ON THE HOLY MARTYRS OF ALEXANDRIA,
CORONA VIRGIN, VICTOR, ZOTICA, FORTUNUS, DONATUS, FELIX, SECUNDUS, SATURNINUS, SILVANUS, ANOTHER SILVANUS, RUFINA, LIBERALIS, METURUS, TONITUS, FIRIANUS, BARACHUS, NABOR, FUSCINUS, MAVENTUS, SERANUS, FORTUNUS, DONATUS, FLORIANUS, THEON THE PRIEST, AND TWENTY-FOUR OTHERS.
CommentaryCorona Virgin, Martyr of Alexandria (St.)
Victor, Martyr of Alexandria (St.)
Zotica, Martyr of Alexandria (St.)
Fortunus, Martyr of Alexandria (St.)
Donatus, Martyr of Alexandria (St.)
Felix, Martyr of Alexandria (St.)
Secundus, Martyr of Alexandria (St.)
Saturninus, Martyr of Alexandria (St.)
Silvanus, Martyr of Alexandria (St.)
Another Silvanus, Martyr of Alexandria (St.)
Rufina, Martyr of Alexandria (St.)
Liberalis, Martyr of Alexandria (St.)
Meturus, Martyr of Alexandria (St.)
Tonitus, Martyr of Alexandria (St.)
Firianus, Martyr of Alexandria (St.)
Barachus, Martyr of Alexandria (St.)
Nabor, Martyr of Alexandria (St.)
Fuscinus, Martyr of Alexandria (St.)
Maventus, Martyr of Alexandria (St.)
Seranus, Martyr of Alexandria (St.)
Fortunus, Martyr of Alexandria (St.)
Another Donatus, Martyr of Alexandria (St.)
Florianus, Martyr of Alexandria (St.)
Theon the Priest, Martyr of Alexandria (St.)
Twenty-four others, Martyrs of Alexandria (SS.)
By G. H.
[1] Four copies of the Hieronymian Martyrology open April 24 with these Saints, in these words: "8th day before the Kalends of May. At Alexandria the birthday of Saints Corona Virgin, Memory in the Martyrology of St. Jerome, Victor, Zotica, Fortunus, Donatus, Felix, Secundus, Saturninus, Silvanus, also Silvanus, Rufina, Liberalis, Meturus, Tonitus, Firianus, Barachus, Nabor, Fuscinus, Maventus, Seranus, Fortunus, also Donatus, Florianus, Theon the Priest, and twenty-four others." The Reichenau and Rheinau manuscripts have only these: "At Alexandria of Theon and 24 others." Of some in others. Without the companions, however, in the manuscript codex of the Queen of Sweden, which Holstenius also used in his notes to the Roman Martyrology, it says: "At Alexandria of Theon the Priest," as though he made a separate troop from the rest of the martyrs, although all in the same city of Alexandria were crowned. Of the rest, Corona the Virgin alone is celebrated in the Vatican manuscript of the church of Saint Peter, the Altempsian manuscript, and others. Corona and Victor in the Aachen manuscript. But Corona the Virgin, Victor, and Zoticus in the Barberini manuscript and the Trier manuscript of Saint Maximin. By Notker are brought forth Victor and Zoticus with very many others. In the Augsburg manuscript of Saint Ulrich and the Paris manuscript of Labbaeus, Victor, Corona, Donatus, Theon, and Faustinus are indicated. In the Prague manuscript, Corona the Virgin, Victor, Zoticus, Faustinus. The one who in these is written as Zoticus in the fourth place is called Zotica in the four copies of the Hieronymian Martyrology; in which for Silvanus, Tonitus, Firianus, Maventus, Seranus, there are also read the names Silvianus, Comes and Tumninus, Tibirianus, Naventus and Muentus, Saranus and Serarius.
[2] On the preceding day of this one, that is, April 23, in the said four copies of the Hieronymian Martyrology, these things are read: Corona on April 23, "At Alexandria of Corona"; and "Martyr" is added by Notker, who omitted her on this day, as though he thought the same one was being repeated. On that day, meanwhile, in the Martyrology of Florus, there are commemorated Saints Victor and Corona, who suffered in Egypt under the Prince Antoninus: as also Victor and Corona, "of whom Victor, after other torments, was flayed and beheaded, while Corona, being tied to two trees, was torn asunder." The same two are inscribed in the Martyrologies of Rabanus, to be celebrated on May 14, Usuard, Ado, and others on May 14, indeed also in the Martyrology of Saint Jerome, but assigned to Syria. The same Saints Victor, Corona and 20 other Martyrs are again commemorated on February 20, where we treated of them. Again, on April 26, likewise on 26 and 25 April. Saints Victor and Corona are proposed in the Calendar of the Ambrosian Missal, whom we relegate here as to the nearest day, as also Corona the Virgin, whom Maurolycus inserted into his Martyrology on April 25.
[3] The same repeated. The same are repeated near the end in the Epternach copy of the Hieronymian Martyrology, but better are lacking in the other three copies. There is small, and scarcely any significant, difference in spelling. In the Epternach it ends with Florus, who in others is Florianus; and Theonas the Priest and the other twenty-four are lacking, whom we noted could perhaps constitute a separate troop.
[4] St. Corona Virgin listed without mention of martyrdom, On the same day the birthday of Saint Corona the Virgin, without the title and place of martyrdom, is recorded in the later edition of Bellinus, augmented from elsewhere, at Paris in the year 1521. Molanus, Canisius, Ferrarius, Galesinius have followed; and this last cites a Martyrology of the monks of the Benedictine Order. Hence Arnold Wion calls her a Nun, and inscribes her in his Monastic Martyrology. Dorganius and Menardus soon followed. We too have a Martyrology of the Order of Saint Benedict, printed together with the Rule in folio, and assigned to the Benedictines, without year and place of printing, as used to be done at the beginning of printing. In this Martyrology there are contained on this April 24: "Saint Alexander, Martyr, at Lyons under Antoninus Verus, and 34 who suffered with him. Also Mellitus, Bishop and Confessor." Why could not Saint Corona the Virgin have been inscribed in a similar Martyrology, although she suffered under the pagan Emperors? Wion admits it is not clear at what time she lived, nor indeed in what place. Tamayus-Salazar wants to indicate this, when under this day he writes these things: "At Illici in Hither Spain, Blessed Corona,
Virgin, an alumna of the Order of Saint Benedict, as also of Spain, who, while she was occupied in all good works and shone by innumerable miracles both in life and after death, being honored thereafter by a solemn gathering, deserved the last veneration of worship and the reverence of the peoples in the registers of Spain." So Tamayus, having appended the letter D, as though he were about to render an account of what he said in the Notes — but he covers all in silence, which we do not find done elsewhere by him. We await therefore these Notes, that we may proceed securely. In the meantime, Bucelinus in the Benedictine Menologion and Arturus du Monstier in the Sacred Gynaeceum copy Tamayus.