Nice

ON SAINT NICE, MARTYR, AMONG THE GREEKS.

YEAR 303.

Nice, Martyr among the Greeks (St.)

G. H.

The printed Menaea mention this Heroine thus: "On the same day, 25 April, of the holy Martyr Nice, Celebrated on 25 April, who (as is said in the MS Chiflet Menaea) was slain by the sword." Now because νίκη means victory, in the accompanying distich reference is made to the meaning of this word, and to her, slain as Victory-bearer, the Remunerator of victory is said to give fair prizes of victory: which is thus expressed in Greek:

"Nikēs brabeia phaidra tē tetmēmenē Nikēs brabeus didōsin hōs Nikēphorō."

The memory of this holy Nice, who may also be called Victoria, and 24 April, is celebrated in the MS Greek Synaxarion of Paris of the Clermont College of the Society of Jesus, and in the double MS Greek of Turin of the Duke of Savoy, but on the preceding day 24 April, where she is joined to Saints Eusebius, Neon, Leontius, and Longinus Martyrs of Nicomedia, who converted to the faith of Christ by George the Great Martyr, there obtained the crown of martyrdom under the Emperor Diocletian in the year of Christ 303, which also seems to be said of this Saint Nice. The same under the name of Victoria is mentioned by Laherius in the Menology of Virgins, having prefaced that he received her notice from the greater Greek Menaea.