Martyrs Diogenes

ON THE HOLY MARTYRS

DIOGENES AND STEPHEN, AND PERHAPS ALBINUS,

AT ROME.

From the Martyrologies.

Diogenes, Martyr, at Rome (S.)

Stephen, Martyr, at Rome (S.)

Albinus, Martyr, at Rome (S.)

P. B.

These two Martyrs, otherwise altogether unknown, various Martyrologies present to us on this day, and most indeed as having suffered together at Rome: for so the Hieronymian copies in Florentinius have it—the Lucca codex: At Rome, the birthday of the holy ones Diogenes, Stephen: the Swedish: At Rome, the birthday of Sts. Diogenes and Stephen: the Corbie: At Rome, the birthday of Sts. Erogenes (corruptly, I suppose) and Stephen, martyrs. But among the abridged copies of the same Martyrology, published by us, the Augsburg and the Labbean join the same, but without the position or place of martyrdom, of which the former has, for Diogenes, "Droigenes," and both add Albinus, I know not who. The supplements of Bede and Florus too, according to the Vatican, Arras, and Tournai codices, agree: the first in these words: At Rome, of St. Diogenes, Stephen; and the latter two: At Rome, the birthday of Sts. Diogenes and Stephen. This announcement Notker and Maurolycus confirm in their Martyrologies. This concord of so many ancient monuments scarcely permits us to doubt that both these Martyrs contended in the same place and time: although there are not lacking those which omit either both or one, or join Diogenes without Stephen to other Martyrs. Both are passed over by the Epternach codex: for the beginning of its list for today, "At Antioch, of Stephen," which is read also in the Rheinau codex, seems either corrupted, or, as Florentinius judges, wrongly transferred by a yawning copyist from the table of the preceding day (which often happens) to today's; nor indeed does it pertain to this our Stephen, but to the protomartyr, no otherwise than that which the Reichenau apograph reports, "At Ancona, of Stephen." Diogenes alone the Blume codex in Florentinius has, but wrongly written "Dragens"; likewise the Auxerre codex in Martène; and among the Bedan supplements the copy of St. Cyriacus, naming "Drogentus"; and among the Usuardine, the Vatican. Finally, Diogenes without Stephen, joined to others, the Rheinau and Reichenau thus present: At Rome, of Diogenes, Justinus, Crescentio. But these companions belong not here, but to the list of the following day; as you may see in Florentinius.