ON SS. GLYCERIUS, DONATUS, AND THERINUS, MARTYRS AMONG THE GREEKS.
YEAR 303
CommentaryGlycerius, Martyr, among the Greeks (S.) Donatus, Martyr, among the Greeks (S.) Therinus, Martyr, among the Greeks (S.)
G. H.
[1] The Greek Menaea suggest these Martyrs also to us, and transmit that S. Glycerius was a farmer, and celebrate him with this distich:
Λαιμὸν δὸν ὡς γῆν, ὡς σὕνην σὲ τὴν σπαθην, Γεωργὲ Γλυκέριε, προοςφόρως κρίνω. Memory of S. Glycerius,
Farmer Glycerius, I rightly reckon thy throat To be like the earth, thy sword to be a ploughshare.
[2] The same Menaea have these verses about the other two:
Ξίφει Θερινὲ συνθεριθεὶς Δονάτῳ, Ἄμφω θεοῦ γίνεσθε δράγματα ξένα
By the sword, Therinus, thou wast reaped with Donatus; and SS. Therinus and Donatus, Both of you were made as new sheaves for the Lord.
An allusion was made to the name Therinus, which means reaper or reaping. Their memory is also found with Maximus Bishop of Cythera.
[3] About S. Glycerius converted to the faith of Christ by S. George all the Acts and Encomia of S. George make mention: by name however S. Andrew of Crete, celebrating the same as freed from the foolish superstition of idols; Three were converted by S. George: adding that S. George by his labor brought salvation to very many others: among whom we judge to have been SS. Donatus and Therinus, as also on the following day SS. Eusebius, Neon, Leontius, Longinus, and four others, whom the Menology of the Emperor Basil and the Menaea similarly transmit as converted by S. George, nay also the Ms. Greek Synaxary, which belongs to the Collegium Claromontanum of the Society of Jesus at Paris, in which to the said Martyrs converted by S. George are joined here the reported Donatus and Therinus, as also in a double Ms. of Turin of the Duke of Savoy. We give the words of all on the following day April 24: but as we said there, from that day they seem to have been transferred from May 6, because these ought to be said to be different from those, as they were pierced through with weapons together with other Companions.