ON THE HOLY MARTYRS OF PHILADELPHIA: CYRIL, AQUILA, PETER, DOMITIAN, RUFUS AND MENANDER.
From the Martyrologies.
CommentaryCyril, Martyr, at Philadelphia (S.)
Aquila, Martyr, at Philadelphia (S.)
Peter, Martyr, at Philadelphia (S.)
Domitian, Martyr, at Philadelphia (S.)
Rufus, Martyr, at Philadelphia (S.)
Menander, Martyr, at Philadelphia (S.)
J. B. S.
Plain enough is the announcement of the Little Roman in these words: At Philadelphia, of the martyrs Cyril, Aquila, Peter and others. A little more distinct is Ado's: In Arabia, in the city of Philadelphia, of the holy martyrs Cyril, What is here called a synod, Aquila, Peter, Domitian, Rufus, Menander, crowned on one day, which Usuard transcribed word for word, as we noted in our observations, the difficulty not being neglected, moved thence by Florentinius, because certain Hieronymian codices, which Notker followed, seem to speak so as to distinguish some synod of martyrs from those who are named in the title. Let us hear the text of Florentinius, with which the Corbie codex agrees well enough: In Arabia, in the city of Philadelphia, a synod of martyrs is celebrated. The birthday of the holy Cyril, Aquila, Peter, Domitian, Rufus, Minander, they were crowned on one day: whence Notker wished to speak a little more distinctly, in this manner: In Arabia, in the city of Philadelphia, a synod of martyrs is celebrated. In the same place the nativity of the holy martyrs Cyril, Aquila, Peter, Domitian, Rufus, Menander, crowned together on one day.
[2] Florentinius here asks what the synod of martyrs celebrated there signifies; it is a company of martyrs. yet so that he sticks in mere deliberation, the councils of Martyrs being adduced in vain for that matter, about which it was treated elsewhere: besides that in the most ancient Epternach the synod is wholly kept silent; not without another blunder of the writer, when the Saints are ascribed to Tomi, whom we have already shown should be attributed to Philadelphia. This knot, if he does not wholly loose it, at least he aptly cuts, the codex of the Queen of Sweden, when he opportunely joins both the synod and the martyrs, which, unless indeed I much err, is the very true sense of those Martyrologies, that they indicate a synod, or assembly, or gathering of the very Martyrs themselves, gloriously contending for Christ. The words of the said codex are: On the Kalends of August. At Philadelphia in Arabia, a synod
of the holy Martyrs is celebrated, of Cyril, Aquila, Peter, Domatian, Rufus, Menander, Posthumus, crowned on one day. Posthumus is superfluous, who perhaps was transferred from the following class of Roman Martyrs, and transmuted from Profunus into Posthumus. Certainly something must be granted to the codices, otherwise confused enough, and distorted by the carelessness of the amanuenses, as you will soon understand from another Roman band. To explain Philadelphia of Arabia, well enough known in Florentinius and elsewhere, I forbear.