ON THE HOLY MARTYRS PLESIUS, DIONYSIUS, HIERAPIUS, MARTIALIS, NUNDIANUS, PESSIANUS, PAULUS, GALLO, HONORIUS, IOCUNDUS, MEMMIUS, VINCENTIUS, FRUCTUOSUS, PRIMUS, FABIANUS, CAECILIUS, PAULUS, AND MAXIMUS.
Commentary
Plesius, Martyr (St.) Dionysius, Martyr (St.) Hierapius, Martyr (St.) Martialis, Martyr (St.) Nundianus, Martyr (St.) Pessianus, Martyr (St.) Paulus, Martyr (St.) Gallo, Martyr (St.) Honorius, Martyr (St.) Iocundus, Martyr (St.) Memmius, Martyr (St.) Vincentius, Martyr (St.) Fructuosus, Martyr (St.) Primus, Martyr (St.) Fabianus, Martyr (St.) Caecilius, Martyr (St.) Paulus, Martyr (St.) Maximus, Martyr (St.)
G. H.
This is an illustrious crown of eighteen Martyrs, of whom two are recorded by the Aachen Martyrology and Hermannus Greven in the supplement to Usuard, namely St. Plesius, the leader of the others, together with St. Fabianus. All are inscribed in the very ancient manuscript Roman Martyrology attributed to St. Jerome, which begins thus: "On the fourteenth day before the Kalends of March. In Britain, the birthday of Sts. Faustinianus and Iuventia. In Spain, at Barcelona, the birthday of Cucufas. In Campania, at Cumae, the birthday of Juliana." We shall treat of Cucufas on the twenty-fifth of July, and of the others on this day. Then the following is read: "And elsewhere, of Plesius, Dionysius, Hierapius, Martialis, Nundianus, Pessianus, Paulus, Gallo, Honorius, Iocundus, Memmius, Vincentius, Fructuosus, Primus, Fabianus, Caecilius, Paulus, and Maximus." Everything else pertaining to place, time, and manner of martyrdom lies entirely hidden. Among the African Martyrs given for this day from the same Martyrology, there are also a Martialis, Vincentius, Maximus, and two men named Paulus, as here; but we consider these to be different persons. Among the thirty-seven Egyptian Martyrs recorded on the eighteenth of January, there are also a Paulus, Dionysius, and Plesius. We have scarcely found others elsewhere joined together; and some names have been hitherto unknown. In the small but ancient Martyrology of St. Maximinus, the following only is read for the seventeenth of February: "On the thirteenth day before the Kalends of March, the Passion of Sts. Paulus, Maximus, and Januarius." We shall treat of Januarius in the same place from other Martyrologies, but since no other source mentions Sts. Paulus and Maximus at that date, we assign them to this day.