ON SS. BENJAMIN AND BERIUS, OR VERIUS,
AND PERHAPS BENIUS, BINÆUS, AND BENEUS.
Their cult among the Greeks.
CommentaryBenjamin, among the Greeks (St.)
Berius or Verius, among the Greeks (St.)
Benius, among the Greeks (St.)
Binæus, among the Greeks (St.)
Beneus, among the Greeks (St.)
J. P.
These Saints are set down among the Greeks in a different manner and on a different day: for the Great Menaea published in print, on the present day, write thus: Τῶν ἁγίων Βενιαμὶν καὶ Βηρίου. That is: Of SS. Benjamin and Berius. But on the morrow, the excerpts from the manuscript Menaea of the Ambrosian library relate these: [These Saints are noted neither in the same manner nor on the same day in the Calendars:] Τῶν ἁγίων Βενίου καὶ Βιναίου. That is: Of SS. Benius and Binæus. The Turin codex, likewise on the morrow, supplies to us the names τῶν ἁγίων Βενιαμυιμ, *, Βενίου καὶ Βενέου. That is: Of the holy Benjamyim, Benius, and Beneus. From these announcements, if they be not corrupt, we have four Saints, set down in a different manner, although with the highest affinity of formation. I said, if the announcements be not corrupt; for which matter who would dare to make himself sponsor or surety? In Benjamin indeed there seems less difficulty; greater is in Berius, Benius, and Bineus or Binæus; which three names we so conceive, lest without sufficient necessity we multiply Saints, that they be but of one single Saint, the name being perhaps multiplied, which was somewhere written corruptly, and then transcribed with increment. Yet because this is not established for us with certainty, therefore we placed four Saints above in the title with the adverb "perhaps"; if, as certainly can happen, the several proper names, so agreeing among themselves, perhaps designate several Saints.
[2] Cult at Constantinople Further, their public veneration is confirmed by the adduced Greek Calendars, in which without doubt is designated the place where they had their cult; namely πλησίον τῶν παλατίων τοῦ Ἑβδόμου. That is: Near the palaces of the Hebdomon. Du Cange indeed notes, in Christian Constantinople, book 4, page 120, from the Menaea on this day, the 29th of July, that the feast and memory of SS. Benjamin and Verius is celebrated in that place; but, he adds, whether in a church dedicated to them, is uncertain. Of the Hebdomon the same author treats in the same work, book 2, page 172, and elsewhere, as may be seen in his index to Christian Constantinople. More things which we might observe concerning these Saints are not at hand.
Annotations* perhaps Βενιαμὶν Benjamin