ON THE HOLY MARTYRS ALEXANDER, ANTIGONUS, ABUNDANTIUS (OR ABUNDIUS), TITIANUS, MACARIUS, SEVERIANUS, CALANUS, FORTUNIO (OR FORTUNIUS, OR FORTUNATUS), AND JANUARIUS, AT THESSALONICA IN MACEDONIA.
Historical Summary.
Alexander, Martyr at Thessalonica in Macedonia (St.) Antigonus, Martyr at Thessalonica in Macedonia (St.) Abundantius, or Abundius, Martyr at Thessalonica in Macedonia (St.) Titianus, Martyr at Thessalonica in Macedonia (St.) Macarius, Martyr at Thessalonica in Macedonia (St.) Severianus, Martyr at Thessalonica in Macedonia (St.) Calanus, Martyr at Thessalonica in Macedonia (St.) Fortunio, or Fortunatus, Martyr at Thessalonica in Macedonia (St.) Januarius, Martyr at Thessalonica in Macedonia (St.)
Author G. H.
[1] This is an illustrious crown of nine Martyrs, concerning whose number and place of martyrdom there is no small diversity in Martyrologies, both manuscript and printed. And first, with all location omitted, they are recorded in the manuscript Martyrology of the Liege church of St. Lambert, and only two are named: On the same day, the 27th of February, of Saints Alexander and Antigonus (who is called Antigonus by others). With this omitted, two others are joined to Alexander in the manuscript of Usuard from the Most Serene Queen of Sweden, and in the manuscript of Utrecht of the Clerks of St. Jerome, in the manuscript Florarium, and in the Martyrology printed at Cologne in the year 1490: On the same day, of Alexander, Abundantius, and Fortunio. The same are recorded in the manuscript Martyrology of the Carmelites of Cologne, but the second is written Habundantius; and the third is called Fortunatus in the manuscript of Usuard from Albergen, from Leiden, and in the edition printed at Lubeck in 1475. Maurolycus changes both names: On this day, he says, of Alexander, Abundius, and Fortunius, Martyrs; this Abundius alone is recorded in the small but quite ancient manuscript of St. Maximin. In other sources, in place of St. Alexander one reads "at Alexandria," as if they seemed to have suffered in that city. Thus the manuscript of Anchin: Likewise at Alexandria, of Abundantius and Fortunio. The manuscript of Brussels, St. Gudula: On the same day, at Alexandria, of Abundantius and Formio -- read Fortunio. And a little further below: Likewise of St. Fortunatus, whom we have said was substituted by others for Fortunio. In the manuscript of Ado from the Most Serene Queen of Sweden: Likewise on the same day, of Saints Antigenus and Abundantius. In the manuscript of St. Cyriacus, which Baronius used extensively, the memory of these three is recalled: Alexander, Abundantius, Januarius. The Dionysius with 24 companions who is added does not pertain to this group and must be given separately. The manuscript of Paris belonging to our Philippe Labbe mentions four of these: Alexander, Antigonus, Abundantius, Titianus.
[2] The ancient veneration of these Martyrs is sufficiently established from the Martyrologies already cited, but the place of their contest has not yet been indicated. Galesinius, as he frequently does, ascribed it to Rome with this formula: At Rome, of Saints Alexander, Abundianus, Antigonus, and Fortunatus, Martyrs, who under Diocletian, enemy of the faith, having steadfastly undertaken combats, are crowned. He notes, however, that he received this from a manuscript codex -- namely the names of the Martyrs, which are quite incorrect, since in place of Abundantius there is Abundianus, and instead of Fortunio, Fortunatus is given. Others are silent about the time of martyrdom, as is Baronius himself, who, following Galesinius, reports that these same Saints suffered at Rome, in the Roman Martyrology in these words: At Rome, the birthday of the holy Martyrs Alexander, Abundius, Antigonus, and Fortunatus. And he notes that all these have been emended from ancient manuscripts, in which Januarius is also added. We have already cited him from the manuscript codex of St. Cyriacus, which the same writer asserts elsewhere that he follows throughout. But in that codex one reads Abundantius, not Abundius, and Fortunatus is absent, as is the city of Rome -- which appear to have been taken from Galesinius. St. Fortunatus could also have been transferred here from the 26th of February, on which day we treated of him.
[3] But other Martyrologies assign Thessalonica, the famous city of Macedonia, distinguished by the preaching of St. Paul and his epistle to its inhabitants. The manuscript of Aachen, quite ancient, is here mutilated and indicates the city itself without the Saints: On the 3rd before the Kalends of March: At Thessalonica... the birthday of Saints... Leander, whom we shall shortly give as having suffered at Smyrna with others. The manuscript of Reichenau, or Augia Dives near Constance, has the following: At Thessalonica, of Alexander; and in Africa, of Anteginis, Dionysia, and 24 others. In which the transposition of a single word is to be corrected thus: At Thessalonica, of Alexander and Antigonus -- who pertain to this entry. Then: In Africa, of Dionysius and 24 others. That this is also the correct reading will be established below. The printed Bede and the manuscript of the monastery of Richenberg in Bavaria: At Thessalonica, the birthday of Alexander, Androgonus, Abundantius. Rabanus Maurus: At Thessalonica, the birthday of Saints Alexander, Androgonus, Abundantius. But in place of Androgonus, the name Antigonus must be substituted. Hermann Greven in the supplement to Usuard printed in 1515 and 1521: At Thessalonica, he says, of Alexander, Abundantius, Antrogonus, and Fortunio, Martyrs; and then: Likewise of Macarius, who also pertains to this entry. Finally, the most ancient manuscript Roman Martyrology, or that of St. Jerome, in a codex in our possession written nearly a thousand years ago, has the following: On the 3rd before the Kalends of March. Birthday of Alexander. At Thessalonica, of Antigonus, Abundantius, Titianus, Macarius, Severianus, Calanus, Fortunio, Januarius. Which, with a single word transposed, should be read thus: On the 3rd before the Kalends of March. At Thessalonica, the birthday of Alexander, Antigonus, Abundantius, Titianus, Macarius, Severianus, Calanus, Fortunio, Januarius. Two are therefore named here who are not recorded by others: Severianus and Calanus.
[4] Ferrarius in the Catalogue of the Saints of Italy, drawing from Bede and other Martyrological writers, composes this encomium of these Martyrs: Alexander, Abundius, Antigonus, and Fortunatus were crowned at Rome under the Emperors Diocletian and Maximian. For when a persecution was set in motion, among others who were accused of the Christian religion and thus arrested and variously tortured, after combats in which they remained steadfast in the faith, they completed their martyrdom. So far that passage. But Bede, cited by him, with other ancient Martyrologists assigns Thessalonica, as we have already shown, and Galesinius alone is the one who appended the persecution of Diocletian. Masini in his survey of Bologna asserts that the body of St. Antigonus the Martyr is preserved in the church of St. Francis, and that certain relics of St. Abundius the Martyr are in the churches of St. Martin Major, St. Gabriel, and the Pious Schools: and as if these were relics of the Martyrs of whom we have treated, he records them on this day.
[5] Juan Tamayo Salazar in the Hispanic Martyrology on this 27th of February writes: In the monastery of St. Basil in the town of Cuellar, in the diocese of Segovia, the deposition of St. Antigonus, Martyr, who suffered at Rome with others: his sacred relics, having been conveyed to Spain, rest there with honor and are venerated with devout worship. He transcribes the acts of his martyrdom from Galesinius, Philippo Ferrarius, and the Roman Martyrology. And he adds: At what time the translation of these sacred relics of St. Antigonus from Rome to Spain was accomplished, I have not yet learned. Nor have we yet learned whether the Antigonus venerated there and the one venerated at Bologna are the same, and whether only a portion of his sacred remains exists in each place; still less whether those remains were conveyed from Rome to those cities; and finally, even less whether the Antigonus of whom we treat, crowned at Thessalonica, was ever transported to Rome. Aegidius Gonzalez Davila in volume 1 of the Ecclesiastical Theater of the Spains, treating of the Church of Segovia on page 519, testifies that the bodies of three Saints are preserved in the said monastery of St. Basil: namely, Saints Evagrius, Antigonus, and Vella (whom Tamayo interprets as Bella). The monks venerate St. Evagrius on the 1st of October, on which day the Martyr Evagrius is inscribed in the Roman Martyrology, who is said to have suffered at Tomi in Pontus together with Saints Priscus and Crescens. In the same manner, because the veneration of St. Antigonus is recorded on this day, they also venerate their own Antigonus, whether he is the same or different. But no day is assigned for the veneration of St. Vella or Bella: perhaps because the name of this woman has not yet been found inscribed in the sacred Calendars.