Martyrs Potamius

CONCERNING THE HOLY MARTYRS POTAMIUS, NEMESIUS, AND DIDYMUS, ON THE ISLAND OF CYPRUS.

Potamius, Martyr in Cyprus (St.) Nemesius, Martyr in Cyprus (St.) Didymus, Martyr in Cyprus (St.)

By G. H.

[1] No Acts of these Cypriot Martyrs survive; only their bare names, at least of some of them, are indicated in most Martyrologies. Usuard, Bellinus, Maurolycus, Galesin, Canisius, These Saints are inscribed in the sacred Calendar along with various manuscripts, omit Didymus and record the others, as does the Roman Martyrology in these words: "On the island of Cyprus, of the holy Martyrs Potamius and Nemesius." But with Nemesius omitted, the remaining two are marked in the ancient manuscripts of Tournai and Laetium thus: "At Cyprus, the birthday of SS. Potamia and Didymus." In the manuscript of St. Cyriacus: "At Cyprus, the birthday of Potamina." Read: "Potamius."

[2] The older Martyrologies commemorate all of them. The manuscript Roman Martyrology, which bears the name of St. Jerome, begins this day thus: "On the tenth day before the Kalends of March, at Cyprus, of Potamius, Nemesis (read Nemesius), Didymus." The Reichenau manuscript near Constance: "And at Cyprus, the birthday of Putamius, Nemesius, and Didymus." Whether, besides St. Potamius, another Potamia is venerated at Rome? The manuscript Bede of the Richenberg monastery: "And on Cyprus, the birthday of Potamia, Nemesius, and Didymus." In the printed Bede, the name Nemersius is given instead of Nemesius. Rabanus and the Aachen manuscript have the same, though in the latter "Potaninia" is written. Notker: "At Cyprus, the birthday of Putamius, Nemesius, and Didymus." Relics of St. Nemesius at Bologna Masinus in his survey of Bologna reports that some relics of St. Nemesius are preserved at Bologna in the church of St. Stephen.

[3] Because Potamius, or Putamius, is also called Potamia elsewhere, or Potamina and Potaninia, she has been believed by some to be a different person, and has been joined with SS. Caius and Victor on this day, also being called Pantamia and Pantanna. So Galesin, the manuscript Florarium, the Usuard published at Lubeck in 1475, the Martyrology printed at Cologne in 1490, Hermann Greven in his supplement to Usuard, and many manuscript copies of Usuard formerly augmented for the use of Belgian churches, in which the following is generally read: "At Rome, of SS. Caius, Victor, and Pantamia, Martyrs; and on the island of Cyprus, of SS. Potamius and Nemesius, Martyrs." Maurolycus treats of the first three on February 19, and of the following two, as we said above, on this day. Concerning St. Victor, who is associated by others with St. Corona and the Twenty Martyrs, we shall speak shortly, with renewed mention of Pantamia, or Potamia, and Caius.

CONCERNING SS. VICTOR, CORONA, AND TWENTY OTHER MARTYRS.

Victor, Martyr (St.) Corona, Martyr (St.) Twenty other Martyrs

By G. H.

[1] The holy Martyrs Victor and Corona, together with other companions, are joined in various Martyrologies, and the same names are repeated on other days -- which is the cause of no small obscurity. The ancient Martyrologies dispel it to some extent. The manuscript of St. Jerome arranges three, as it were, classes of Martyrs, SS. Victor and Corona inscribed in ancient Martyrologies on February 20 which are confused by others: "On the tenth day before the Kalends of March," it says, "at Cyprus, of Potamius, Nemesis, Didymus" (about whom we have already treated); "at Rome, of Caius the Bishop. And elsewhere, of Victor, Chronona, and ten others." In the same way these classes are distinguished in certain Martyrologies. The Reichenau manuscript has it thus: "And elsewhere, of Victor, Corona." Bede, Rabanus, Notker: "Elsewhere, of Victor, Corona, and twenty other Martyrs." The Aachen manuscript: with 20 others "of Gagus, Victor, Corona, Martyrs, and twenty others; and furthermore, at Rome, of Gagus the Bishop" -- as if another Caius were to be associated with SS. Victor and Corona.

[2] Others separate St. Victor from St. Corona and join him with SS. Caius and Potamia St. Victor joined with SS. Caius and Pantamia or Pantamia, whom they assert suffered together at Rome. So Galesin, the Florarium, and other Martyrologies cited above when we treated of SS. Potamius, Nemesius, and Didymus, the Cypriot Martyrs. The error arose from the careless copying of ancient codices. In the ancient Reichenau manuscript, these matters are accurately distinguished thus: "On the tenth day before the Kalends of March. At Rome, on the Via Appia, in the cemetery of Callistus, the deposition of Bishop Gagus. And elsewhere, of Victor, Corona. And on the island of Cyprus, the birthday of Putamius, Nemesius, and Didymus." These are thus corruptly contracted in others: "At Rome, of St. Caius, Victor, and Pantamia (read Corona or Chronona), Martyrs; and on the island of Cyprus, of SS. Potamius and Nemesius, Martyrs." Concerning Pope St. Caius, who hid for some time in a crypt of the cemetery of St. Callistus and was buried there, we shall treat on April 22. Consult meanwhile Aringhi, Book 3 of Subterranean Rome, chapter 11, number 9, and what was said on February 18 concerning SS. Claudius and companions, and on the 19th concerning St. Gabinius.

[3] Corona recorded separately With SS. Caius, Victor, and Potamia corruptly joined, as we have said, and ascribed to Rome, St. Corona has been placed separately by some. Thus Maurolycus on February 19, and the author of the manuscript Florarium on this day, mention Corona the Virgin. Greven in his supplement to Usuard mentions Corona the Martyr, about whom this verse of Wandelbert is:

and with 20 others: "Next, the tenth recalls the praise and fame of Corona."

Felicius places Corona with 20 others on the preceding day.

[4] Several Saints celebrated under the same names of Victor and Corona are found in the Martyrologies. other SS. Victor and Corona, May 14 and September 18 For SS. Victor and Corona suffered in Syria under Antoninus on May 14; Corona was torn apart between trees, Victor was beheaded. The relics of these Martyrs are said to be preserved at Feltre in Italy; others also treat of them on September 18, and Ferrarius thinks that on that date their Finding or Translation is commemorated. This Corona is believed to have been the wife of a certain soldier, so that she must be different from the present one, if, as some assert, the latter was a Virgin who earned the palm of martyrdom. For if she were the same, why does no one indicate the place, time, or manner of her martyrdom?

[5] SS. Victor and Corona who suffered at Alexandria are also celebrated on the 23rd and especially the 24th of April; and that Corona is called by some a Virgin. In the manuscript Roman Martyrology, on April 23 and 24 or that of St. Jerome, twenty-one companions are joined to them, whose names are given, along with twenty-four anonymous ones. Perhaps, however, Theon, who is here the last and is alone mentioned in the Rhinovian and Reichenau manuscripts, should be joined with the twenty-four anonymous ones; so that SS. Victor and Corona with twenty others, whose names are given there, remain separately. There is no reason, however, to think that the SS. Victor and Corona who are listed on February 20 in those same Martyrologies are the same, their veneration in the Church of Toul since none of their companions is named, nor is any place indicated. There was some veneration of the Martyrs Victor and Corona on this day in the Church of Toul, as is established from its Breviary printed in the year 1535.