Martyrs of Carthage

ON THE HOLY MARTYRS OF CARTHAGE, MODESTUS AND POSINNUS OR POSINNA

Modestus, Martyr, at Carthage (Saint) Posinnus, or Posinna, Martyr, at Carthage (Saint)

I. B.

Of these Martyrs, and of several that follow, only the names are known to us; of some, also the place of martyrdom, though not always clearly expressed, with companions sometimes added who belong elsewhere, with no mark placed to distinguish them. Thus the manuscript Martyrology of the monastery of Saint Cyriacus at Rome says: "At Carthage, Saint Julian wrongly joined to Saint Modestus. Modestus, Julian" -- as if they had obtained the palm in the same place. Baronius inserted the same into the Roman Martyrology from that manuscript, as he acknowledges: "At Carthage, the holy Martyrs Modestus and Julian." In the Chronicle attributed to Dexter, which for that very reason can be judged to have been stitched together by a more recent author, at the year 160 the same are recorded: "At Carthage of Spain, Modestus and Julian flourish." Certain Spanish writers eagerly seize upon the words of the Chronicle. Tamayo Salazar in the Spanish Martyrology even composes their Acts, "by a pious narrative," as he says. Whose is that narrative, or where does it exist? Saint Julian, as we shall say shortly, suffered martyrdom at Alexandria with many companions. The most ancient Roman Martyrology, which we elsewhere call that of Saint Jerome, reads thus: "At Carthage, Posinnus, Modestus." The Reichenau manuscript, omitting this Modestus, and reading Modesta instead of the Alexandrian infant Modestus, also calls Posinna the one who in the other manuscript is Posinnus: "At Carthage, Posinna," it reads.