ON THE HOLY MARTYRS
DEMOCRITUS, SECUNDUS, DIONYSIUS, AND THYRSUS,
MORE PROBABLY IN AFRICA.
From the Hieronymian Martyrologies.
CommentaryDemocritus, Martyr, more probably in Africa (St.)
Secundus, Martyr, more probably in Africa (St.)
Dionysius, Martyr, more probably in Africa (St.)
Thyrsus, Martyr, more probably in Africa (St.)
J. B. S.
The things which we left undecided in the Observations on Usuard on this day—both concerning the true arena of these holy Martyrs, and concerning the fourth companion to be joined to the three former, although in Usuard he is not expressed—What was doubtful concerning the arena, must now be weighed a little more diligently. In the Usuardine text it is read most expressly thus: In the city of Sinnada, of the holy Democritus, Secundus, and Dionysius: where, whether Usuard studiously drew it away from the region, though it be not altogether clear, certainly he did not dare to ascribe the Martyrs either to Phrygia or to Africa; so that it deservedly remains to be asked whether Baronius transformed the Usuardine text rightly enough, writing thus: In Phrygia Pacatiana, of the holy Democritus, Secundus, and Dionysius—which announcement he nowhere found in any Martyrology known to me at least, whereas rather in the classical ones which made mention of the Saints, as in Rabanus and Notker, it is expressly given: In Africa, in the city of Sinnada, as also all the greater Hieronymian codices note, excepting only the Epternach one, in which an unskilled amanuensis has doubtless fashioned Phrygia out of Africa—that such transmutations not rarely occur in that codex is most well known from things very often said elsewhere. What of the fact that Bede too, in the Plantin edition, places four Martyrs in Africa?
[2] Moreover, how much the codices—not only the Hieronymian, but also nearly all the rest—differ among themselves in assigning the place of the contest, as Florentinius once observed, it now seems able to be resolved, you will understand from the enumeration in the most illustrious bishop of Otranto in his topographical disquisition on the Roman Martyrology: for some write Synnada, others Cinnada, then Sindana, Sinenda, Sinnenda, Synoda, Cinoda, Summanda, Sumada; yet in such a way that the region added everywhere and throughout savors not of Phrygia but of Africa, so that accordingly the true arena is to be sought not in Asia, but in that other part of the world; where, if not under that form, certainly under some form closely approaching it, a place is to be found to which the Saints may be attributed, which the praised Florentinius assigned aptly enough, by substituting for Synnada the neighboring African city Sinita. In the Carthaginian collation indeed, he says, and in Victor of Utica, the place Sinitensis is expressed in Africa. Synica and the Synicensian bishopric was in Africa, which St. Augustine mentions in book 2, chapter 8, and the Sinistensian tract the same mentions in epistle 128 to Donatus.
[3] by attributing the Saints not to Phrygia but to Africa; Then he subjoins: To the same Augustine Africa is full of the bodies of holy Martyrs, as Galesinius here notes, and in our older manuscript they nearly abound above the rest of other regions, so that it would not be difficult to claim these too for Africa, not Phrygia: which indeed, considering the authority of our codices, cannot but seem far more probable. Besides that this argument also accrues, certainly not ungrounded: for since these Martyrs seem illustrious enough, if they were truly Phrygians, nay even merely Asiatics, they do not seem likely to be so easily passed over by the Greeks, those diligent collectors of Saints of this sort; while meanwhile neither the Menæa, nor the Menologia, nor other Greek monuments are known ever to have brought forth their memory. It cannot therefore be turned to fault in us that, leaving the text of the Roman Martyrology, we have judged it should be restored according to the trustworthiness of the more ancient codices, in the manner in which in the title both the names and the number of the Saints and the arena itself are more probably expressed.
[4] and by adding a fourth companion. Now, that we may say a few things also about St. Thyrsus: it is no more doubtful whether he is to be joined to the three others, than that which we have shown in a plainly probable manner, that all are to be attributed not to Phrygia but to Africa, and to be vindicated more probably not to Synnada, an unknown city of Africa, but to Sinita. Thyrsus therefore, or Tyrsus, we have judged should be ascribed to the text, and those words consequently rejected which Florentinius read in the manuscript of the Queen of Sweden, and likewise Holstenius in his Animadversions, At Tyre in Syria, of Tirsus—which words in our manuscript of St. Columba, which we call the Queen of Sweden's and published in the seventh volume of June; which, I say, are not found in that manuscript, but rather the reading preferred by us is confirmed, that Africa is to be substituted for Phrygia, for thus it is there expressly held: In Africa, in the city of Sinnada, the birth of the holy Democritus, Secundus, Dionysius, and Tirus: where it is clear enough that Tirsi should be read, whence other contracted codices could be led into error, so that they thought Tyre to be the arena. Concerning the four companions Rabanus and Notker remove all doubt, when they announce thus: In Africa, in the city of Sinnada, the birthday of the holy Democritus, Secundus, Dionysius, Thyrsus.