ON SS. ROBUSTIANUS AND MARCUS, MARTYRS.
Their cult, from the Roman Martyrology; whether there were more than one Robustianus.
Robustianus, martyr (St.)
Marcus, martyr (St.)
J. P.
The things which pertain to these two Martyrs lie hidden in great obscurity, They are announced by various hagiologists and by the Roman Martyrology: if you except their public cult, which I should rather wish to believe that they had from the most ancient times than undertake to prove, since I know of no ancient Martyrologies from which I might establish this. The more recent, however, announce them on this day. Bellini has this: Likewise, of the holy martyrs Robustianus and Marcus; Molanus, Maurolycus, and Canisius reporting them in the same manner, and Galesinius supplying no fuller knowledge of them: On the same day, of the holy martyrs Robustianus and Marcus. But their public veneration is prescribed to be observed in the Roman Martyrology, which reports them as Bellini does, no mention of place being added by any of these hagiologists. Ferrarius, however, in the Index to his Catalogue of the Saints of Italy, under the letter R, writes this: Robustianus and Marcus, martyrs, in Sard. (that is, Sardinia), XXXI August; but on what authority he marks them in that place, I do not know. That these two Martyrs pertain to the church of Milan I gather from the cult which the Missals of that church, printed in the years 1522 and 1560, attribute to them on this same day, as also the Breviary of the year 1539, although in the later Breviaries they are omitted. But if they suffered in Sardinia, one may believe that some of their relics were formerly translated to Milan, and that therefore they were honored there.
[2] In the Praetermissi on the XXIV day of May we set forth the difficulty as to whether there was one or two martyrs named Robustianus at Milan. we admit no Robustianus at Milan We pointed out that one is inscribed in the modern Roman Martyrology on that day on the credit of Galesinius alone, who alleges the Annals of Milan; and that Baronius, finding no such annals, preferred to allege in his notes the records of the church of Milan, which can be none other than the Calendars prefixed to the ancient Missals and Breviaries; but that these make no mention of this Martyr on the XXIV of May, and have the names of the holy Martyrs Marcus and Robustianus on this XXXI day of August. It therefore seemed good to us at that time not to distinguish two men named Robustianus within the same city, until a surer authority should shine upon us. These things were proposed there long ago, no authority having been found by me in the meantime among our manuscript documents which might persuade us of those two men named Robustianus. We therefore acquiesce in the present day's announcement. But what of the Martyr of the same name? Ferrarius, on the XXVIII day of February in the said Catalogue, treating of the translation of St. Augustine from Sardinia to the city of Pavia, notes that together with his body the bodies also of the holy Martyrs Robustianus, Cisellus, and Luxorius were translated, and this, he says, the marble inscriptions in the aforesaid basilica of St. Peter in Ciel d'Oro, and the ancient monuments, attest.
[3] besides the one of this day. Of the body of St. Augustine translated to Pavia we have treated in this volume on the XXVIII day of August, page 363 and following; but of Luxorius, Cisellus, and Camerinus, martyrs, on the XXI day of the same month,
where on page 415 it was said that the people of Pisa, of Pavia, and of Sardinia claim their bodies for themselves; among which Gualla, in the Sanctuary of Pavia there cited, will have it that the bodies of Robustianus and Marcus were placed among the people of Pavia by Liutprand, king of the Lombards. But to which of the rival parties the better possession belongs we then left undecided; nor have I now sufficient reason for asserting that two men named Robustianus ought to be admitted, one among the Milanese, the other among the people of Pavia, and that the Robustianus who on this day is announced with Marcus in the Roman Martyrology without a place is distinct from the one of the same name at Pavia in Ferrarius on the XXVIII day of February.