ON SS. CYPRILLA OR CYRILLA, LUCIA, AND AROA, MARTYRS
AT CYRENE IN LIBYA.
ABOUT THE BEGINNING OF THE FOURTH CENTURY.
A Historical Collection.
Cyprilla or Cyrilla, Martyr at Cyrene in Libya (S.)
Lucia, Martyr at Cyrene in Libya (S.)
Aroa, Martyr at Cyrene in Libya (S.)
J. P.
Among the other victims slain for Christ, the holy martyr Cyprilla, or Cyrilla, claims for herself no lowly place, who, first mangled with monstrous torments, at last having gone through her glorious contest, ennobled the city of Cyrene in Libya with her glorious blood. Her cult, The Roman Martyrology reckons her birthday in these words: At Cyrene in Libya, St. Cyrilla, who in the persecution of Diocletian long held burning coals with incense placed upon her hand, lest, by shaking off the embers, she should seem to have offered incense: then, mangled, and empurpled with her own blood, she went forth to meet her Spouse.
[2] François Lahier in his Menology published in French says that Cyrilla is wrongly written in the Roman Martyrology, the formation of the name, appealing to the Greek Menologia and Menaea; and I approve his correction; since in all the Greek exemplars, to be mentioned shortly, which it was permitted to consult, everywhere constantly Cyprilla is written, except the Menaea of the Ambrosian library, where Cyrilla is read. The birthday of our Martyr is read in the Chifflet Menaeum without elogium, but on the fourth of this month. But on this fifth day she is constantly marked by Maximus, bishop of Cythera, in the Menology of Sirletus, as also in the printed Menaea, with an elogium. The same Lahier transcribed into his French Menology almost the elogium of the printed Menaea, translated either by himself or by another, and moderately amplified. To the said elogium of the Menaea are prefixed the two following little verses, with a certain graceful charm, arising from the affinity of syllables in the words κυπρίζων and κυπρίλλα. Thus they sound:
Βότρυς κυπρίζων Κυπρίλλα τῷ Κυρίῳ, Ἐξ αἱμάτων στάζουσα οἰνανθοσμίαν,
Cyprilla, a flowering cluster to the Lord, dripping the delights of wine from her poured-out blood.
[3] In the Basilian Menology she is reported to have suffered under Diocletian; but in the printed Menaea under the governor Dignianus; the time of the martyrdom, which notes of time agree well enough. Baronius attached the martyrdom to the year 310. Lucia and Aroa in the Basilian are called holy women. From this title the printed Menaea abstain; in which, however, they are related to have been accused before the governor Dignianus, to have appeared before him, and to have confessed Christ as God. The memory of Lucia and Aroa is also marked in the said Menaeum of Chifflet, but on the fourth of this month. Whether they were companions of Cyprilla in martyrdom, I do not there read. Nor indeed did Lahier read it either in the great Menaea, as he calls them, nor in the Menology; although he says it is credible that they too suffered, for the reason that they had confessed the faith; and for that cause he mentions that he reckons them as companions of St. Cyprilla. The same author, for Aroa, as it is written in the printed Menaea, the Basilian Menology, and the Chifflet Menaeum, reads Roa.
[4] In the supplement to the printed Menaea from the Synaxary of Sirmond and the manuscript of Chifflet, on the fourth of this month, in the elogium of Theodore bishop of Cyrene, of whom, shut up in prison for the confession of Christ, they had been the ministers, our holy women are called; concerning which matter consult the said elogium on the fourth of this month. From the same source it is also gathered that Lucia and Aroa were slain for the faith of Christ; which I conclude from this period torn from thence: Μαθὼν ταῦτα ὁ Ἡγεμὼν, καὶ ὅτι ὁ Λούκιος χριστιανὸς γέγονε, προσέταξεν ἀναιρεθῆναι τὰς ἁγίας Λουκίαν καὶ Ἀρόαν καὶ Κυπρίλλαν. The Governor, when he had learned these things, and that Lucius had become a Christian, ordered the holy Lucia and Aroa and Cyprilla to be killed. And that is clearly plain from the little verses in the cited Supplement, which for the greater confirmation of the matter I transcribe here:
Γονοι Κυπρίλλαν πρὸς πάλην τὸν πρὸς ξέσεις, Ὁ συμπαλαίσας Ἰακὼβ Θεὸς πάλαι. Ἔδειξεν ἡμῖν Ἀρόα καὶ Λουκία, Ὡς καὶ κόραι σθενοῦσιν καρτερεῖν ξίφος.
For the harsh struggle against the scrapings, may God strengthen thee, Cyrilla, whom of old we knew to have wrestled with Jacob. Aroa and Lucia showed us that even maidens are strong to endure the sword.
These things set forth, I render the elogium of the Martyr Cyprilla from the Basilian Menology:
[5] elogium from the Basilian Menology. Cyprilla, Martyr of Christ, was of the city of Cyrene, in the reign of Diocletian. Born of Christian parents, she lived joined to a husband two years. Her husband being dead, she remained in widowhood eight and twenty years. But when Theodore, the most holy bishop of Cyrene, was shut up in prison, since it happened that she herself suffered pain in her head, she came to him for the sake of health; and, being healed, she served him with Lucia and Aroa, holy women. But afterward, Theodore being taken from among the living, she, being brought before the Governor, and having confessed Christ, was first beaten; then, coals being placed upon her hand, she was compelled by the lictors, holding her hand, to offer incense to the gods. But she cried out: This is not a voluntary sacrifice; for I sacrifice to my Christ. And having thus spoken, she was hung upon a tree, and, being scraped, she gave up her spirit.
[6] and from the printed Menaea. The elogium adorned for our Martyr in the Greek Menaea scarcely differs from what has already been produced, if you except the following, namely, that from her wounds, as she hung on the rack and was scraped, blood; but from her breasts milk flowed down like a river; and she herself, fainting in spirit, gave up her spirit to the Lord. Whom the Governor ordered to be buried by the holy women; who did it with a most sweet harmony of psalms. But at once from her tomb there overflowed a certain liquid like dew, a present medicine for the cure of all diseases.