Martyrs Stercorius

ON THE HOLY MARTYRS

STERCORIUS, CLEMENS, AND JULIANUS

From the Hieronymian sources.

St. Stercorius, Martyr. St. Clemens, Martyr. St. Julianus, Martyr.

BY THE AUTHOR J. B. S.

We have already sufficiently indicated that the names are changed, dislocated, and repeated from the tablet of the preceding day, especially from that class which we there said could be referred to the companions of St. Athenogenes, whose name too, differently truncated, we have already exhibited. This you will perceive more clearly from the whole class enumerated, of which only the first three Martyrs, and that only somewhat timidly, we have here announced. The text of Florentinius thus has: "And elsewhere, the birthday of St. Stercorius, Clemens, Julianus, Charito, Emeritus, Sterce, Sticianus." Either I am greatly mistaken, or these last four are repeated from the said tablet of the preceding day, where Charito, Emerita for Emeritus, Stercatius, and Statianus seem to be plainly the same names. That in other codices "Suticianus" is read is, without doubt, another hallucination and corruption of the amanuensis. All which being weighed, this place could be given only to the three alone expressed above by us, of whom the middle one, namely Clemens, among his holy Clements on this day our Oldoinus reported.

ON THE HOLY MARTYRS

FLORENTIUS AND FELIX

At Forconium in the Vestini of Italy.

St. Florentius, Martyr at Forconium in the Vestini of Italy. St. Felix, Martyr at Forconium in the Vestini of Italy.

J. B. S.

The memory of these two Martyrs is thus announced in today's Roman: "At Forconium in the Vestini, of the holy martyrs Florentius and Felix of Siponto," no Calendars being assigned whence they were taken: this only Baronius noted, that these two are of the number of those 83 soldiers, of whom it is treated on the day before this. Whether from the ancient Martyrologies that number 83 of the martyr-soldiers is sufficiently certain, there is reason to doubt; so that from that class these two, Florentius and Felix, easily allow themselves to be taken out. And indeed their Acts, altogether connected with the Acts of St. Justa, virgin and martyr, daughter of St. Florentius, five copies of which are extant among us in Manuscripts, are so composed that from them you understand at least this, that neither of these Martyrs ever followed military service. Let us say that they are of that class of Acts which need at the least a prudent examination. But since they pertain chiefly to St. Justa, and her festivity is solemnly observed in the collegiate church dedicated to her at Aquila on the 1st of August, we thought that the discussion of the aforesaid Acts should be remitted thither, here describing only those things which concerning the holy Florentius and Felix from them, according to the mind of Baronius, Ferrari contracted in this manner: "Florentius and Felix, soldiers of Siponto, of the number of 83 who at Amiternum obtained the palm of martyrdom for Christ, the chief of that cohort, who, as they were most closely joined by lineage (for they were brothers), so also equal in the Christian religion; of whom the former was the father of St. Justa, virgin and martyr. When therefore they had come from Siponto to Chieti, and thence set out to Forconium, and had begun to preach, and were leading several to the faith, by that miracle, that they had restored sight to the blind grandson of their host Hilarius, they are denounced by the priests of the idols to the emperor Maximian. Who commands Aurelius, prefect of Forconium, to apprehend them, and to kill them refusing to venerate the gods. Wherefore he, doing the emperor's commands, orders the holy soldiers to be apprehended, and, led to the temple of Jupiter, when they would not sacrifice to it, ordered them, near the river Abellinus flowing past the city, to be beheaded on the 8th of the Kalends of August: whose bodies blessed Justin the presbyter buried there."

ON ST. HIERUSALEM, MARTYR

From the Calendars of the Greeks.

St. Hierusalem, Martyr among the Greeks.

J. P.

That holy woman is known to us from a Greek manuscript Synaxary, which our Elders found in our college of Dijon among the papers of Pierre-François Chifflet; in which she is thus commemorated: Ἡ ἁγία Ἱερουσαλὴμ ξίφει τελ. That is: "St. Hierusalem, slain by the sword." There are added these two verses:

Τομὴν κεφαλῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ φέρει, Καὶ τὸν ἄνω Ἱερουσαλὴμ βλέπει. That is: "Hierusalem endures the cutting of her head, and beholds the Jerusalem above." Which in Latin: "Hierusalem by her severed head reports her martyrdom, and beholds the roofs of the heavenly Jerusalem."

In the manuscript Synaxary of our college of Clermont at Paris, or of Père Sirmond, she is noted on the 26th of July, Appion being joined to her, as Papebroch noted on our praised Chifflet copy. In our manuscript index to the Menaea, however, both are put on this day from the Clermont one. Where, under whom, and when this Martyr suffered, we do not know.