ON THE MANY MARTYRS WHO SUFFERED IN ARABIA.
AROUND THE YEAR CCCIV.
CommentaryMany Martyrs in Arabia
G. H.
[1] Eusebius, in Book 8 of the Ecclesiastical History, describes the terrible persecution raised by Diocletian against the Christians, and narrates the struggles of the principal Martyrs throughout the entire Empire; but at length, as if wearied by so many slaughters, he exclaims in Chapter 23: "What need is there to pursue many things and to bring forth new battles of pious Martyrs throughout the world, one succeeding another?" And after indicating the struggle of St. Adauctus and of all the inhabitants of the city of Antandrus in Phrygia (as we said on the seventh of February), he proceeds to other Martyrs in Chapter 23 with these words: "What need is there now to commemorate the remaining Martyrs by name, or to enumerate the multitude of men, Martyrs who suffered in Arabia are reported by Eusebius, or to describe in words the various kinds of wounds or punishments which the distinguished Martyrs endured? Some were struck by axes and perished, as happened to those who were in Arabia; some were tormented by having their legs broken, as befell those who were in Cappadocia; some also, hung by their feet in the air with their heads toward the ground, were suffocated by fire gradually kindled and slowly blazing, and by the smoke from the burning material, as happened to those who were dwelling in Mesopotamia." So reads the passage, which Rufinus also describes in Book 8, Chapter 11. "But whence," he says, "do we have the means to enumerate the individual sufferings of each Martyr one by one? by Rufinus, For who could even recount those things by which the holy Martyrs in Arabia were struck by axes?" Nicephorus also, in Book 7, Chapter 11: "But what need is there," by Nicephorus, he says, "to review the Martyrs individually, or even to inquire into their number, or to describe with the pen such varied forms of punishment? Since most of them were struck by the axe, as happened to those in Arabia," etc. I omit what is added about the Martyrs of Cappadocia and Mesopotamia, whose sacred memory is recalled each year on the twenty-third of May. Other Martyrs who suffered in Arabia are inscribed in the tables of the Roman Martyrology on the twenty-second day of February in these words: "In Arabia, the commemoration of the very many holy Martyrs and in the Roman Martyrology. who were most cruelly slain under the Emperor Maximinus." The Martyrs of Cappadocia and Mesopotamia, as well as Adauctus with his companions, are said in the same Martyrology to have been crowned under Maximian Galerius. But we said both on the seventh of February regarding St. Adauctus at what time did they die? and on the fourth of the same month regarding SS. Phileas and Philoromus that they were rather killed while Diocletian himself was still reigning, when Maximian Galerius was Caesar, which also seems to be said of these Martyrs. Consult Section 2 of the Acts of St. Adauctus, and Section 1, number 5, of SS. Phileas and Philoromus.