ON THE HOLY MARTYRS OF EMESA: SILVANUS THE BISHOP, LUCAS THE DEACON, AND MUCIUS, OR MOCIUS, THE LECTOR,
A.D. 312.
HISTORICAL COMMENTARY.
Silvanus, Bishop and Martyr, at Emesa in Phoenicia (Saint) Lucas, Deacon and Martyr, at Emesa in Phoenicia (Saint) Mucius, Lector and Martyr, at Emesa in Phoenicia (Saint)
J. B.
[1] At Emesa, in Phoenicia of Lebanon, St. Silvanus was Bishop, and gloriously completed his martyrdom together with Lucas the Deacon and Mucius, or Mocius, the Lector, under Maximinus Galerius Caesar, Silvanus, Bishop of Emesa, the nephew of the Emperor Maximian Armentarius. Caesar Baronius, by the authority of Pope Gregory XIII, was the first to inscribe his name in the Roman Martyrology on the 8th day before the Ides of February, in these words: February 6. At Emesa in Phoenicia, of St. Silvanus, Bishop, who, having presided over that Church for forty years, was cast to the beasts under the Emperor Maximinus together with others, under Maximinus Galerius, and, torn limb from limb, received the palm of martyrdom. The recent edition of the Martyrology, revised by the authority of Urban VIII, records that they were slain under Maximian. We shall show below from Eusebius that this appears rather to have occurred under Maximinus. The Greeks refer it to the time of Numerian, not under Numerian: erroneously; although Silvanus had administered that Church under the rule of Numerian, from the early years of Aurelian's reign onward.
[2] Baronius cites the Menologion of the Greeks, which adds Lucas and Mocius: On the same day, he says, of the holy Martyr Silvanus the Bishop, together with Lucas and Mucius, Lucas the Deacon, and Mocius the Lector, who suffered martyrdom in the reign of the Emperor Numerian, from the region of the Emesenes. Galesinius also says: At Emesa in Phoenicia, of the holy Martyrs Silvanus the Bishop, Lucas the Deacon, and Mocius the Lector. These, in the reign of the Emperor Numerian, since they openly preached the faith of Christ Jesus, were led bound by the worshippers of idols to the Governor of the city; who, having observed their heavenly constancy, first cruelly tortured them and then ordered them to be thrown to the beasts; thrown to the beasts; killed at length by the bites of these animals, they went to their reward in heaven while praying to God in holiness.
[3] The Menaea celebrate them at January 29 with a more extensive eulogy, which we shall give presently. or on January 29: Below also, at February 20, St. Silvanus is mentioned in many Martyrologies, and is said to have encouraged the Martyrs of Tyre, who were crowned in the year 304, to steadfastness, together with St. Tyrannio, Bishop of Tyre, and others. praised on February 20.
[4] Eusebius, book 8 of the Ecclesiastical History, chapter 25, enumerating the more illustrious Martyrs who obtained the palm around the eighth year of the persecution of Diocletian — that is, the year of Christ 310 — also names Silvanus: and listed among those who suffered under Galerius Maximian: Of the Martyrs of Phoenicia, he says, by far the most illustrious and altogether most holy, the shepherds of the rational flock of Christ, were Tyrannio the Bishop... Silvanus also, the Bishop of the Churches that were at Emesa. In the Greek it reads: "Bishop of the Churches about Emesa," because he was Bishop not of one city alone but of the entire diocese of the Emesenes. Eusebius continues: But he, having been made food for beasts together with others in the city of Emesa itself, was enrolled in the choirs of the Martyrs. Nicephorus Callistus, book 7, chapter 16, has the same, where he says that Silvanus was "the most excellent Bishop of the Church of Emesa." Rufinus also, book 8, chapter 14: And Silvanus, Bishop of the Church of the Emesenes, who in his own city was consumed by the bites of beasts and was joined to the choirs of the Martyrs.
[5] Yet this did not happen at that time; but after the persecution had first been suppressed, he was not killed then. even by the edict of Galerius Maximian Armentarius, Maximinus Galerius Caesar after six months revived it again — not indeed by a new edict, but by secretly inducing the governors of cities and provinces to rage against the Christians; but when the persecution was renewed by Maximinus, which Eusebius recounts at length and clearly, book 9, chapters 2 and following; likewise Nicephorus, book 7, chapters 25 and following, and Rufinus, book 9, chapter 2 — so that it is remarkable that Baronius, volume 3, at the year 311, number 48, should deny that these things were written by Eusebius, claiming they were added by another. Thus Eusebius writes of the death of St. Silvanus, book 9, chapter 5: Against us again exiles and cruel persecutions are stirred up; the bitter tumults of the governors in charge of each province are raised again against us — to such a degree that some of those who were greatly distinguished in the propagation of the word of God were suddenly seized and received an inevitable sentence of death. Of these, three in the city of Emesa in Phoenicia, since they freely professed themselves Christians, were cast to the beasts to be devoured; one of whom was Silvanus the Bishop, very advanced in age, very old, who had served in the priesthood for forty years. Nicephorus has the same, book 7, chapter 27.
[6] But Rufinus, book 9, chapter 6, translates these things thus: Again the flight of our people, again persecution and punishments are renewed. The judges of the provinces, as though offering something pleasing to the Emperor by this, rage against our people more savagely. Therefore, at Tyre, a city of Phoenicia, three young men were seized, and since they professed themselves to be Christians, they were subjected to beasts. With them also Silvanus the Bishop, who had served in the priesthood for forty years, at Emesa, not at Tyre. a man venerable both for his gentleness of spirit and for his old age. So Rufinus. But Eusebius, who was present at the time when these things were happening and had attended the contest of the Martyrs of Tyre eight years earlier, expressly says that there were three, and that among them was Silvanus, and that they suffered at Emesa.
ACTS FROM THE GREEK MENAEA.
Silvanus, Bishop and Martyr, at Emesa in Phoenicia (Saint) Lucas, Deacon and Martyr, at Emesa in Phoenicia (Saint) Mucius, Lector and Martyr, at Emesa in Phoenicia (Saint)
Silvanus, Lucas, and a Mocius offered their bodies to torments, their souls to God.
b In the reign of Numerian, a persecution was stirred up against the Christians. A report was made to the Governor of the city of the Emesenes the Saints are seized, concerning our holy father Silvanus, Bishop of the same city. The Saint was immediately seized, and with him Lucas the Deacon and Mocius the Lector; and all were led bound before the Governor. After carefully examining them and hearing them confess Christ alone as the true God and execrate the idols and those who worshipped them, since he could not soften them with blandishments, he was seized with great anger and driven to fury, and beat them savagely with whips, and then cast them into prison and tortured them with prolonged starvation. Afterwards, interrogating them repeatedly over many days, he ordered them to be scourged, restrained with chains, emaciated by hunger and thirst, and finally thrown to the beasts. [after various torments, they are thrown to the beasts, and untouched by them, they die.] Brought forth into the arena, with various beasts now set loose against them, they prayed that they might finish their contest there. God, immediately hearing the prayers of his servants, received their souls. But the beasts, showing reverence for their bodies, withdrew without touching them at all. Then when night fell, certain Christians secretly took away their relics and buried them with great care, giving thanks to God.
Annotationsa Mocius (also spelled Mokios) is also the name used by the Greeks for the St. Mucius who is venerated by the Latins on May 13 as St. Mucius, Priest and Martyr. But Plutarch and others call the Roman Mucii "Moukioi."
b As we noted above, these Martyrs were killed not under Numerian (who ruled for a short time with his father Carus and was struck down by the treachery of his father-in-law Aper some months after Carus's death, in the year 284) but under Maximinus Galerius Caesar, in the year of Christ 312.