ON THE SEVENTY-TWO MARTYRS AT SIRMIUM IN LOWER PANNONIA
CommentaryThe Seventy-Two Martyrs at Sirmium in Lower Pannonia (SS.)
J. B.
[1] In the same place as St. Sirenus, seventy-two other Martyrs fought gloriously for Christ, as most codices have it, or sixty-one according to others, and perhaps before him, as we have said. They are certainly inscribed in the Martyrologies together with him on the seventh day before the Kalends of March, on which day the printed Bede and the manuscript of the monastery of Centula have: Likewise of sixty-two others who suffered in that same place -- Martyrs of Sirmium, seventy-two or sixty-two that is, where Sirenus had suffered, of whom it had just been treating. Ado has the same, as do many manuscript Martyrologies. Notker likewise, but he sets the number at seventy-two; and since he had written that Sirenus was killed at Smyrna, the logical consequence would be that these also should be assigned to Smyrna, had we not shown that error to be corrected by the consensus of the majority. Usuard reads: Likewise the feast of sixty-two who, having consummated the contest of martyrdom in the aforesaid city, won everlasting kingdoms. Most others follow Usuard; but among these, the Roman Martyrology, Maurolycus, and very many others set the number at seventy-two. The old Roman cited above in the entry on Sirenus has forty-two. The manuscript Florarium: The feast of the seventy-two holy Martyrs in the aforesaid city -- Sirmium, namely. Galesini: Moreover, in that same place, of the sixty-two other holy Martyrs who, fortified by heavenly protection and divine constancy to endure every torment, were crowned.
[2] Maurolycus, who, as we said, had placed the martyrdom of Sirenus "at Fermo" (for such is his text), a city of Italy in Picenum, and had added that Serenus was an abbot in the Scythian desert of Egypt, then adds: not of Fermo Likewise the feast of the seventy-two holy ones who, having completed the contest of martyrdom in the aforesaid city, won everlasting kingdoms. What is that "aforesaid city"? Fermo, I suppose; for in the Scythian desert there were many cells of ascetics but no city in ancient times. More obscurely, Constantius Felicius places Serenus the monk and Martyr at Fermo in Picenum and Serenus the abbot at Scythopolis in the desert of Egypt; then these words follow: Seventy-two Martyrs killed in the above-mentioned city. Scythopolis? Or Fermo? Those who place St. Sirenus at Sexi Firmum in Spain must determine the same for these, if they wish to draw the ancient Martyrologies to their side -- simply substituting Sexi Firmum for Sirmium.
[3] The manuscript of St. Jerome, as we said in treating of Sirenus, places him on February 22 with thirteen others, who are these very same, with the number altered. elsewhere assigned to February 22 and 21 In the manuscripts of Anchin and Marchiennes they are placed on February 21, as is Serenus, in the very words of Usuard. We have found nothing further concerning their Acts.