ON THE HOLY MARTYRS OF ANTIOCH SEBASTUS, ALEXANDER, AND PERHAPS EMERITA.
From the Hieronymian copies.
CommentarySebastus, martyr, at Antioch (St.)
Alexander, martyr, at Antioch (St.)
Emerita, martyr, at Antioch (St.)
BY J. P.
The Hieronymian Martyrology published by Florentinius has this: At Antioch, the birthday of the holy Sebastus, Alexander the abbot. The copies differ But in his notes he observes that of the Antiochene martyrs these two only are exhibited in his books; but that Emerita is added in the Corbie Martyrology, in this manner: VI Kal. Sept. At Antioch, the birthday of the holy Sebastus, Alexander, abbots. Of Emerita. Then the praised Florentinius subjoins this: That both the holy Martyrs of Antioch were abbots seems to be drawn from the entry adduced from the Corbie Martyrology; but the title of abbot is attributed to Alexander only in our books. From the announcement of the very ancient Antwerp copy he notices that none is given to them, reciting it thus: At Antioch, of Sabbatus and Alexander. To these copies cited by Florentinius may be added the shorter Corbie one, which is contained among the abridged Hieronymian Martyrologies published by us, and which likewise abstains from every title, reporting this: At Antioch, the birthday of the holy Sebastus, Alexander. In the same place, in the Labbe copy, Sebastus alone is set down without Alexander, yet joined with others, and without the place of the arena.
[2] Take now Florentinius's conjectures: From the name, he says, in announcing these Saints. of Sabbatius, it occurred to me to doubt whether the superadded title of abbot was fabricated. The dignity of abbot indeed seems to look to the later times of the persecutions, when monasteries had already been founded everywhere. Sebastius, Alexander, Sabbatius, and Emerita would be Antiochene martyrs, if the clearer credit of some ancient codex were added. Sabbatius, the companion of Trophimus, but crowned before him at Antioch in Pisidia, the Menology of Basil has at the day XVIII of September, and I should think him the very same. These things being thus set forth, first, we have above given to these two Saints the title of Martyrs; because, although this is not certainly established, yet they are commonly wont to be noted as Martyrs in the Hieronymian copies just cited. Secondly, we have omitted the appellation of abbots as doubtful, because the Hieronymian transcripts are so dislocated and corrupt. Thirdly, we have restricted Emerita by the adverb perhaps; since she occurs, as we have seen, in one copy only, and it may be the name of the arena of a martyrdom, belonging to another announcement, and wrongly thrust in here for the name of a Martyr. The title of abbots, however, and the name of Emerita are also in D'Achery, page 20, cited above. Fourthly, we have left the place, Antioch, in possession, marked as it is in several copies. You have, reader, these few things, of which I judged you should be warned.