ON THE HOLY MARTYRS OF SIRMIUM
OSTRATUS OR SOSTRATUS, SPIRUS, ERACLIUS, EPERENTIUS, AND CECILIA.
From the Hieronymian Martyrologies.
CommentaryOstratus or Sostratus, Martyr at Sirmium (S.)
Spirus, Martyr at Sirmium (S.)
Eraclius, Martyr at Sirmium (S.)
Eperentius, Martyr at Sirmium (S.)
Cecilia, Martyr at Sirmium (S.)
J. B. S.
No small diversity occurs among the Hieronymian copies concerning the Martyrs proposed in the title, whom we have received from the most ancient Epternach and the Corbie of Florentinius, marking concordantly: On the eighth before the Ides of July. At Sirmium, the birthday of Ostratus, Spirus, Eraclius, and Eperentius, of Cecilia, which we think to be the true announcement, as Florentinius does not dare to deny, sufficiently noticing that there is some confusion in the roster of this day in his Lucca codex, when he thus reads: At Nicæa, of Sustratus, Sperus, Eraclius. In Austria, the passion of St. Kilian. In Sirminia, of the holy Perentius, Ceciria. Nor can Notker bring light to these, nor the lesser Hieronymian Martyrologies, too confused in the names of some Martyrs. The Corbie-Achery does not treat of Kilian; yet also at the beginning it places the Nicene class with the Lucca, which we do not see to be rightly marked there, since afterward follows a larger handful of Nicenes, with whom those three, Sustratus, Sperus, and Eraclius, could be joined, if they truly pertained to Nicæa. To decide or define the matter outright is not so easy; but the authority of our two codices, especially the most ancient Epternach, seems to be preferred to the others, which are more imperfect.