Three Anonymous Martyrs of Melitene

ON THE THREE ANONYMOUS MARTYRS OF MELITENE.

Cult among the Greeks.

Perhaps under Diocletian.

The Three anonymous Martyrs of Melitene, among the Greeks (SS.)

J. P.

These three Wrestlers of Christ are attributed to the Mazarine Synaxarium: to whom, in the Chiffletian, after their announcement, is appended this distich:

Οἱ ἅγιοι τρεῖς Μάρτυρες, οἱ ἐν Μελιτίνῃ ὑπὸ δημίων κατὰ πετρῶν σύρομηνοι τελ.

That is: The holy three Martyrs, Those martyrs who at Melitene, dragged over the rocks by the executioners, consummated their martyrdom:

Δώσουσι φωνὴν ἐκ μέσου πετρῶν ἅμα, Τὸ τῆς Γραφῆς, τρεῖς θνήσκομην σεσυρομήνοι.

That is: They will give a voice from the midst of the rocks together, as the Scripture says: We three die, dragged along. The poet alludes to that of Psalm 103, verse 12: From the midst of the rocks they shall give voices.

[2] To whom, of the various Martyrs of Melitene, they seem chiefly to be referred. Of the most numerous band of Martyrs of Melitene in Armenia under Diocletian the Roman Martyrology treats at September 5; of whom three are mentioned by name, Eudoxius, Zeno, Macarius; but of four sacred bodies carried to Constantinople and found in the times of the emperor Justinian, who was cured by their benefit of a deadly disease, Baronius treats in his notes. Of the Armenian Martyrs who suffered under the same persecution, the praised author, treating at the year 311, recounts various ones crowned with martyrdom at Melitene, among whom are named Hiero, Nicander, Hesychius, and thirty others under Lysias the governor. Whether our three unnamed ones are extracted hither from these or the aforesaid, is not established. But no one, as I think, will gainsay, if by our three anonymous ones are rather understood three others, who are there named, who suffered under the same persecution, the kind of death not being expressed,

Polyeuctus, Victor, and Donatus … noble soldiers; although others report that their contest happened at Caesarea, as Baronius there adds.