ON THE HOLY ALEXANDRIAN MARTYRS MODESTUS AND AMMONIUS, INFANTS, ZOTICUS, CYRIACUS, AND SIMPLICIUS.
CommentaryModestus, infant, Martyr, at Alexandria (Saint) Ammonius, infant, Martyr, at Alexandria (Saint) Zoticus, Martyr, at Alexandria (Saint) Cyriacus, Martyr, at Alexandria (Saint) Simplicius, Martyr, at Alexandria (Saint)
I. B.
That the martyrdom of the infants Modestus and Ammonius occurred at Alexandria on the day before the Ides of February is noted by Usuard, Modestus and Ammonius, Martyrs. the published Bede, Rabanus, Ado, Notker, Bellinus, Maurolycus, Galesin, and the Roman Martyrology, and others. In some, Ammon appears instead of Ammonius; in the Reichenau manuscript, Modesta instead of Modestus.
[2] The Martyrology of Saint Jerome, or the ancient Roman, adds Zoticus and Cyriacus. Zoticus and Cyriacus. There may, however, be a suspicion of error, because the same persons occur on the days immediately before and after, but in other places; and on this very day, also at Alexandria with Julian. Rabanus mentions Zoticus. Or Quiriacus and Simplicius. That Quiriacus and Simplicius suffered martyrdom at Alexandria are shown on this day by the manuscript of Saint Mary at Utrecht, the manuscript of Saint Martin at Trier, and Hermann Greeven in the additions to Usuard; but they do not expressly join them as companions to those infants. Whether any of them belongs to another day, we have not been able to determine, and we preferred to record them even a second time rather than omit them entirely, especially since they have been reported by so many.