ON STS. LEONIDES, FATHER OF ORIGEN, ALSO ARATOR, QUIRIACUS, BASILIA, Martyrs at Alexandria or elsewhere.
ABOUT THE YEAR 204.
CommentaryLeonides, father of Origen, Martyr, at Alexandria, or elsewhere (Saint)
Arator, Martyr, at Alexandria, or elsewhere (Saint)
Quiriacus, Martyr, at Alexandria, or elsewhere (Saint)
Basilia, Martyr, at Alexandria, or elsewhere (Saint)
By G. H.
[1] That ancient writer Eusebius Pamphili, already twice praised by us at the beginning of this day, begins the sixth book of his Ecclesiastical History from the persecution of the Emperor Severus with these words: "Moreover, when Severus had stirred up a persecution against the Churches, illustrious martyrdoms were accomplished by athletes contending for piety, indeed throughout all the Churches everywhere. Martyrdom of Saint Leonides from Eusebius, But especially at Alexandria they abounded, when from all Egypt and the Thebaid the choicest fighters were brought there, as though into a most ample stadium of God, and, having endured with unconquered mind every sort of torment and death, received immortal crowns from God. Among whom was Leonides, who is said to have been the father of Origen, beheaded, who left the aforesaid son as a young boy." So Eusebius, whom Nicephorus Callistus followed, and treating of this persecution of Severus in book 5 chapter 2, reports the following about Leonides: "At which time also Leonides, father of Origen, is said to have departed from life, having suffered martyrdom for the name of Christ; evidently slain by the sword, when he left his son as a very young boy." Georgius Syncellus in his Chronography, treating of the Empire of Severus, adds: "Leonides, father of Origen, when the persecution arose at Alexandria, ended his life in martyrdom." Finally, among the Greeks, there is Suidas, who in his Histories under the letter "O" the second, or omega, has this: "Origen had Leonides as father, Suidas, Bishop and Martyr: he flourished under the Emperor Severus." But about his episcopate there is elsewhere deep silence. So the Greeks, in whose calendars we have not yet found the name of Saint Leonides inserted.
[2] Saint Jerome, Among the Latins Saint Jerome in the book On Ecclesiastical Writers chapter 54 reports this: "Origen, also called Adamantius, in the tenth year of Severus Pertinax, when a persecution against Christians was stirred up, was left poor by his father Leonides, crowned by the martyrdom of Christ, with six brothers and a widowed mother, being about seventeen years old." The tenth year of Severus, when the persecution began, Rufinus and Peter de Natalibus. falls in the year of Christ 203. Rufinus, in book 6 of Ecclesiastical History chapter 1, and Peter de Natalibus, book 2 chapter 23, have a eulogy drawn from the preceding.
[3] In four apographs of the Hieronymian Martyrology the following is read with exactly the same tenor: "And elsewhere of Leonides, Arator, Quiriacus, Memory in the calendars of 4 Martyrs, Basilia": concerning which a doubt arises, whether
perhaps in place of this particle "and elsewhere" was not written "And Alex." which should be understood as "And at Alexandria": so that from this posterity took the occasion to ascribe the martyrdom of Saint Leonides, father of Origen, to this day. The name of Leonides, without place and companions, is inserted in the MSS. Martyrologies of Augsburg (St. Udalric) and the Parisian of Labbé. and of Leonides alone, Grevenus in the Auctarium of Usuard, printed in the years 1515 and 1521, has this: "Of Leonides Martyr, father of Origen." The same from the said Grevenus Molanus transcribed in the first edition of his Auctarium to Usuard; and Canisius in the German Martyrology. Galesinius in his Martyrology has this: "On this very day, of Saint Leonides Martyr. He was the father of Origen, distinguished by his most patient endurance of torments, at last punished with beheading for the glory of Christ." In the modern Roman Martyrology only this is noted: "At Alexandria, the birthday of Saint Leonides Martyr, who suffered under Severus." Then in the Notes it says he was the father of Origen. If any judge that another Leonides, different from the father of Origen, should be placed here with the three companions, we allow it, since we have used only a probable conjecture.
[4] Saint Leonides the Martyr, father of Origen, is celebrated on the 11th day, in the Martyrology of Richard Whitford, mention of him on February 2 and March 1. formerly printed in English at London: likewise on March 1 by Canisius and Felicius, and in the Brussels MS. of Saint Gudula, but with the deeds of this and of another Leonides, a martyr in the Thebaid, confused. On him we treated at length on January 28.