Acta Sanctorum

Telesphorus and Companions

6 January · commentary
Latin source: Heiligenlexikon
Sts. Telesphorus, Florus, Jocundus, Peter, Marcus, Acutius, and Januaria, African martyrs recorded in the Martyrology of St. Jerome for January 6. They appear to be among the 'very many holy martyrs' who were tied to stakes and burned during the persecution of Severus in North Africa. 3rd century

ON THE HOLY AFRICAN MARTYRS TELESPHORUS, FLORUS, JOCUNDUS, PETER, MARCUS, ACUTIUS, AND JANUARIA.

Commentary

Telesphorus, Martyr in Africa (S.) Acutius, Martyr in Africa (S.) Florus, Martyr in Africa (S.) Januaria, Martyr in Africa (S.) Jocundus, Martyr in Africa (S.) Marcus, Martyr in Africa (S.) Peter, Martyr in Africa (S.)

From various sources.

[1] Concerning these, the most ancient manuscript Martyrology of St. Jerome records under January 6: "In Africa: of Telesphorus, Florus, Jocundus, Peter, Marcus, Acutius, Januaria." Certain persons bearing the same names are found under January 5 in the same Martyrology, and they may perhaps be the same, as we noted above. The very ancient manuscript of Rhinow: "In Africa: of Telesphorus, Acutius, Januaria." Notker: "In Africa: of Florus, Jocundus, Peter, Marcus, Acutius, Januaria." The Carthusians of Cologne in their Additions to Usuard: "Also of Peter and Marcus."

[2] They seem to be among those of whom the Roman Martyrology speaks on this day: "In Africa, the commemoration of very many Holy Martyrs who, in the persecution of Severus, were tied to stakes and consumed by fire." Ludovicus Lacerda, of our Society, believes that Tertullian, who was then living, witnessed this with his own eyes, and therefore writes in his Apologeticum, chapter 50: "Although you now call us 'faggot-men' and 'half-axle men,' because bound to a stake of half an axle's length, we are burned amid a pile of brushwood." From this derisive name hurled at us by the pagans, it is clear that this form of punishment was frequent.