ON THE HOLY SICILIAN MARTYRS BABYLAS, TIMOTHY, AND AGAPIUS.
PrefaceBabylas, Martyr in Sicily (St.) Timothy, Martyr in Sicily (St.) Agapius, Martyr in Sicily (St.)
[1] Cardinal Baronius contends that there was only one Babylas, whom the Roman Church venerates on the 24th of January and the Greeks on the 4th of September: but he considers the one honored on the same fourth day of September by the same Greeks There were several persons named Babylas: to be a fabrication of those who, reading that Babylas the Bishop suffered in one place under Decius and in another under Numerian, posited two. The controversy about under which tyrant and at what time the former Babylas suffered has already been examined in his Life. But besides him the Greeks celebrate two others: one a schoolmaster, slaughtered together with eighty-four boys whom he was teaching, under Maximian at Nicomedia on September 4; the other, likewise a native of Antioch, but killed in Sicily with Timothy and Agapius. Nor are the arguments of Baronius of such a kind that the name and Acts of both this one and the other ought to be omitted.
[2] These Sicilian Martyrs (so we call them because they attained their crown in Sicily) were recorded by Ferrari in the new catalogue of Saints on January 23: Their feast day. but our Octavius Caetanus records them on January 24, in the Idea of his Work on the Saints of Sicily, following the Menaion, which, like Maximus Cythereus, narrates the Acts of Babylas and his disciples, which we present, and calls him, to distinguish him from the others, Babylas, ton hagion martyra Babylan ton en Sikelia, the holy Martyr Babylas in Sicily.
ACTS FROM THE GREEK MENAION.
Babylas, Martyr in Sicily (St.) Timothy, Martyr in Sicily (St.) Agapius, Martyr in Sicily (St.)
[1] This holy Martyr Babylas, of noble birth from the East, like the great Job, was born of illustrious and religious parents, The homeland of St. Babylas, in the famous city of Antioch, which they call Theopolis: and having been educated there and raised in the fear of the Lord, he also eagerly took up and studied the sacred letters, which show the ready way to God. His learning. Thirsting for Christ from his earliest years, his renunciation of goods, he hated the world: and having been orphaned of his parents at an early age, he dispersed all his wealth to beggars, widows, and orphans: and extricating himself from all the mire of the present life and the world, his withdrawal with companions, he withdrew to a mountain, taking with him his two disciples Timothy and Agapius, and there established a solitary life. Having been subsequently initiated into the priesthood, he led a life worthy of a Priest.
[2] His flight to Sicily, But after the savage and bloodthirsty pagans resolved to betray him to the Magistrates, having left Rome, he arrived in Sicily with his disciples: where, having stayed for some time, preaching of the faith, by virtue of the grace of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him, he showed the light of the true faith to many and led them to the knowledge of God. But since a city set upon a hill cannot be hidden, as it is written, he himself also became known to the Governor of Sicily: who, having arrested him together with his two disciples, and as he freely confessed Christ to be the true God, torments endured, first beat him and afflicted him with many blows, and dyed their entire bodies purple with blood. Matt. 5:14. Then, having led them about from town to town, he cruelly tortured them in various ways, partly to deter the cities of Sicily from embracing the faith by such dreadful spectacles, and partly to satisfy his hatred and cruelty by their punishments. The holy Martyrs, however, looking toward the heavenly goods, were strengthened.
[3] On the next day, therefore, he ordered them, having been slain by the sword, their death, to be cast into the fire; but the flame did not at all dare to violate or touch those true and genuine athletes and soldiers of Christ, but preserved them untouched and unharmed: their burial. certain faithful then took them up and buried them with honor in the same island.
AnnotationsON THE HOLY MARTYRS BARSIMAS AND TWO BROTHERS.
CommentaryBarsimas, and his two brothers, Martyrs (St.)
St. Barsimaeus, Bishop of Edessa, is honored on January 29: on the 24th, Barsimas and his two brothers, Martyrs, also natives of Syria, as the name Barsimas indicates; although Maximus Cythereus calls him Basimus. Concerning him and his brothers the Menaion says: And the memory of the holy Martyr Barsimas, and of his two brothers.
The divine ardor infused in the three brothers Persuaded them to desire a divine end through the sword.