Epimeneus

CONCERNING ST. EPIMENEUS, OR PIMENIUS, PRIEST AND MARTYR, AT BRESCIA IN ITALY.

Epimeneus, or Pimenius, Priest and Martyr, at Brescia in Italy (St.)

G. H.

[1] There stands at Brescia a distinguished convent of nuns, dedicated to St. Julia, Virgin and Martyr, whose body was transferred there from the island of Gorgonia by the wife of Desiderius, King of the Lombards, At Brescia in the monastery of St. Julia the body of St. Epimeneus is preserved, in the eighth century of Christ, as they report, and from her the convent was called St. Julia's, and the first Abbess of this place was Antiperga, daughter of the same King. St. Julia is venerated on May 22. In this convent rests the body of St. Epimeneus, transferred in the year 1600 together with the relics of very many Saints, as this inscription in Ughelli, Volume 4 of Sacred Italy, under Theodaldus, Bishop of Brescia, page 734, teaches: "To God, the Greatest and Best. Hither from the old church, the bodies of the holy Virgins and Martyrs Julia, Pistis, Helpis, and Agape, and of Sophia their mother, and also of two of the Holy Innocents, and of the Saints Epimeneus the Most Just and Hippolytus and Concordia his nurse, Martyrs, transferred in the year 1600, and of Blessed Obizio the Confessor, together with innumerable holy relics, were transferred on the 16th day before the Kalends of January in the year 1600, during the pastoral care of Clement VIII, and under the Most Serene Venetian dominion of Doge Marino Grimani, and at Brescia under the Most Reverend Lord Marino Giorgio, Bishop of the Cathedral Church, and the Reverend Father Dom Flaminio Fabbio of Bologna, Abbot of St. Euphemia, and the Reverend Lady Susanna de Montini being Abbess of this most ample convent, in which 170 nuns laudably serve God." So reads the inscription.

[2] St. Sophia is venerated on September 30, her three daughters on August 1, the Holy Innocents on December 28, Hippolytus and Concordia on August 13, St. Obizio on February 4, where we gave some of his Acts. But on this day, February 18, St. Epimeneus the Most Just is venerated, he is venerated on February 18, Priest and Martyr: which we suspect is the epithet given to him in that inscription. Galesinius treats of him from the ancient Calendar of the Church of Brescia in these words: "At Brescia, of St. Epimeneus, Priest and Martyr." Ferrarius in his Catalogue of Italian Saints writes: "Epimeneus, a Priest of Brescia, at what time he suffered martyrdom, I have not yet read. He is however venerated at Brescia, as the Tables of the same church, composed for sacred use, indicate; and mention of him is made in the Martyrology of the Church of Brescia and in the Martyrology of Peter Galesinius. His body rests in the church of St. Julia at Brescia." The same Ferrarius inscribed him in his General Catalogue of Saints and notes that Maurolycus writes Pigmenius, and that he frequently corrupts the names of Saints and places.

[3] Maurolycus and Felicius report: "Likewise, of Pigmenius, Priest and Martyr." whether the same person is called Pimenius or Pigmenius is uncertain: The manuscript Martyrologies of Utrecht, St. Mary's, and St. Martin's at Trier have only: "Likewise, of Pimenius, Martyr." The manuscript of Reichenau: "Elsewhere, of St. Pimenius, Martyr." The manuscript of Aachen begins thus: "On the 12th day before the Kalends of March, the feast of St. Prinenus, Priest, at the church of the Two Holy Elders." Greven in his supplement to Usuard joins a companion and assigns them to Rome: another Pigmenius, Martyr, at Rome: "At Rome, of Pimenius the Priest and Faustus, Martyrs." St. Pigmenius the Priest, tutor of the Emperor Julian, by whose order he is said to have been thrown into the Tiber and thus to have completed his martyrdom, is venerated on March 24.

[4] There is also venerated on March 24 a St. Epigmenius, inscribed by Baronius in the Roman Martyrology in these words: "Likewise at Rome, of St. Epigmenius the Priest, Another Epigmenius, who is also called Pigmenius, Priest. who in the persecution of Diocletian, under the judge Turpius, was struck with the sword and completed his martyrdom." Baronius also notes that mention of him is found in the Acts of St. Crescentius the boy, whom he baptized. This man was also struck with the sword at Rome under the same judge, and is recorded on September 14, whose body, received by Pope Stephen IX, was transferred to Siena by Bishop Antifredus of Siena in the year 1058, as Ughelli reports in Volume 2 of Sacred Italy, page 626. But where the body of St. Epigmenius was buried, or where it now rests, Ferrarius says cannot be known, at March 24 in his Catalogue of Italian Saints. Perhaps it was transferred to Brescia, just as the bodies of other Saints preserved in the same convent were brought from elsewhere; and thus the Roman Martyr is called so by Greven the Carthusian, and by others also a Priest, nor do the names Epigmeneus, Epigmenius, Pigmenius, Pimenius differ greatly. And by Baronius in the Annals, year 303, number 114, the one who in the Martyrology is called Epigmenius is called Pigmenius.

[5] Finally, whether the Faustus joined by Greven was his companion in martyrdom, we have not yet read. Who was Faustus, joined as his companion? Baronius in the Notes to September 14, letter E, asserts that he read manuscript Acts concerning the martyrdom of St. Crescentius the boy and other companions, which he had received from the Church of Perugia. We have not yet been able to see these Acts, nor do we know whether a certain Faustus was their companion. There is a Faustus inscribed in the Roman Martyrology: one on June 24, another on August 1; the former had twenty-three companions in martyrdom, the latter is joined as a companion to Sts. Bonus the Priest, Maurus, and other Martyrs, who are mentioned in the Acts of St. Stephen the Pope and Martyr, on August 2.