ON THE HOLY MONKS, THE ABRAMITE MARTYRS,
AT CONSTANTINOPLE.
IN THE YEAR 832.
Historical Sylloge.
The Abramite Monks, Martyrs, at Constantinople (SS.)
J. P.
[1] Among other monasteries built at Constantinople, one is mentioned, named after Abrahamius or the Abramites; whose antiquity, namely that it stood before the middle of the sixth century, is had from the subscription of Alexander with the other Hegumens of the city of Constantinople, The Abramite Monks, whence so called; in the Council of Constantinople, action 5; where the said Alexander, by the mercy of God Presbyter and Archimandrite of the monastery of St. Abraam (in Greek it is Ἀβρααμίου, that is, of Abrahamius) subscribed and delivered. More will Du Cange give in Constantinopolis Christiana, book 4, page 117. That monastery gave the name of Abramites to the Monk Martyrs of whom we here treat; whom we judged should be inserted in our Acts, relying on the sole authority of the Roman Martyrology, passed over by the other Martyrologists, both Latin and Greek. So they are today announced there: At Constantinople, the passion of the holy Abrahamite Monks, who, resisting the Emperor Theophilus for the cult of the holy images, consummated their martyrdom.
[2] Whence they were inserted into these sacred tables, we gather from the notes to the Roman Martyrology, inserted into the Roman Martyrology which cite no author except only Cedrenus. I give his words, from the version of the new impression of the royal printing-house of Paris, page 519: Of these, who freely resisted the wicked machinations of the Emperor Theophilus, the chief were the Abramite monks, who, freely coming forward into his sight, demonstrated from the sayings of the holy Fathers, namely the great Dionysius, Hierotheus, and Irenaeus, that the monastic manner of living and institution had not lately existed, but was most ancient; and that the sacred images had been familiar even to the Apostles themselves; since both Luke, the divine Apostle, painted the form of the Mother of God, and Christ the Lord, and our God, left to us the effigy of Himself impressed on a linen cloth, wrought by no ministry of hand.
[3] from Cedrenus. In this manner those most divine men, when they had refuted the ignorance and savagery of the tyrant, on account of their supreme freedom of speech suffered many torments and tortures, and were also banished from the city into exile. Who, when they had come to the shrine of John the Baptist, which is surnamed the Terrible, and is situated on the Euxine sea, being utterly worn out by the strokes of scourges, departed into the company of the heavenly ones. Their bodies, unburied, cast upon the ground, remained a very long time entire. Until certain pious persons buried them, and honored them with the same honor as the Martyrs of Christ. Thus Cedrenus; with whom word for word agrees the Continuator of Constantine Porphyrogenitus, book 3, number 11. Baronius refers the sacred triumphs of these Martyrs to the year 832.