ON SS. NECTAVUS OR NECTARIUS AND PERHAPS SEVUS,
AT NEOCAESAREA IN PONTUS.
Notice of these Saints from the ancient Martyrologies.
Nectavus or Nectarius, at Neocaesarea in Pontus (S.)
Sevus, at Neocaesarea in Pontus (S.)
BY G. C.
Francesco Maria Florentini on this day, in the Hieronymian copies,
announces these Saints thus: The names of these Saints are expressed in the ancient Martyrologies; In Pontus, at Neocaesarea, the birthday of the holy Nectavus and Sevus. From the most ancient Antwerp transcript he reports the same Saints in these words: In the city of Neocaesarea, of Nectavis, Sævus. Then the praised editor of the Hieronymian Martyrology in his notes gives the following advice: IN PONTUS is added to distinguish it from the other city of Neocaesarea in Bithynia. In Pontus Polemoniacus of Cappadocia the city Neocaesarea belongs to Ptolemy, Ammianus, and Solinus. There the birthday of the holy Nectavus and Sevus was recalled, according to the manuscript books adduced, who nevertheless lie hidden in the other published Martyrologies. But after this annotation we still do not know whether they were martyrs or confessors. Nevertheless we suspect that they were crowned with the laurel of martyrdom, since ancient Martyrologies of this kind generally make mention of martyrs.
[2] Whatever may be the case with this uncertain martyrdom, in other copies of the Hieronymian Martyrology but the remaining things pertaining to them are unknown. only the first of these two Saints is commemorated. The Rheinau transcript, which we published in volume VI of June, part 2, thus has on this day: In Pontus, of Nectarius. With this agrees the Reichenau one there, which on the same day celebrates the memory of Nectareus alone in Pontus. But the Augsburg Martyrology from the Monastery of St. Ulrich, which was published in the same place after the two preceding, joins to the first Saint another as companion, and, the place of veneration or of martyrdom being omitted, thus announces these two Saints after St. Timothy: At Rome, of Timothy, Martial. Elsewhere, of Nectavus, Marianus. But in other Hieronymian transcripts in Florentini that Marianus is placed at Antioch under the name of Marinus, and perhaps through the dislocation of the columns crept in here into the Martyrology in place of Sevus. Since, however, that Sevus is omitted in certain Martyrologies and expressed in others, we have joined him to St. Nectavus or Nectarius with a mark of doubt. Moreover we cannot further illustrate those obscure announcements, since all antiquity and the other Martyrologists are silent about any more distinct knowledge of these Saints.