named Antia, who had seen in the body

the Blessed Apostle Paul; and she had a husband of illustrious rank

named Eugenius, who had three times given the Candida

at Rome. She, his widow, as we said named

Antia, mother of Eleutherius, first of all matrons,

nourished her son in holy religion, and

had him taught sacred letters by the Bishop of Christ

Dynamius. Seeing him make strong progress in sacred

learning, And ordained Bishop, in his 16th year he made him Deacon;

at 18 he promoted him to the Presbyterate.

Seeing him restore health to the sick and put demons

to flight, in the 20th year he made him Bishop. ^a

[2] Then the Emperor Hadrian, hearing these things, sent

to him Felix his Count with two hundred soldiers,

and commanded that he be brought to him. Felix, when he came

to him, Count Felix sent against him, found him teaching a great crowd of people.

Looking upon him, Blessed Eleutherius said to him:

What is this, that with such tyranny you have entered to

us, as though by our power we could restrain your power?

God, who gives all strength, is present

to me his servant; may he himself extinguish your wrath. At this

word Felix trembled, because he had entered with such tyranny;

and said that he had been sent by

the Emperor Hadrian, and that he had come to

bring him. To whom Saint Eleutherius, answering:

Could it be hidden from us, he converts him to the faith; that you have been sent to us?

There is nothing that can be unknown by those who have

received the Holy Spirit; for he makes known to those believing

in him not only what is and what has been, but

also what is to come. And when he had spoken many things with

holy speech, Felix the Count fell at his feet,

saying: Eleutherius, servant of God, give me such

understanding that I may believe in him in whom you believe.

So having made prayer he laid his hand on him, and going forth they went

to Rome with all the soldiers.

[3] Taking their journey, talk of the coming and resurrection

of our Lord Jesus Christ accompanied them. and on the way to Rome,

And when they had come to a river they sat under a tree;

and Saint Eleutherius began to urge them to

take refreshment and so cross the river. Then Felix the Count

said to him: As the Lord lives, whose worshipers,

I shall take no food or drink unless you make me a Christian.

To whom Saint Eleutherius said: If you believe Jesus

Christ to be the Son of the living God, and believe that, in

his name washed in this river, you will obtain forgiveness

of all sins, these things can

be done. he baptizes him: Felix the Count answered:

I would not willingly ask you to make me a Christian,

unless I believed in Christ with my whole

heart. Then Bishop Eleutherius,

taking his hand, led

him aside, and, invoking the mystery of the Trinity,

baptized him. After this he blessed upon his head,

saying: Lord Jesus Christ, so illumine his heart

as you illumined the heart of the Eunuch through Philip

your Apostle, and show forth the ornament of faith

upon him. When he had said these and similar things, Felix left

Saint Eleutherius and went to his brethren, declaring

to them all that had been done for him; and they

themselves also with great joy believed in Christ ^b.

[4] When Saint Eleutherius had entered the palace,

it was announced to the Emperor Hadrian by the soldiers. Questioned by the Emperor Hadrian.

So he ordered a tribunal to be set up for him, and sitting ordered him

to be presented in his sight; and questioning him,

the Emperor Hadrian said: Tell me, Eleutherius, how,

being a man of most illustrious liberty, you have delivered

yourself over to the most insane superstition, and believe in this

God who was crucified by men. Blessed

Eleutherius, keeping silent, stood by. Again

the Emperor Hadrian questioned him, saying:

Eleutherius, answer to these things I ask you. He professes the faith: Then

Saint Eleutherius, looking up to heaven, having made the holy

sign which is in Christ, began to speak thus:

The most illustrious and true liberty is this, to know and

worship the Maker of heaven and earth and the Creator of all.

to my gods, and I will make you great in my palace.

To whom Saint Eleutherius said: Your words are full of deceit

and bitterness.

[5] He is stretched upon a brazen bed to be burned, So raging, the Emperor Hadrian ordered a brazen

bed to be brought, and Saint Eleutherius to be stripped, and

stretched naked in four parts, that the delicate joints of his

limbs might be disjointed. All the Roman

people ran to this spectacle of so great a contest,

in which all cried out: The Emperor wishes to kill a freeborn,

wise, and noble man. But

when an hour had passed, he ordered Saint Eleutherius to be loosed, from which he comes down unharmed, hoping

that he had been burned; for under that brazen bed

a most copious fire had been kindled. But as soon as they loosed his hands

and feet, rising he began to walk in the presence

of all the people, and with outstretched hand said: Men of Rome,

hear: There is a true, great, and one almighty God; and

there is no other but this one, whom the Apostles Peter

and Paul preached, through whom God himself did many

mighty works and healings among the people, and laid low

Simon glorying in his magic arts, and the mute and

deaf idols which the Emperor Hadrian worships, trampled underfoot.

[6] And likewise on a gridiron, Then the Emperor Hadrian ordered a gridiron to be brought,

and, anointed with oil, to be set upon burning coals;

and he said to Saint Eleutherius: By the invincible sun,

I will hold you as a son if you adore my gods;

but if you will not, I will roast you on this gridiron. Saint Eleutherius

said: Ravening wolf, both your gods and your words

be with you to perdition; but know that I will neither leave my

Lord, nor fear your fiery gridiron. And immediately

as he was placed on it, so the fire was

extinguished and the gridiron cooled, so that no warmth of the fire

which had been kindled remained in it. At this, raging

the Emperor Hadrian ordered a huge frying-pan

to be filled with oil, and while it boiled and overflowed, and on a frying-pan. he said to Eleutherius:

Have pity on your most noble youth, lest

you incur the wrath of the Gods and like a little fish ^d

be fried in that frying-pan. Laughing, Saint Eleutherius said,

Since you are curious about all things, I wonder how you

have not come to this, that three Hebrew boys

cast into a furnace of burning flame, whose height was

raised to forty-nine cubits, with hissing fuel

of pitch, resin, and faggots, cast into the midst

of this flame, singing rather than groaning,

continuing, walked about unharmed, because the Son

of God was walking in their midst, whom I worship,

whose humble servant and unworthy Priest I am,

who has never forsaken me from my youth ^e.

[7] When the tyrant solicited him to apostasy, Then the Emperor Hadrian... what would he do, O God,

concerning your servant Eleutherius? He was exulting, placed in the oil

of the frying-pan (for this power the Lord had given him in

the frying-pan, that the fire beneath should vomit flames,

and the oil remain most cold);

mocking therefore, the Emperor Hadrian said to Eleutherius,

Before you are cooked, promise to sacrifice

to the gods, and I will free you. Answering, Saint Eleutherius

said: This the gods bestow on you, which nature itself has

granted to those metals; for as they have eyes and see not,

so you also have remained blind and bereft; for the burning

brazen bed, and your gridiron, and your frying-pan, furnish me

only so much refreshment, that I could rather freeze

than burn. But your eyes, darkened by the gloom of unbelief,

he mocks: cannot see what is of God.

Open your eyes, Emperor, and consider

the true Emperor, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Do you not see how at his command the fire grows cold?

As in a cold fountain, so in the oil of your frying-pan

I do not grow warm. Therefore repent of

your cowardice, and weep now that you have not

worshiped the true God.

[8] At these things Hadrian was inflamed with such wrath

that it transferred him into distress and anxiety. Then

Corribon ^f the Prefect, seeing the Emperor distressed,

said to him; The Prefect of the city suggests that an oven be made Lord Emperor, from the East

to the West the whole world lies subject to your rule,

and all nations serve your command;

this one little boy in our sight despises

your kingdom. Let your majesty order him to be placed

in prison; I will order a brazen oven to be

made, with spikes and a cover; into which, when burning hot,

if he is thrust in and covered, he will not mock further.

But you, rise glad, and rest today;

on the morrow in the sight of all the Roman people,

in my amphitheater, you shall see a triumph over him.

Hearing this, Blessed Eleutherius said: Thus I believe, and

this is my faith, that he shall see a triumph over me, not

his own but my God Jesus Christ's.

[9] On the next day Corribon the Prefect, having invited

all the Roman people to the amphitheater, which Eleutherius contemns when set before him, ^g first

for the delight of the people had some beasts killed

by the hunters; about the third hour he had Eleutherius

brought in, and placed in his sight

was a great and glowing oven, and inside it was equipped

with iron spikes; and Corribon the Prefect

said to him: All nations venerate the majesty of our Lord

Hadrian Augustus; you alone, a youth,

are a proud despiser of his command; wherefore

either hear his command, and adore the gods and goddesses whom he worships,

or know that you are to be thrown into that oven. Saint

Eleutherius said: Hear, Prefect Corribon:

You have your King, who made you Prefect;

and I have my King, who made me a Bishop;

whichever of these two Kings shall have conquered, him

ought to be adored both by me and by you. For if

your oven conquers my faith, I shall rightly adore your

King; but if your oven is conquered by my King,

you shall adore my Lord Jesus Christ.

[10] Then the Emperor Hadrian ordered Saint Eleutherius

to be cast into the oven. and from it he comes out unharmed: Looking up

into heaven, Saint Eleutherius said: Our joy

and true light of all souls believing in you,

you know that all sufferings for your name

are sweet to me; but, so that you may show those contending

against you that all the elements are opposed to them, do not allow

me your servant to be consumed in this oven. When

he had said these things and had been cast into the oven, those iron

spikes, as though they had been wood, were so consumed, and

within all was made clear and most cold; and

round about the oven there flowed most cold water

for the refreshment of the Just man, and from the oven itself

he cried out saying: We have passed through fire and water,

and you have brought us into refreshment ^h.

[11] Which being seen, the Prefect is converted, Then Corribon the Prefect cried out with a loud

voice to the Emperor, saying: Most sacred Emperor,

let us believe this God, who so frees his worshipers.

For this man is a Priest of God; let us test the priest

of Jupiter or Juno or Hercules, and let us cast them

into such flames, and then let us see if the gods can free

them. Then the Emperor Hadrian said to Prefect

Corribon: he confesses Christ, Have you been bought for gold or silver by the mother

of this impious boy? I gave you the Prefecture

and power, that it might provide you wealth of gold and silver;

but greater if you wish, I will give you.

Then Corribon said: This honor given by you is temporal;

so long have I erred, as long as I could not

come to the truth. If you will persevere in contempt,

you shall see; but I from this hour believe Christ

to be God, and deny that any idols are gods; I assert

that he is the one God, whom Eleutherius

preaches, for he alone is the one who frees

his worshipers from many dangers.

[12] Then, Saint Eleutherius having been drawn away, he ordered Corribon

to be cast in, who said: Man of God, pray to your God, and coming out from the oven likewise unharmed, whom

today I have confessed to be the one true God; and give me

the sign, as you gave it to Count Felix, that I

may insult the Emperor Hadrian. While Saint Eleutherius prayed with

tears, Corribon was filled with the Holy Spirit;

and when he had been cast into the oven, so all

the fire vanished, that not even a sign of any

warmth remained there. But the Emperor seeing that

even Corribon conquered, he is beheaded, ordered him to be beheaded

in the sight of all; and Saint Eleutherius he ordered

to be cast again into the middle of the burning oven, and

covered above with a brazen covering. After about

two hours he ordered the oven to be opened. And Saint

Eleutherius was standing unconquered, in the bloom of first youth,

shining as an Angel, so that not even a hair of his head

had been burned by the fire. Then all the Roman

people gave glory to God, who had given such power

to those believing in him.

[13] The Emperor, saddened and most enraged,

that he had been conquered by a boy of God, Eleutherius, stronger from long fasting, laid aside his purple,

and, entering the palace raging, called together his

Counts to council, asking how

he might kill Eleutherius. And when Blessed

Eleutherius was in custody many days, taking no food,

a dove ⁱ brought him food to satiety.

Refreshed by these, he returned thanks to God, saying: I bless

you, Lord God, who have nourished me from my youth;

for you are he who fed Elias in the desert, and

sent a meal to Daniel placed among the lions;

and now, Lord, you have not deserted your servant, but

have satisfied me with heavenly food; I return praise to your name,

and bless your glory for ever and ever. He is bound to untamed horses to be dragged, Then

the Emperor Hadrian, seeing him made more beautiful,

when he had thought him to be failing ^k; ordered untamed

horses to be brought, and yoked to a chariot, in which

he had Blessed Eleutherius bound backwards, and ordered sharp

goads ^l to be made, by which the horses, struck from the chariot itself,

might more violently drag the chariot; and running through uncultivated

and rough places, might tear his delicate limbs apart.

[14] From which, loosed by an Angel, At that same hour the Angel of the Lord, taking up

Blessed Eleutherius, loosed him and made him sit

upon the chariot; the horses led him to a lofty mountain,

where there was a flowing spring and fruit-bearing trees.

And the grace of God accompanied him; for when he had ascended

the mountain, immediately the yokings of the horses were loosed,

and the horses themselves departed. Saint Eleutherius,

sitting on the mountain-top, was blessing

God. And there gathered to him all the beasts

of the woods, and with a certain affection stood around him;

lions lay like lambs, and bears lay like sheep, ^m

leopards joined themselves to him, and all kinds of beasts,

and with all gentleness touched his face;

there the lions thirsted for no prey, there no rage of bears

appeared, he has the beasts tame to him: where Christ had brought gentleness.

Therefore while these things were going on, ⁿ there came hunters

to capture beasts which were needed at that time for the games.

And seeing with their eyes Saint Eleutherius among

the beasts, they announced it to the Emperor; who immediately, sending

soldiers, ordered him to be brought to him. As they came,

the beasts made an attack upon them. The man of God, seeing

so great a battle being waged for his sake, said to all the beasts:

I adjure you by the name of the Lord Christ, that you

touch none of them, but each of you ascend

to its own place; at whose voice all the beasts went off

with all gentleness.

[15] He converts those sent to capture him: Opening his mouth, Saint Eleutherius began

to say to the soldiers: My little sons, behold the beasts recognize

God; how much more you, whom he made in his image

and likeness, ought to recognize your Creator,

and not believe sculpted stones and hewn wood to be gods,

and deny him who is in the heavens and has granted

life to you. You yourselves know that trusting in his name

I have escaped punishments. So also you, if you will believe

in him, not only will he himself love you, but also cherish

and direct and guide you to eternal glory.

Nevertheless, let us go our way to those from whom you have come.

Therefore as they descended, more than six hundred and

eight men were baptized, among whom were three Counts

of noble birth, who kissed his feet, saying

that he should withdraw wherever he wished. But he said: The Emperor

Hadrian will turn his wrath upon you, and upon your sons, and upon your

wives; but if I stand firm,

I shall both obtain my crown and not lose your

joy.

[16] The theatrical beasts let loose upon him, Then it was reported to the Emperor that Eleutherius

had been brought; and he ordered a game of beasts to be held,

and ordered him to be displayed in the middle. When first a lioness

was let loose, roaring fearfully, recognizing the man

of God, she ran to his feet and licked their soles.

And when all were stupefied seeing such wonders,

he ordered a huge lion to be sent upon him, at whose roaring

all the people were melting. The lion let loose

ran to Blessed Eleutherius, he has them obedient: and as a father seeing

his son after a long time, so in the presence of all wept

in his sight, and licked his hands

and feet. Then all the Roman people with various voices

cried out; some said he was guilty, others a worshiper

of God who had helped Peter and Paul against

Simon; and having contention among themselves

concerning unbelief they mangled one another [p].

[17] He insults the tyrant, Then the Emperor Hadrian, calling Saint Eleutherius

to him, said: How long do our gods act for you,

and you do not obey them? Then Saint Eleutherius, crying out

with a loud voice, said: Abomination of desolation,

murderous sword, and doom of eternal death, do you

dare to impute to demons what Christ has deigned

to bestow for the praise of his name, who has given me

the power for this, that he might lay low your opposing

power? For behold God will take from you

the kingdom which you have held unjustly, and will recall the punishments

which you have brought upon those trusting in Christ

to the torment of your soul. And the lead with which he was to be beaten being melted, Then you shall have fruitless

and vain repentance, because you did not believe

Christ, and did not place your power in his mercy.

Then the Emperor Hadrian ordered his mouth to be battered with

a mass of lead [q]. But when one of the ministers

took it up, the lead melted in his hand, and

his fingers burned. Then Hadrian was anxious, that he

could not attain the destruction of Blessed Eleutherius. Seeing

therefore Saint Eleutherius that no pain ruled in his body,

he feared, lest while he should feel no torment of martyrdom,

he might lose its fruit.

Then stretching out his hands, lifting his face to heaven,

he said: he prays God to crown his contest, Lord Jesus Christ, bestower of glory, governor

of the souls of those believing in you, Word begotten before

Lucifer from the Father, through whom all things were created;

I beseech, do not allow me today to go out from this stadium

without a crown; and saying these things, he made upon his whole body

the sign of the Cross [s].

[18] Then two executioners approached, and killed

him. Which being done, a loud voice was heard from heaven, and he himself is beheaded

louder than a trumpet, crying and saying, Come,

Eleutherius, servant of God; there is opened to you the gate of the city

which is in heaven, and the Angel of God stands awaiting you.

Trembling seized many hearing these things. and his mother. Then

Saint Antia his mother placed her face on the body of her son,

weeping and collecting his blood in linen cloths,

and for burial she made ready his body while it was unburied [t].

Then they were sent by the Emperor Hadrian,

who killed his mother also with the sword. The Emperor Hadrian,

seeing their bodies unburied, left them;

but holy men coming [u] by night carried off their bodies;

and together with a Bishop, named Primus,

they came from the city of Rome into the Rieti countryside, the bodies are buried near Rieti,

one mile from the city of Rieti itself, and

there they buried their bodies, in a little estate which belongs

to Bishop Primus [x], in the Rieti countryside, in a place called

Urbanianus, which is 41 miles from the city of Rome

near the city of Rieti, and which is on the Via Salaria.

In that very aforesaid place, where their bodies

were laid up, they built a church of Saints Eleutherius and his mother Antia,

in which the holy Martyrs work many

benefits. To this very day [y]

the sick come to their bodies and are healed,

the possessed come and are freed.

[19] The Acts are feigned as written by the saint's attendants. We two brothers... Eulogius and Theodulus

wrote this, who were ordained by him, and aided by his

exhortations always persevered with him;

and those things which our eyes have seen and our ears

have heard, we have made known; so that we who believe, and you who read, in your edification,

and those who hear, in their profit,

and in the merits of the Martyrs who are praised, may find mercy

with the Lord. Their natal day is to be celebrated on the 8th day

before the Kalends of December, [z]

our Lord Jesus Christ bestowing it, whose is

honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

NOTES.

[aa] Why these Apocryphal Acts are here Whoever

in our work has read more attentively the Lives published by contemporary writers

will not easily be deceived by this final clause, as to believing

the history of the passion, unfolded with poetic exposition and augmented by so many

theatrical circumstances, to have been written by eyewitness faith, or to have

altogether the appearance of history. It was nevertheless necessary to produce it here, lest

the more elegant and more modest account of the Passion described by Metaphrastes

should obtain firmer credit than this from which it was itself taken;

and that there too the Reader may know how to doubt discreetly. With the same design

we carefully transcribed the very prolix Greek lives of Saint Gregory the Armenian and Saint

Gregory of Agrigentum, this one for November 23, written under the name of Leontius Abbot

of Sabas; that one for the 30th day of September attributed to the contemporary Agathangelus,

both suspect of much fabulousness, so that when the source itself has been publicly exposed,

one may not drink too trustingly from the stream which Metaphrastes derived from it: and at other times to be given, a truly

great man, but whose only aim here was that those things which in certain Greek

churches, because of the rusticity or prolixity of the style, were not without disgust

to prudent men being read, should, condensed more briefly and neatly in his own style,

please less. Another aim in this work is proposed to us, namely, to penetrate

to the very foundations of any narration concerning the Saints, with as great

discrimination of true and false as can be obtained by study and meditation.

Which exercise, since it is perfected by use itself, it also happens that sometimes we judge

that in our preceding lucubrations some things were dissimulated

more indulgently than we would now do, if it were permitted to

call again to examination the Acts of Saint Martina (whom

the Greeks call Tatiana) of January 1, Saint Eudocia of March 1,

and a few others. That will be the care of our successors.

Now, before I proceed to render account of our censure

on the Acts of Saint Eleutherius premised, I would like, for a fuller

faith, to be established afterwards,

to compare these very ones, whatever they may be, with other

Acts indicated above, both in manuscripts in our possession and published

in Mombritius (they may be called Aecana, so far as they have been derived from

the Aecana church), and also with the Greek paraphrase of Metaphrastes.

Alexander Wilthem in the Diptych of Liège. But Silvius in the Laterculum attributes three mappas

to a single Consulship on the 7th day before the Ides of January, on the Ides themselves, and on the 13th day before the Kalends

of May. Therefore we abstain from further conjecture. Let it suffice to have said

that the images of the Consuls are found so made, that with the right hand raised they hold

Eleutherius was ordained Bishop, Metaphrastes names him Anicetus Archbishop of the

Roman Church. But he only entered the Pontificate in the 12th year after the death of

Hadrian; Octavius Cajetanus suspects Anacletus should be read; but we will show him to have

ceased to live more than 20 years before the beginnings of the same Hadrian.