CONCERNING THE HOLY MARTYRS JOSEPH THE DEACON, ZENO, APOLLONIUS, PHOEBUS, ROMANUS, ZOSIMUS, BAROLUS, ZOCUS THE PRIEST, AND RUFINUS, AT ANTIOCH IN SYRIA.
CommentaryJoseph the Deacon, Martyr, at Antioch in Syria (Saint) Zeno, Martyr, at Antioch in Syria (Saint) Apollonius, Martyr, at Antioch in Syria (Saint) Phoebus, Martyr, at Antioch in Syria (Saint) Romanus, Martyr, at Antioch in Syria (Saint) Zosimus, Martyr, at Antioch in Syria (Saint) Barolus, Martyr, at Antioch in Syria (Saint) Zocus, Priest, Martyr, at Antioch in Syria (Saint) Rufinus, Martyr, at Antioch in Syria (Saint)
By G. H.
[1] Antioch, once the greatest and most famous city of Syria, had an almost infinite number of Martyrs, of whom an illustrious company pertains to this fifteenth of February, At Antioch, St. Joseph, or Josippus: various companions assigned by others, with which the most ancient manuscript Roman Martyrology, commonly cited under the name of St. Jerome, begins that day, in which these words are read: "On the fifteenth day before the Kalends of March, at Antioch, of St. Josippus the Deacon, Zeno, Apollonius, Phoebus, Romanus, Zosimus, Baralus, Zocus the Priest, Rufinus." Of this company, the first two are inscribed in the ancient manuscript Martyrology of Reichenau, near Constance: "At Antioch, of Josippus the Deacon, Zeno." In the very ancient manuscript of St. Martin at Tournai: "On the same day, at Antioch, the birthday of Saints Josippus and Rufinus." But the Martyrology of Bede, printed in the third volume of his works and written by hand among the Richenbergians in Bavaria, has this: "At Antioch, the birthday of St. Joseph the Deacon, Zeno." Nearly the same is read in the Martyrology of Rabanus: "At Antioch, the birthday of St. Joseph the Deacon, Zeno." The manuscript of St. Lambert at Liege reports: "The birthday of Saints Joseph the Deacon and Apollonius." Galesinius, from a manuscript codex: "At Antioch, of the holy Martyrs Joseph, John, and Victor." But we judge that these two should be assigned to other and indeed distinct classes -- John to the Martyrs of Terni, Victor to the Syrians. In the ancient manuscript of St. Maximin at Trier: "Of Josippus the Deacon, Dionysius the Priest, Aventus." Of these, Aventus (or Adventus in other sources) is the first of the other Martyrs who, killed in Syria, are also reported on this day. Concerning Dionysius, there is greater controversy whether he should be added to these or considered the same as the one called Zocus the Priest in the Martyrology of St. Jerome. Among the Alexandrians on February 14, there are persons named Dionysius, of whom one was a Bishop and another a Priest; the latter the author of the Trier Martyrology seems to have assigned to this day.
[2] In other Martyrologies, mention is made of St. Joseph alone, with no companion: He is reported by others alone: who is also reported without any place assigned in the manuscript Martyrology of the Charterhouse of Utrecht. The manuscript of St. Gudula at Brussels: "At Antioch, of Josippus the Deacon." But Notker, Bellinus, Maurolycus, Canisius, Hermann Greven, Molanus, the manuscript Florarium, and the Roman Martyrology: "At Antioch, of St. Joseph the Deacon." Baronius adds: Bede, Usuard, and the rest on this same day. But in the genuine copies of Usuard there is no mention of this Joseph. In Molanus, by typographical error, words are printed in such type as to appear to be Usuard's, which were added by Molanus from Bellinus. But a greater error occurs in the same annotations, where he says that this St. Joseph is venerated by the Greeks on April 3, as appears from their Menologion, and that he was a writer of sacred hymns Wrongly believed to have lived in the ninth century, who in the times of the Emperor Theophilus became an illustrious Confessor on account of the cult of the holy images -- and that Nicephorus treats of him in book 21, of which only a summary survives. Following Baronius, Ghinius in his Natales Sanctorum Canonicorum writes: "At Antioch, of St. Joseph the Deacon. He was a writer of sacred hymns and a most fierce champion of the sacred images, and having suffered much for their cult in the times of the Emperor Theophilus, A writer of hymns: he at last fell asleep in peace as an illustrious Confessor." So far he. Perhaps the author of the Martyrology printed at Cologne in the year 1490, which is also called Usuard Augmented, led the way, in which these words are read: "At Anania, of St. Joseph the Deacon and Confessor"; where just as Anania is a corrupt reading for Antioch, so the title of Confessor is placed instead of Martyr.
[3] Moreover, we know that two Josephs, writers of sacred hymns among the Greeks, flourished in the ninth century of Christ; Such as were St. Joseph, Archbishop of Thessalonica, both illustrious Confessors for defending the cult of the holy images, but who in no way pertain to this matter. One of them was Archbishop of Thessalonica, brother of St. Theodore the Studite, buried at Constantinople with St. Plato in the monastery of Studius, to which the body of St. Theodore was also brought under the Empress St. Theodora, as we said in our account of this Empress's Life on February 11, section 8, number 56. This Joseph is venerated on July 14; the other, younger than he, as Baronius rightly observed, is venerated on April 3, having received the title of Hymnographer in the Greek Church. This latter was ordained Priest at Thessalonica and migrated to Constantinople. Thence under the Emperor Theophilus he was driven into exile, And St. Joseph the Priest; and returning after his death, he lived long at Constantinople, appointed guardian of the church furnishings by the Patriarch St. Ignatius; afterward he was again exiled to Cherson under the Patriarch Photius, but being recalled when Photius was expelled, he at last fell asleep in peace at Constantinople, famous for miracles after death. These matters will be related more exactly on April 3. These facts suffice to establish that both St. Josephs, and especially the younger, are different from the St. Josippus or Joseph of whom we treat -- inasmuch as our subject died a Deacon, not a Priest or Bishop; lived at Antioch in Syria, not at Constantinople or Thessalonica; and moreover, his sacred memory is found in ancient martyrologies written a hundred or two hundred years before those two Josephs were born. We therefore judge that St. Josippus, or Joseph, Different from this Deacon. won the palm of martyrdom under the pagan Emperors in some persecution raised against the Christians, together with the companions indicated. We have said that this day begins with him in the ancient Martyrology of St. Jerome, and that the Martyrs of Terni, killed under the Emperor Aurelian, are placed after him. Concerning those Joseph hymnographers, Simon Wangnereck treats in his prolegomena to the Marian Piety of the Greeks, number 22.