ON SS. ANTHIMUS THE PRESBYTER, AND STEPHEN, AMONG THE GREEKS.
Notice from Greek Mss. and Menaia.
Anthimus Presbyter, among the Greeks (S.)
Stephen, among the Greeks (S.)
G. H.
What we had from our Parisians of the Clermont college conceded for a time, the very ancient Ms. Synaxarium of the Church of Constantinople, on this 7th day has these things: Μνήμη τῶν ὁσίων Πατέρων ἡμῶν Ἀνθίμου Πρεσβητέρου καὶ Στεφάνου; "Memory of our holy Fathers, Anthimus the Presbyter and Stephen," of strenuous men, τῶν σπουδαίων; πλησίων τῶν Φλορεντίου, "near the houses of Florentius." George Codinus on the Origins of Constantinople page 59 writes that the houses of Florentius and Callistratus were constructed by two brothers so named, which after their death were changed into monasteries. Whether there these Saints lived, we cannot judge except from some congruence. About each is held some distich in the printed Menaia; and about Anthimus who, ἐν εἰρήνῃ τελειοῦται, "rested in peace," thus is prescribed to be sung, with allusion to the name Ἄνθιμος, that is, Flowery:
Ἄνθην ἐνεγκὼν Ἄνθιμος χρηστοῦ βίου, Πρὸ τῆς τελευτῆς ἀρετῶν καρπὸν φέρει;.
"Bearing the flower of a good life, Anthimus, Before his fate bears the fruit of his virtue."
And to S. Stephen, likewise sleeping in peace, this is sung:
Ἐπώνυμος Στέφανος οὗ φορεῖ στέφους. Ὁ πρακτικὴ χεῖρ ἀρετῶν οἶδε πλέκειν.
"Stephen bearing the name of the crown which he wears, The practical hand of virtues knows how to plait it."
In the Menaia Mss. at Dijon kept with Peter Francis Chifflet, both Stephen and Anthimus are called Presbyter. Which dignity in the Milan Ms. of the Ambrosian Library and in the Clermont cited above is given only to S. Anthimus, as we also have done: the Menaia attribute the same to neither.
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