ON THE HOLY VIRGIN MARTYRS
BASSA, PAULA, AND AGATHONICA,
AT CARTHAGE.
From the same Roman Martyrology.
CommentaryBassa, V. M., at Carthage in Africa (St.)
Paula, V. M., at Carthage in Africa (St.)
Agathonica, V. M., at Carthage in Africa (St.)
J. B. S.
Here the curious reader has a certain singular announcement inserted by Baronius into today's Roman Martyrology of the second edition, plainly unknown to all the ancient sacred Calendars, whence he received which no one, so far as I know, has hitherto been able to discover; and I am compelled candidly to confess that, though I have employed all possible diligence, I have not found even a trace of these Carthaginian Virgins. Just as little do I understand what the Most Eminent man meant by the aforesaid ancient manuscripts which he cites, since none are mentioned in his notes on that day. But of whatever sort they may be judged, this certainly is altogether to be wondered at, that not even in the Carthaginian Calendar itself is any mention made of three so illustrious native Virgins and Martyrs, nor can any monuments anywhere be found of their deeds, their age, the year or day of their martyrdom, or finally of any tradition of their cult. Nor yet do I presume to reject the announcement itself, as being already in a certain manner approved by the Church, relying on Baronius' sincerity.
Another authority would be added if the fabrications of Flavius Lucius Dexter and of his commentator Bivar, and then of Tamayo, could contribute anything here, when with their usual credit they record that at Carthago Spartaria, under Dacianus, the aforesaid three Virgins obtained a double laurel. Somewhat more would be favored by the animadversions of our Ottavio Caietano, among the Sicilian Lives, on the Translation of St. Agrippina into Sicily, had not Papebroch long since shown how much all these things are worth at the day XXIII of June, volume IV, from page 464, where that whole history is so weighed that no help whatever seems able to be brought from it. Let these things be said in order that it may be the more manifestly clear that nothing has been neglected by us concerning the aforesaid announcement. The very names indeed are expressed in the said history of the Translation, but who brought them to Carthage in Africa I do not yet understand: much less how they came to New Carthage in Spain.