Martyrs Severa the Virgin

ON THE HOLY MARTYRS SEVERA THE VIRGIN, MAXIMUS AND SECUNDA HER PARENTS, MARCUS AND CALENDINUS THEIR SONS AND BROTHERS OF SEVERA, AND ABOUT ONE THOUSAND OTHER SOLDIERS.

Beginning of the fourth century.

Preface

Severa, Virgin Martyr in Italy (S.) Maximus, her parent, Martyr in Italy (S.) Secunda, her parent, Martyr in Italy (S.) Marcus, brother, Martyr in Italy (S.) Calendinus, brother, Martyr in Italy (S.) About one thousand soldiers, brothers, Martyrs in Italy.

[1] Pyrgi, on the Tuscan coast between the River Caeretanum and Centumcellae, was an ancient town or stronghold, with a harbor, mentioned by most writers on Roman affairs. Its not inconsiderable ruins are seen near the town called S. Severa, The town of S. Severa: and there is a small port there capable of holding four or five triremes. Leander Albertus says of it: The monastery of S. Severa is on the coast, in the manner of a fortress. It takes its name from S. Severa, a most noble Roman Virgin, by whose martyrdom it was once ennobled, and by whose protection it is now defended.

[2] The feast of her and her companions, Philip Ferrarius recorded her feast in the general Catalogue of Saints on 29 January with these words: At Rome (that is, as he writes in the Notes, in the Roman territory near Centumcellae), of S. Severa, Virgin and Martyr, under Diocletian. The same Ferrarius also mentions her and her parents and brothers in the Catalogue of Saints of Italy. But Maurolycus recorded on 30 January: At Rome, of SS. Flavianus, Maximus, Secunda, Calendinus, Marcus, and Severa, Martyrs, of whom Maximus, together with 120 soldiers converted by him, was beheaded by order of the Emperor Maximian, and buried by Pope Marcellus. The rest suffered under Claudius, in this manner: Secunda, wife of Maximus, expired among the hands of those who seized her. Flavianus, having been converted with his family, was beheaded at Centumcellae. Finally Calendinus, Marcus, and Severa, children of Maximus, were killed with leaden scourges. Thus he, and we shall examine these in the Acts. The feast of S. Flavianus, Prefect of the City, is celebrated on 28 January. The manuscript Florarium has the following for this 29th day: And of Serena, Virgin and Martyr. Whether this is to be taken of this S. Severa, or rather of S. Serena, Virgin and Martyr, of whom we shall treat on 30 January, is not established.

[3] Acts. The Acts of these Martyrs were briefly described by Peter de Natalibus, book 3, chapter 41, but needing correction from time to time, as will be clear from the Notes. Baronius reviews the same from Peter, volume 2, at the year 298, number 14, with errors expunged. Ferrarius has the same in the Catalogue of Saints of Italy, Silvanus Razzi in the Appendix to volume 6 of the Lives of Women Illustrious for Holiness, Antonius Gallonius in his book on the Roman Virgins, William Gazaeus, and others.

ACTS FROM PETER DE NATALIBUS.

From various sources.

[1] Flavianus, Maximus, Secunda, Calendinus, Marcus, and Severa, together with many other Martyrs, suffered under the Emperors Maximian and Claudius, when Constantine the Great had already been raised to the empire by the soldiers in Gaul. S. Maximus converts soldiers: Of these, first Maximus, who was a military Count over a thousand men, a Christian from his infancy, born of Christian parents, had one hundred and twenty of his soldiers whom he had converted baptized by Pope S. Marcellus.

[2] When Maximian heard this, he had the same Maximus arrested, together with the said one hundred and twenty soldiers, with them he is condemned to the sand quarry, and condemned them to dig sand. And after nine months, when Marcus the Tribune learned that Maximus the Count had converted the rest of his soldiers, the remainder from his thousand, who had come to visit him, he had Maximus thrown into prison, he is beaten with clubs, then ordered him brought out and beaten with clubs; and while he was being beaten, the Tribune was struck blind. When the Emperor Maximian heard this and bore it ill, he had Count Maximus beheaded together with the one hundred and twenty soldiers who had been condemned to the sand quarry. The remaining soldiers of the thousand who had been converted and placed in the sand quarry he is beheaded, he ordered to be burned by flames. Their bodies were buried by Pope S. Marcellus, together with the Priest John, in the place of the Cucumber, two miles from the City.

[3] After two months Maximian died: and Claudius was raised to power at Rome; who, hearing that Secunda, the former wife of Count Maximus, was a Christian together with her children, had her seized, and her sons Calendinus and Marcus, and her daughter Severa. S. Secunda dies. When they had been brought before him, Secunda breathed forth her spirit among the hands of those who held her; and Flavianus, the Vicar of the Emperor, who was attending him, when he saw Angels who held their hands above the heads of the children of Secunda as they prayed, S. Flavianus is converted, killed, was himself converted, and was baptized by the Priest Theodore with his entire family. When the Emperor Claudius heard this, he ordered Flavianus with his entire household to be detained and brought to Centumcellae, and there all alike to be beheaded. S. Severa is killed with her brothers. But the blessed Calendinus, Marcus, and Severa, former children of Maximus, he ordered to be brought thirty-five miles from the City near the sea, and there to be beaten with leaden scourges until they breathed forth their spirits. The bodies of all of them were buried by Christians in the place called Pignus. The passion of all these Martyrs is celebrated on the fourth day before the Kalends of February.

Annotations

Notes

a. In the year of Christ 306, on 25 July, Constantius Chlorus Augustus died at York in Britain. His son Constantine took the empire in his place, content with the name of Caesar, until in the year 307 he received the title of Augustus from Maximian Herculeus, the former Augustus, and took Fausta, his daughter, as his wife. It is worth noting here the great carelessness in Peter and his ignorance of chronology. For Maximian Herculeus laid down the empire with Diocletian in the year of Christ 304. Galerius Maximianus Armentarius resided in Illyricum, with Italy committed to the Caesar Severus and the East to Galerius Maximinus, his sister's son; afterward in the year 306 Maxentius, son of Herculeus, was proclaimed Emperor by the Praetorian soldiers. But Claudius held the empire much earlier, from 21 March 268 to the year 270. Baronius writes that these events occurred when Herculeus returned to Rome from Africa, where he had subdued the Quinquegentanae nations, and built the Baths of Diocletian. These events perhaps began then, but what is said about the death of Severa and her brothers was done either under Armentarius, or more likely under Maxentius.

b. Baronius reads Marcellinus; as if Marcellus could not have performed such pious works even before his pontificate.

c. Similar works of his are mentioned above in the Life of S. Marcellus, 16 January. His feast is celebrated on 18 August.

d. The Clivus Cucumeris was the name of an ancient cemetery on the Salarian Way, two miles from the City, concerning which Baronius speaks in his Notes for 17 June.

e. Herculeus was killed at Marseilles in the year 310, Armentarius was destroyed by a foul disease the following year; they paid the penalty for the shedding of Christian blood. But who is this Claudius raised to the empire? We judge that the events narrated henceforth were done under Maxentius.

f. Baronius and Ferrarius write Calendius.

g. Baronius: before the Judge, during the questioning, she rendered her spirit to God.

h. The same: having seen the splendor of a heavenly messenger appearing above the heads of the children.

i. This Claudius was perhaps a Prefect under the Emperor Maxentius.

ACTS FROM PETER DE NATALIBUS.

Notes

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