ON THE HOLY ROMAN MARTYRS
ACONTIUS AND NONNUS
From the Hieronymian sources.
CommentarySt. Acontius, Martyr at Rome. St. Nonnus, Martyr at Rome.
BY THE AUTHOR J. B. S.
Besides St. James the Apostle, St. Christopher, and, in the Corbie codex, St. Cucuphas, these two only Martyrs I find in the Hieronymian tablets who seem able to be reported safely and certainly on this day; if indeed to it belongs their true deposition or birthday, These two alone and not rather some translation; since in the ancient Calendar, formerly published by Bucherius, and by us again in volume 7 of June, these very same names are expressly expressed on the Nones of September: unless we confess that there were others of the same name, as it is most well known from what has been so often said and repeated to have happened frequently in very many others. The rest which are added in the text of Florentinius, namely "of Agathe of his nativity"; likewise "And elsewhere the birthday of St. Stercorius, etc.," seem to be almost the very same which we set forth more fully concerning St. Athenogenes and his companions on the preceding day. In the Epternach codex the names of James, Agatho are repeated and transposed, as also the following. In the Corbie no less confusion: James, Agatho, Donativus, Suavis. Then; Stercorius, Clemens, Julianus, etc., concerning which elsewhere you would seek some light in vain.
[2] rightly marked from the Hieronymian tablet. Moreover, concerning our two the aforesaid codices thus on this day. The Lucca ones: "At the Port of the city of Rome, the birthday of holy Acontius, Nonnus," with which the Blumian codex agrees. The Epternach: "At Rome, the port, the birthday of Cantus and Nonnus." But the Corbie: "At the port of the city of Rome, the birthday of holy Acontius, Nonnus." Among the contracted codices there are those in which is written Acanthus and Acontrus. In the Rheinau, Augsburg, and Auxerre only Acontius is put: in the Reichenau, however, the Labbean, and that of the Queen of Sweden both are distinctly reported, Acontius and Nonnus, which reading I judged to be preferred to the rest. Nor indeed do the observations of Florentinius prove anything, so that either those names should be changed, or two applied to one single martyr, or finally a proper name transmuted into an appellative; so that accordingly I judge them, as different persons, rightly registered and formed: which alone can here be required, since concerning their age or deeds nothing has been handed down to memory.