ON STS. THE ROMAN MARTYRS
CRESCENTIANUS, JUSTUS, AND PERHAPS SACHINTUS OR JACHINTUS.
From the Hieronymian Martyrologies.
CommentaryCrescentianus, Martyr, at Rome (St.)
Justus, Martyr, at Rome (St.)
Sachintus, Martyr, at Rome (St.)
BY THE AUTHOR J. B. S.
Concerning several holy martyrs under the name of Crescentianus, Hieronymian confusion treatment has already been made in our work on the XVII of March, the XXVII of May, the 1st and XIII of June, and likewise the 11th of July: others follow also in the Roman Martyrology, and it is not sufficiently clear whether he of whom the discussion is here is to be confounded with none of them — joined in some to Justus, in others to Justinus, whom also Sachintus, or Jachintus, follows, about whom nevertheless you may doubt whether he is the companion of those two; so great, namely, is the confusion of the Hieronymian codices on this day. Thus has the Florentinian text: At Rome on the Tiburtine Way in the cemetery, the birthday of holy Crescentianus and Justus. And the birthday of St. Sanchintus. Now compare the words of the Epternach codex: At Rome, of Crescentianus, Justinus, Quintus, Bartholomea. The Corbie codex comes fairly close to the former text, but substitutes women for men: At Rome on the Tiburtine Way, in the cemetery, the birthday of the holy martyrs Crescentiana and Justa. And the birthday of St. Secinthus. From the Gellone, Murbach, and other abridged codices, long ago published by us, help will be sought in vain, since there matters are more entangled: At Rome, of Laurence, Crescentianus, Jachintus, Justus, Sege, Bartholomew; diverse announcements being namely confounded into one.
[2] not easily explicable. Neither did Holstenius's annotations or other aids greatly help Florentinius, nor does even the least light shine upon us from elsewhere. In that perplexity, the announcement adduced in Florentinius from the codex of the Queen of Sweden seems preferable to the rest, in these words: At Rome on the Tiburtine Way, in the cemetery of St. Laurence the martyr, of Crescentianus and Justus, and the birthday of St. Sachintus — so that there at least the last seems to be subjoined to the former ones; which nevertheless I would not dare to assert for certain, since in Notker only two are marked, Crescentianus and Justus; which it would be permissible to confirm from the Vatican Usuardine codex marked number 5949, were it not that it entangles the matter with others, reading thus: At Rome, of the holy Crescentianus and Justus, and of St. Apollonius and his companions: by whom and whence that last clause was annexed, I do not at all understand. Nor will you find anything elsewhere which may be safely subjoined concerning either the date or the deeds of these Martyrs.