ON THE HOLY ROMAN MARTYRS HERMAS, SERAPION, AND POLYAENUS,
A collection concerning their cult and martyrdom.
Hermas, M., at Rome (St.)
Serapion, M., at Rome (St.)
Polyaenus, M., at Rome (St.)
J. P.
Since these Martyrs are inscribed in the Greek and Latin calendars, They are announced we shall divide into two parts the announcements drawn from both, and shall first set down the Greek. The great printed Menaea record them thus on this day: Μνήμη τῶν ἁγίων μαρτύρων Ἑρμοῦ, Σεραπίωνος καὶ Πολυαίνου. That is: The memory of the holy martyrs Hermas, Serapion, and Polyaenus. Then they honor each with two verses. Those which are sung to Hermas run thus:
Ἑρμῷ βιαίως καὶ πέτραις συρομένῳ Ὑπῆρξε πέτρα προσφυγὴ λαγῷ πόλος.
When Hermas violently over the rocks was dragged, The rock of heaven was refuge to that hunted hare.
But the two following verses are fitted to St. Serapion:
Τὸν ἐκ πέτρας πάνδεινον ἑλκυσμὸν φέρει Καὶ Σεραπίων, ὁ πλέον στεῤῥὸς πέτρας.
Dragged from the rock, where you endure a savage death, Stronger than rock, Serapion, you prove yourself.
There remain these two last in praise of St. Polyaenus:
Ὁ Πολύαινος αἷμα χεῖ συρεὶς πέτρας Ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ χέαντος ἐκ πέτρας ὕδωρ.
Torn on the rock, Polyaenus, you pour out your blood For Christ, who out of the rock poured water forth.
[2] The Martyrs In the first distich the poet alludes to that verse of Psalm 103, verse 18: The rock is a refuge for the hedgehogs. Which, in the Greek-Latin Old Testament published according to the Seventy interpreters by the authority of Pope Sixtus V, volume 2 of the Paris printing of the year 1628, is rendered into Latin in the same way; but in the Greek text, page 130, it is: Πέτρα καταφυγὴ τοῖς χοιρογρυλλίοις. And upon the word herinaceis, τοῖς χοιρογρυλλίοις, this is noted at page 132: In which manner all the interpreters translated it, as St. Jerome testifies in his letter to Sunia, except the LXX, who said λαγωοῖς, HARES; which also is found in many codices. St. Augustine, and the old version, have both: The rock is a refuge for hedgehogs and hares. The distich which we have given in the second place needs no explanation. But what is said in the third distich of Christ, who poured water from the rock, either understand of Christ as God, and according to that of Psalm 77, verse 16: And He brought water out of the rock; and verse 20 in the same place: Because He struck the rock, and the waters flowed; or understand it also of Christ as man: for since He was a rock, according to that of 1 Corinthians 10, verse 4, And the rock was Christ; and 1 Peter 2, verse 8: The stone which the builders rejected, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a ROCK of offense; water came forth from this rock, that is, from the most sacred side of Christ, as it stands in John, chapter 19, verse 34: One of the soldiers opened His side with a lance, and immediately there came forth blood and water.
[3] The Menology of Sirletus also marks and praises our Martyrs in these words: in the Greek calendars. On the same day (the XVIII of August), the commemoration of the holy martyrs Hermas, Serapion, and Polyaenus, who were of the city of Rome, and, being accused of worshiping Christ and of execrating the idols, were brought before the governor of Rome, and, having freely confessed Christ Himself, were first shut in a dark and foul-smelling prison, and, being led out thence and not suffering themselves to sacrifice to the idols, were dragged through very narrow, difficult, and rocky places, and meanwhile commended their souls to God. With these the great Menaea published in print agree. I find an imperfect announcement on the same day in our transcript of Chifflet's Menaeon: Σεραπίωνος καὶ … Of Serapion and … Our Greek copy transcribed from a codex of the Imperial library of Vienna is singular in this, that it notes them on the XIX day of this month. For it has this: Μηνὶ Αὐγούστῳ ιθ᾽ τῶν ἁγίων μαρτύρων Ἑρμοῦ, Σεραπίωνος καὶ Πολυαίνου. But the elogium or compendium of the martyrdom which is there subjoined nearly coincides with that of Sirletus and with the printed Menaea, and records thus:
[4] Οὗτοι οἱ ἅγιοι Μάρτυρες γεγόνασιν ἐν Ῥώμῃ· διαβάλλονται δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν ἀπίστων ὡς Χριστιανοί. A compendium of the martyrdom Συλληφθέντες οὖν ὑπὸ στρατιωτῶν, παρέστησαν τῷ ἐπάρχῳ τῆς Ῥώμης, καὶ ἐρωτηθέντες, ὡμολόγησαν ἑαυτοὺς Χριστιανοὺς καὶ δούλους Χριστοῦ. Διὸ προστάσσονται ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐπάρχου βληθῆναι ἐν φυλακῇ σκοτεινῇ καὶ δυσώδει. Καθειρχθέντων δὲ αὐτῶν, ὕμνουν τὸν Θεὸν καὶ εὐλόγουν, ἀγαλλιώμενοι ἐν τῇ αὐτῶν ὁμολογίᾳ. Μετὰ δὲ τοῦτο ἐκβληθέντες τῆς φυλακῆς παρέστησαν τῷ ἐπάρχῳ· ἀναγκασθέντες δὲ ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ θῦσαι τοῖς εἰδώλοις, οὐκ εἶξαν, οὐδὲ ἐκάμφθησαν τὸν νοῦν, τοῖς προσοχθίσμασι τῶν ἐθνῶν προσκυνῆσαι. Ἀλλὰ τρανέστατα τὴν πίστιν τὴν εἰς Πατέρα, καὶ Υἱὸν, καὶ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα ἐκήρυξαν, καταρώμενοι τὰ εἴδωλα καὶ τοὺς προσκυνοῦντας αὐτά. Τότε ἐκέλευσεν ὁ ἔπαρχος συρῆναι αὐτοὺς ἐν τραχέσι καὶ πετρώδεσι τόποις· οἵτινες ἐν τῷ σύρεσθαι ἐτελειώθησαν, πληρώσαντες τὴν καλὴν αὐτῶν ὁμολογίαν. Τὰ δὲ λείψανα αὐτῶν ἄνδρες εὐλαβεῖς ἐν ἐπισήμῳ τόπῳ ἐν τιμῇ πρεπούσῃ κατέθεντο· ὧν ταῖς εὐχαῖς καὶ πρεσβείαις, Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς, σῶσον ἡμᾶς, ὡς ἀγαθὸς καὶ φιλάνθρωπος, ὅτι εὐλογητὸς ὑπάρχεις εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. Which I thus render into Latin:
[5] here rendered from the Greek. These holy Martyrs were born at Rome. But they are accused by the unbelievers of being Christians. Being therefore seized by soldiers, they are set before the governor of Rome, and, being questioned, confessed themselves to be Christians and servants of Christ. Wherefore they are ordered by the governor to be thrust into a dark and stinking prison: in which, being shut up, they praised and blessed God, exulting in their confession. Then, being cast out of custody, they appeared before the governor: by whom, when they were compelled to sacrifice to the idols, they did not consent, nor was their mind bent to adore the images of the gentiles. But most plainly they preached the faith which is in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, execrating the idols and their worshipers. Then the governor ordered them to be dragged through rough and rocky places. And these, dying while they were dragged, fulfilled their excellent confession. But religious men laid their bodies in a notable place with becoming honor: by whose prayers and intercessions, O Lord God, save us, who art assuredly good and kind; for thou art blessed unto the ages of ages. Amen. But the codex from which these things were drawn has been more fully described by us on the VIII day of August, in volume II of that month, page 344, numbers 8 and 9. Lambeck also may be consulted, book 8 of the Commentaries on the Imperial Library of Vienna, page 201. These are the things which we have thought fit to note from the Greek hagiologists; and from the Latin, these.
[6] Their cult in the Roman Martyrology, etc. Galesinius has them on this day, on which likewise the Roman Martyrology prescribes that they be honored with public cult throughout the universal Church, announcing their yearly memory thus: In the same place (namely at Rome), of the holy martyrs Hermas, Serapion, and Polyaenus, who, being dragged through narrow, stony, and rough places, gave up their souls to God. At what time, or under what emperor or governor, they consummated their martyrdom, is unknown to us. Ferrari also on the same day wove them into his Catalogue of the Saints of Italy, adding in a note: Henry Canisius reports the Greek monuments concerning the passion of these Martyrs in volume 2 of the Ancient Readings; but in them there is no mention either of the time or of the emperor under whom they suffered.