ON STS. PETER AND JULIAN OR JULIANA, ROMAN MARTYRS, AND EIGHTEEN COMPANIONS.
Third century.
CommentaryPeter, Martyr, at Rome (S.)
Julian or Juliana, Martyr, at Rome (S.)
J. B. S.
Most well known in all the Classic Martyrologies, as also in the Roman, are the two Martyrs marked here with eighteen anonymous companions, as we have explained at greater length in our Observation on Usuard for this day, having attempted to set forth a matter greatly entangled, as was then indeed permitted, referring the rest hither, if perchance more probable things should occur. But it has thus far been possible nowhere to explore these, since the Hieronymian transcripts pour out darkness rather than light — which Galesinius even increases, while he summons thence, if I am not mistaken, a certain Sophronius, who is to be assigned to Antioch, as we shall say below. Nor does Florentinius settle the matter by doubting, while he attempts to remove the twenty-six Roman Martyrs to Augusta. But be the number twenty, be it twenty-six, nothing remains but that we be compelled, with Ferrarius in the Catalogue of the Saints of Italy, to comprise everything in these very few words: Peter and Julian with eighteen others, seized at Rome in the persecution of the emperors Valerian and Gallienus, when they were unwilling to sacrifice to the idols, were variously tortured, and, since with unbroken spirit they retained the confession of the faith they had received, they attained to the palm of martyrdom. Tamayo is worthy of pity, while he most roundly asserts that a certain body translated into Spain from the Roman crypts under the name of Julian is that of this our Julian of today.