ON THE HOLY MARTYRS OF NEOCAESAREA: MARDONIUS, MUSONIUS, EUGENIUS, METELLUS.
CommentaryMardonius, Martyr at Neocaesarea (St.) Musonius, Martyr at Neocaesarea (St.) Eugenius, Martyr at Neocaesarea (St.) Metellus, Martyr at Neocaesarea (St.)
[1] We have previously written that there was a city of Neocaesarea in Mauretania, when on January 23 we were treating of Saints Severianus and Aquila, either the same city called Julia Caesarea, or the island and city of the same name opposite it, or some other. Saints Mardonius, Musonius, Eugenius, and Metellus also completed their martyrdom at Neocaesarea. But whether it is the same city of Mauretania (which Peter de Natalibus writes in book 3, chapter 19), or the one in Cappadocia, or the one on the Euphrates, we leave uncertain. Galesinius places it in Macedonia; The city of Neocaesarea. and this is indeed more probable than the other, because the relics of these Martyrs are said to have been cast into the river Axus; which, as he says, appears to have been done in Macedonia, in which province the Axus is. The river Axus. Indeed there is an Axius, Axios, in Ptolemy's 10th table of Europe, a river of Macedonia emptying itself into the Thermaic Gulf. But is there no Axius elsewhere? Stephanus certainly seems to place a river Axios near Croton, a city of Italy, which however is the Aesarus, as Cluverius rightly observes; unless Mount Croton is not near the city of Croton in Italy, but perhaps also outside Italy. Ortelius lists two other rivers named Axios: so that on account of the Axus or Axius a Neocaesarea need not necessarily be constructed in Macedonia without other foundation. Moreover, that river into which the bodies of the Saints were cast is called Axus by most Martyrologies; some printed and manuscript ones have Auxus, Auxius, Anxus, Axis; Peter de Natalibus has Ausus.
[2] Moreover, the Roman Martyrology proclaims the feast day of these Martyrs thus: The feast of these Saints: At Neocaesarea, of the holy Martyrs Mardonius, Musonius, Eugenius, and Metellus; who were all delivered to the fire, and their relics scattered in the river. Usuard: At the city of Cneocaesarea, of the holy Martyrs Mardonius, Muso, Eugenius, Metellus, who were all delivered to the fire, and their relics scattered in the river Axus. Bede in the common edition, Ado, Notker, Bellinus, and the manuscript Florarium have the same. Peter de Natalibus writes that they suffered at the city of Zeneocaesarea in the province of Mauretania. But erroneously, says Baronius, it is thought to be read thus there, since all the older sources disagree with that reading. Baronius had read Zenocaesarea in Peter; but the edition we use has Zeneocaesarea. All the manuscript exemplars of Usuard that we have seen, and most of the old editions, have Cneocaesarea: the Paris edition of the year 1536 has Caesarea. Galesinius, as has been said, and Canisius, have Neocaesarea in Macedonia.
[3] The manuscript of St. Jerome calls Mardonius Mardanius: Musonius is called Musurius; Usuard and Peter call him Muso; Galesinius calls him Mausonius, unless it is an error, the names variously expressed. since in the Notes he writes Musonius; Maurolycus has Museo; the manuscript of Dungal has Mussurius; certain manuscripts have Mosonius and Musio. Finally Galesinius judges that Metellus should be called Matellus, and testifies that in manuscripts he is also called Matellius, Marcellus, and Mecellus: in some of our manuscripts Mellitus and Merillus are written; in most, Metellus. The manuscript Florarium writes that these were killed in the year of Christ 305. We have read nothing elsewhere about the date.
ON THE HOLY ROMAN MARTYRS EMETRIUS, MAXIMUS, FELICISSIMUS.
CommentaryEmetrius, Martyr at Rome (St.) Maximus, Martyr at Rome (St.) Felicissimus, Martyr at Rome (St.)
The aforementioned Irish manuscript of the Convent of Dungal records the holy Martyrs Maximus and Felicissimus, but mingled with others, with no indication of the place where they fell: this manuscript Martyrology of St. Jerome specifies the place and adds Emetrius to Maximus. Perhaps Demetrius? At Rome, it says, on the Via Salaria, of Emetrius, Maximus. Whether Felicissimus should be joined to them is not clear to us. Many Martyrs of that name are commemorated on other days, having been crowned at Rome. We consider this one different from them, both because in the Dungal manuscript, as we have said, he is assigned to this day, and because in the most ancient manuscript of Rhinow these words are also read: At Rome, of Felicissimus.
ON ST. HELLADIUS THE COMMENTARIENSIS, MARTYR.
CommentaryHelladius the Commentariensis, Martyr (St.)
From various sources.
Several persons named Helladius are celebrated in the sacred calendars, but none who was a Commentariensis, or, as the Menaion has it, Komentaresios. What sort of office this was is explained succinctly by Meursius in his Glossary, and more clearly by Baronius in the Notes to the Martyrology on March 27 c. and February 2 b. Concerning St. Helladius the Menaion relates only this: On the same day St. Helladius the Commentariensis was put to death by the sword:
Helladius, placing his head beneath the sword, Confounded the arrogance of Greek error.
Maximus Cythereus also records the same.