Marciana

ON ST. MARCIANA, VIRGIN MARTYR, AT CAESAREA IN MAURETANIA.

Under Diocletian.

Marciana, Virgin and Martyr in Mauretania (St.)

[1] The Acts of St. Marciana have been published hitherto by Bonino Mombritius, vol. 2; Zacharias Lippeloo, vol. 1 of the Lives of the Saints; the Author of the Sufferings of the Martyrs published at Paris; Vincent of Beauvais, bk. 13 of the Speculum Historiale, chs. 36-37; Petrus de Natalibus, bk. 2, ch. 58; and in Italian by Silvano Razzi, vol. 1 of the Lives of Illustrious Women, but in abridged form. Acts of St. Marciana The same were sent to us from Paris from an ancient manuscript by that most courteous man André Duchesne, which we publish here, collated with the manuscript of S. Maria de Ripatorio and the above-cited authors. The same survive in manuscript in ^a very ancient parchment codex of the library of the monastery of St. Bernard outside the walls of Toledo, from which Francisco Bivar cites ^a part of this history in his commentaries on the Chronicle of L. Dexter at the year of Christ 155. We add to the Acts ^a sacred hymn which the same Bivar reports from the Gothic Breviary of the Church of Toledo, which in every respect agrees with the Acts themselves. Baronius also cites, in the Notes to July 12, besides this hymn, chapters from the same Breviary in which the martyrdom is excellently described, which we have not seen.

[2] The points that may be debated concerning these Acts of St. Marciana are roughly these: from what region she was ^a native, and at what place and time she underwent martyrdom. Razzi writes that she was ^a native of some Suevia unknown to me, but does not prove it. She is called Insuegritana by Petrus de Natalibus and Vincent of Beauvais. A native of Mauretania Sueguritana by Mombritius. Rusueguritana in the manuscript of Duchesne -- which coincide; and perhaps Rusuccuritana should be read. For Rusuccuritanus is ^a bishopric in Mauretania Caesariensis, from which Fortunatus the Catholic Bishop and Optatus the Donatist came to the Conference of Carthage in the year of Christ 411, as is treated in Session 1, chs. 135 and 176. And Metcur, Catholic Bishop of Rusuccuritas, was expelled into exile by Hunneric, King of the Vandals, in the year 484, as the Notice of the Provinces of Africa published by Jacques Sirmond indicates.

[3] She suffered martyrdom at Caesarea in Mauretania These things become more probable from the proximity of the place of martyrdom. For we read in the Acts that she came to Caesarea, lived there, and died there. This Caesarea was the metropolis of all of Mauretania Caesariensis, mentioned by Pliny, Ptolemy, Mela, the coins of Claudius in Ortelius, and Posidonius in the Life of St. Augustine. Its Catholic Bishop was Doutrius at the Conference of Carthage, and is mentioned in Session 1, ch. 142. Below, the Typasitan gate of this Caesarea is mentioned; where perhaps Tipasitan should be read, from some neighboring town, since the Bishop of Tipasa, Reparatus, was sent into exile by Hunneric from the province of Mauretania Caesariensis, in the cited Notice.

[4] Her name in the Martyrologies Concerning this Caesarea of Mauretania, all the Martyrologies commonly speak, in which St. Marciana is recorded on this January 9. The ancient Roman Martyrology, Bede, all the printed and manuscript copies of Usuard that we have seen (except two very authoritative ones from the monastery of St. Germain des Pres), Ado, and Bellinus: "January 9: In Mauretania Caesariensis, of Marciana (the old Roman Martyrology reads 'Macra'; the Parisian edition of Usuard, 1536, reads 'Martiniana'), Virgin and Martyr." Notker: "In Mauretania, in the city of Caesarea, the passion of St. Martiana, Virgin and Martyr." Maurolycus: "In Mauretania Caesariensis, of St. Martiana, Virgin and Martyr, exposed to beasts and torn apart by ^a leopard." The Roman Martyrology: "In Mauretania Caesariensis, of St. Marciana the Virgin, who, given over to beasts, consummated her martyrdom." In some calendars she appears as Martialis the Virgin. Martialis is also read in the manuscript Martyrology of St. Jerome. Whether she is Marciana, we do not wish to conjecture.

[5] The Acts are silent about the time of her martyrdom. Vincent of Beauvais seems to refer it to the tenth persecution raised under Diocletian and Maximian. And Galesini agrees: When she died "In Mauretania Caesariensis," he says, "of St. Marciana, Virgin and Martyr, who, under the Emperor Diocletian, was exposed to beasts, and finally torn apart by ^a leopard, passed in the highest constancy of faith to the reward of martyrdom and virginity in heaven." And in the Notes: "She was crowned in the year of the Lord 300, in the consulship of Diocletian VII and Maximian VII." The same is read in the German Martyrology. But in the preceding year, that is, 299, the Consuls were Diocletian VII and Maximian VI. In the manuscript Florarium, she is said to have suffered under the Emperor Licinius, under the Judge Baudarius, in the year of Christ 307 -- which was also noted in the margin of the manuscript Ado Martyrology of the monastery of St. Lawrence at Liege, in an ancient hand however. This Baudarius is called Budarius in the Acts, and was rather the Judge's assessor than the Judge himself.

[6] On July 11, the same saint is recorded by two most ancient manuscript copies of Usuard from the monastery of St. Germain des Pres: Venerated by others on July 11 "In Mauretania Caesariensis, of St. Marciana, Virgin and Martyr." The same is found in the manuscript Martyrologies of St. Mary at Utrecht, St. Gudula at Brussels, and ^a Bavarian one bearing the name of Bede. In some she is called Mary. Thus on the same day, the manuscript Martyrology of St. Donatian at Bruges: "In Mauretania Caesariensis, of St. Mary, Virgin and Martyr." The Carthusians of Cologne in the Additions to Usuard: "At Caesarea of Mauretania, the passion of St. Mary the Virgin, who suffered under Budari." The manuscript Martyrologies of St. Maximin, Ado of St. Lawrence at Liege, and the Florarium more clearly express the same Marciana under the name of Mary, in these words: "On the same day, at Caesarea of Mauretania, the passion of St. Mary the Virgin, who conquered ^a most fierce lion, and bound to ^a stake, was struck by ^a fierce bull in the breast and drenched with blood; finally, ^a leopard with one bite tore out her soul from her body." The manuscript Martyrology of St. Jerome: "In Mauretania, in the city of Caesarea, of Marcianus" -- where we think the name Marciana should be restored. And indeed, the manuscript of Duchesne has that Marciana died on the fifth before the Ides of July, while others have the fifth before the Ides of January.

[7] At Toledo, July 12 On July 12, the following is read in the Roman Martyrology: "At Toledo, of St. Marciana, Virgin and Martyr, who, cast before beasts for the faith of Christ and torn apart by ^a bull, was crowned with martyrdom." We find no mention of her on that day in any other Martyrology. Baronius cites in the Notes the Toledan Breviary, and thinks that on one day her birthday is celebrated, on the other her translation. Francisco Bivar, in his commentaries on the Chronicle of Dexter, thinks there are two different Marcianas; and that this one, who is celebrated on July 12, is the daughter of Catellius, sister of St. Quiteria, and he cites these words of Julian in the Chronicle: Whether she is different from the African one "Marciana suffered at Toledo in the year 155, somewhat after her sisters, on July 12." And below: "Mention is made of another Marciana in the Martyrologies, and although she died torn apart by ^a bull, yet this other one is far more ancient." The Chronicle of Dexter at the year of Christ 155 has this: "At Toledo, St. Marciana suffers, daughter of Catellius, chieftain of Lusitania, and sister of eight other Virgins, in the consulship of Aelius and Lateranus." Bivar restores this, when in the copy of the Zaragoza edition one read "Licentius Cos." and the year of Christ 255. The same complains in his commentaries that the Acts of this one have been attributed to the African Marciana. But he produces nothing to prove that they pertain to the Spanish rather than the Mauretanian one, and the places expressed in the Acts show that they belong to Africa. But Bivar omitted from the Acts things found in the manuscript of the monastery of St. Bernard near Toledo that contradicted his thesis.

[8] Ludovicus de Anjos, in his Lives of Holy and Illustrious Women of Lusitania, claims Marciana for the Portuguese by the benefit of the recently discovered Flavius Dexter, and testifies that her name is frequently given to women there. But since he asserts that she is celebrated on January 9, this seems to be the same one who suffered in Mauretania. Marieta also, bk. 4 on the Saints of Spain, ch. 60, reports that Marciana the Virgin and Martyr is venerated on this January 9 and that she was ^a native of Spain. He says he reads this in Cardinal Baronius in the Notes to the Roman Martyrology; the rest is unknown, namely the time, place, and manner of martyrdom. But how carelessly these things are written, the passages of Baronius sufficiently indicate. We shall treat elsewhere of the sister of St. Quiteria.

ACTS

From the manuscript of Andre du Chesne.

Marciana, Virgin and Martyr in Mauretania (St.) BHL Number: 5257

From manuscripts.

[1] St. Marciana lives piously The blessed Martyr Marciana was ^a citizen of the municipality of Rusueguritas, ^a most beautiful virgin, consecrated to God, of noble birth; who, despising riches, came to Caesarea, dwelt as ^a resident in her little cell, guarding her chastity, and fled the ambitions and delights of worldly society. One day she went out in public to see the city, beginning to observe the popular gatherings, and joined herself, unknown, to the walking crowds. Before the arches where seated people were summoned -- which are near the Typasitan gate -- in that very street stood ^a marble statue of Diana, at whose feet water flowed over stones into ^a marble basin. Seeing this profane image, Blessed Marciana could not endure it to stand. She overturns the statue of Diana For, breaking off its head, she shattered the entire statue.

[2] When the impious townspeople saw this, they immediately attacked her with insane fury, beating her, and covered the whole body of the delicate girl with bruises. She is beaten But when they saw the limbs strong for martyrdom, with great shouts and redoubled blows they dragged the virgin consecrated to God all the way to the very halls of the praetorium. Immediately she is placed before the tribunal among the executioners, and prepared for the spectacle of ^a sacrilegious interrogation. She freely confesses Christ at the trial Before the Judge could question her, she confessed God and condemned the empty figments: "Do not worship gods," she said, "which ^a craftsman made from wood, or marble, or gold, or silver, or from any metal. Your gods are made by human hands and are worshipped by those very humans. Turn to the living God, who is the Creator of all things. Despise vain idols; for it is written: 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him alone shall you serve'" (Matt. 4:10).

[3] The angry Judge, at such words, ordered the virgin consecrated to God, slapped by the hands of the torturers, to be confined in the gladiatorial school: [Prostituted to gladiators, she is thrice separated by ^a divinely constructed wall] "Let her be handed over to one man," he said, "and serve many, so that both her body and her obstinate spirit may be punished there." Blessed virgin Marciana came joyfully to the place of custody. She was not frightened, alone among so many raging men, because she preserved her modesty with God as her guardian. There was one among the gladiators named Flammeus; to him she was handed over, to endure the captivity of her modesty at nighttime. That same night, while all slept, she kept vigil through all the hours in prayer. But that gladiator, named Flammeus, while he strove to come through the darkness to the virgin's bed, suddenly ^a wall was constructed at the corner with ^a mass of stone; and that gladiator, deceived by his error, was not permitted to find the virgin until the light of morning, God forbidding it. When morning came, the gladiator began to beg with tears that she would pardon him and seek pardon for him from the Lord, that he might escape alive from the gladiatorial school. To him the holy Martyr Marciana replied: "My God, who deigned to protect the chastity of His handmaid, will set you free on the day I receive my martyrdom." The next day all the people were talking about the miracle of the intervening wall. This report came to the ears of the Judge. Immediately, inflamed with fury, he ordered another to be substituted. She was handed over to another, and the wall likewise arose to separate him from the holy body. On the third day she was handed over to ^a shameless man, ^a barbarian by nation, black in color, strong in limb, ^a most cruel gladiator, as if Christ's bride were to be married in ^a prison. In like manner, while that enemy attempted to attack her through the nocturnal darkness, the customary wall interposed itself and repelled and shut out the audacity of the savage gladiator. The next day the wonders of God amazed both the whole populace and the Judge himself, and he refrained from that mockery of despoiling her virginity.

[4] Now the virgin, secure concerning God, began to devote herself entirely to martyrdom. One day in that school, ^a lanista was set over her among the gladiators, and she was taught the lethal stroke of ^a wound. Suddenly from the house of Budarius the Archsynagogist, which was nearby, from his daughter or sons, She is mocked by the Jews or by the voices of certain Jews, she was provoked by ^a most grievous insult, so that she was compelled by ^a prophetic voice to pray for divine flames upon those who mocked her: "Let this house," she said, "burn with heavenly fire, so that it can never be rebuilt, and let the stones of its ruin bring perpetual ruin to every building where they may be placed."

[5] At length, on the fifth day before the Ides of January, the longed-for day of her passion arrived. Early in the morning, when the gladiators descended into the arena in their customary adornment from the school, so that the words of the Martyr might be fulfilled, that gladiator named Flammeus received the customary freedom at the shouts of the spectating people. But the crowd which had flocked to the spectacle began to cry out that Marciana the Martyr should be thrown to the beasts. Exposed to ^a lion, she is not harmed The virgin devoted to Christ was bound to ^a stake; and ^a most fierce lion was released, which came with great force and placed its raised paws upon the girl's breast; having smelled the holy body of the Martyr, it did not touch her further. Nearly all the people began to wonder and to say the Christian girl should be released. But Budarius with his sons and certain Jews, whom he had gathered to support his clamor, shouted in sedition She is wounded by ^a bull that the Judge should order ^a bull to be brought forth. When this was done, the bull struck her violently in the breast with its horns. Immediately blood poured from the blessed body, and she fell to the ground half-dead. She was received within the enclosure of the gates, and with her blood dried, was recalled to another fight for the crown. A third time she was bound to the stake. Crying out, she said: "Christ, I see You, I follow You, receive the soul of Your handmaid; You were with me in prison; You deigned to preserve my chastity." But the Judge grew still angrier. Then he ordered ^a murderous beast to be brought forth. She is killed by ^a leopard An enormous and cruel leopard was brought out, which, leaping forth, tore away with one bite almost the entire skin of all her limbs, and forced the soul of the Martyr to depart, which immediately merited to ascend to heaven.

[6] But when the spirit of the devoted Virgin left the body, at that very moment the house of the blasphemous Budarius, with all who were within it, burned with divine fire. The house of the Jew is burned by heavenly fire For even afterward the Jews frequently attempted to rebuild that same house, and it always collapsed in ruin. Many also who gathered stones for the structure seemed to carry them rather to their own burial. Nor can it be rebuilt To this day the eternal sentence of the blessed Martyr concerning that house endures, and will persist forever. The blessed Martyr Marciana, despising the power of riches, passed from the world to martyrdom, ascended from the gladiatorial school to heaven, and merited the company of the Angels, with whom she lives blessed in perpetual eternity. Amen.

d. Perhaps Tipasitan.

ANCIENT HYMN ON ST. MARCIANA.

From the Breviary of the Church of Toledo.

Marciana, Virgin and Martyr in Mauretania (St.)

From various sources.

Let the voice of the Church celebrate the triumph of the sacred Martyr: let one song unite all, in praise of the Virgin Marciana. Her deeds She, while reaching for the reward of her passion, obtains it: boldly she dares to hasten to the arena of glory. For she, seeing the standing image of the demon, dashed it to pieces; from beneath which ^a generous stream flowed perpetually at her feet. Soon, scourged with blows, she is dragged to the lofty halls of the governor: and in the illicit games the limbs of the Virgin are cast down. But the plunderer of her modesty, while he pursues her through the shadows, is at once shut out by ^a wall presented from heaven. Then, bound to ^a stake, she is taunted with profane voice: but the blasphemy pays its penalty, in ruins and fires. For, released among the beasts, the lion rushes forth aroused, coming to adore, not to devour the Virgin. Then the bull, leaping forth, terrible in form and bellowing, plowed her tender breast, wounding it with his blow. But the beast swift of body, with spotted hide, at last with lethal tooth tears the girl's limbs. After these triumphs, the soul, slipping from the bonds of the body, joyfully seeks the free heights of the highest heaven.