ON SAINT TIMOTHEUS THE MARTYR,
BISHOP OF PRUSA IN BITHYNIA.
UNDER JULIAN.
HISTORICAL COLLECTION
From the Ms. Synaxaries of the Greeks.
Timotheus Martyr, Bishop of Prusa in Bithynia (S.)
BY THE AUTHOR D. P.
Prusa, formerly a most celebrated city of Bithynia and Episcopal, stood at the foot of Mount Olympus, as we indicated on the preceding day, the ninth of June, where we produced S. Alexander Martyr and Bishop of Prusa: Cult in the Typikon of S. Sabas on June 10; to whom we now add another Bishop, and that one much more celebrated, namely S. Timothy, also Martyr, also referred in the Typikon, bearing the name of S. Sabas, although augmented variously by later ones; from whose Saint's encomium begins this day X June the ancient Ms. Synaxary of the Church of Constantinople, which we had for some time, granted to us by the Fathers of the Paris Clermont College of the Society of Jesus, in which these things are read, with the Menaia printed referred to the second place, under the title of Memory. and Ms. Synaxary of CP. "The Contest of the Holy Hieromartyr Timothy, Bishop of Prusa. He was under Julian the Apostate, governing well the Church allotted to him, and shepherding spiritually the people in it: and abounding in all sorts of miracles, he destroyed the great dragon, who by the wickedness of the one lurking in him in that place, whence an elogium, with the memory of the slain Dragon, I mean of the meat-killing and ancient dragon, killed the men passing by, and only by his blowing destroyed cattle, and rendered impassable the road between the city of Prusa and the hot waters, by attack with the covering of the holy breads he tore through and killed. But he had his head cut off, Julian the Apostate having learned about the miracles which he wrought, and having sent and killed him. His synaxis is celebrated in his most holy martyrium, which is within the holy Hospital in Deuteron." Which I render thus in Latin.
[2] The Contest of the Holy Hieromartyr Timothy Bishop of Prusa; who, with Julian the apostate ruling, and the Oratory which he had in Deuteron. excellently administered his Church, which he had received; and refreshed the people whom he had in it with spiritual food. But excelling abundantly in various miracles, he showed his virtue against a huge dragon. This was stabling around the place, and through the malice, as is said, of the ancient and homicidal dragon, killed travelers passing through; he also slew beasts of burden by his breath alone; and finally rendered that road, which is between the city of Prusa and the Thermae, infested and impassable. This dragon Timothy, by the casting of the veil with which the consecrated breads were covered, tore apart and killed. But Julian the apostate, The same are had also in other Menaia. when he had heard about the prodigies of this man, sent someone, who killed him. His festive memory is celebrated in his most holy martyrium, which is within the pious Hospital, in Deuteron. These things there which are read the same in the Mss. Menaia of Milan of the Ambrosian Library, signed N 378 and O 148, and generally other Mss. But in the Chifflet Mss. these verses are prefixed, with allusion to the name, taken from the honor of God.
"Timothy prefers to die by the sword, / He wishes in no way to honor dishonored gods."
Timothy by the sword prefers to fall, than to give honor to gods worthy of no honor.
[3] The same Chifflet or Dijon Synaxary had given another elogium of the same Martyr also in the month of May, not a little different; which though mutilated in some words, I subjoin. "Memory of the holy holy-martyr, who is at Prusa. The same on May 26 has an elogium In the days of Julian the Apostate, there stood a Cypress delightful and beautiful near the cave on a certain highway in the middle of the hot waters of the […] But a Dragon came out from the … more frequently, and seated himself by the Cypress: and such a place was full of fear not small, and impassable. About that time, a certain faithful Empress, dwelling at Apollonias, came to the territory of Prusa: and the brothers being near learning this, sent certain blessings through Timothy to the Empress. But he having reached the Cypress, the dragon rose up to meet him. But he having prayed transferred the blessings to the wing of his cloak, and gathering the sacred linen into one in his hand, hurled it at the beast and departed. And having given the blessings he returned, in the Dijon Ms., and having found the beast dead glorified God: and having taken that sacred fabric returned to his monastery. This miracle having been everywhere noised abroad, they revered the Blessed one, as a household servant of God: which hearing Julian the Emperor, having sent to him urged him to deny Christ. But Macarius, confessing Christ to be true God, had his head cut off."
[4] This is, with words supplied by conjecture which could not be read; where the occasion of the slain Dragon is more distinctly narrated, Memory of the holy and sacred Martyr Timothy, who is at Prusa. In the days of Julian the Apostate, there stood a Cypress beautiful and aged near a cave, which is in the public way, between the Thermae … and the city. But a formidable Dragon from that same cave frequently came out, and sat by the Cypress: whence the place itself was full of no small fear, and as impassable was avoided by travelers. It happened however that at the same time a certain faithful matron, by name Basilissa, dwelling at Apollonias, (this also is a city of Bithynia, towards the borders of Phrygia and the Hellespont provinces) came to the territory of the city of Prusa: which the Brethren living nearby understanding, transmitted certain eulogiae to the same Basilissa through Timothy. But when he was coming to the Cypress, the dragon rose up against him: but he, prayer having been made, threw the eulogiae into the wing of his cloak; through the sacred napkin: and rolling up the sacred napkin in his hand, hurled it at the beast, and departed. But the eulogiae having been delivered, returning, and finding the beast extinct, he glorified God: then receiving that sacred linen, he returned to his monastery. The fame of this miracle was diffused everywhere; whence all venerated the Blessed one, as a true servant of God. Which hearing Julian the Emperor summoned him, and was forcing him to renounce Christ: but the Blessed one, confessing Christ to be true God, preferred to give his head to be cut off.
[5] That seems older, and to indicate the true natal day; Whether sometime there existed a more prolix Life of this Saint, I indeed do not know; one thing I see, that the elogium written for May, is not only more distinctly and accurately written, than other things are commonly there; but also before Prusa transferred the sacred body to Constantinople, or any part of it; and thus that Timothy was venerated in his own city on the day XXVI May, as his proper Natal day: but the day of the Translation more celebrated at Constantinople, was also made celebrated
in the churches subject to that Patriarchate, over which the translation was more festive at CP. in which previously he was not venerated; in which manner also the cult of the day X June was propagated to the Ruthenians, as can be understood from their figured Ephemeris, before Volume I of May. In addition, from that older Elogium it is recognized: that Timothy was merely a Monk, when the miracle happened: neither does either the title or the text already approved suggest more, and Hieromartyrs were called both Monks and Bishops, to whom such a laurel had befallen; The Miracle also is understood to have happened, when he was still a Monk; as in the titles of the Synaxaries I remember to have more frequently observed. Yet because all the Synaxaries on this day so constantly express the title of Bishop, it pleases to believe, that, when after the miracle wrought perhaps it happened that the Episcopate of Prusa was vacant; the Clergy and People of the city elected Timothy for themselves in place of the deceased; and on this occasion it happened, that he was more quickly made known to Julian. He however, although an apostate from the Christian faith, did not entirely renounce the provisions of the Churches, as pertaining to his cognition; on which account he was made Bishop by lot. as appears from the many Bishops, whom either expelled by the Arians he restored to their Sees, or he himself by his own motion expelled: and so perhaps the Saint bore martyrdom before he was ordained.
[6] The Hospital of Deuteron where he was venerated, when founded. The place of his passion does not seem to have been Prusa itself; unless perhaps going off to Persia Julian passed through there; at Prusa however the body was kept, and venerated as of a Martyr: until it, or part of it, was translated to Constantinople, I know not by whom or when. Probably however we can conjecture, that this was done by the founder of the new Hospital in Deuteron: which place to have been in the twelfth region of the city next to the Melandesian gate, near the Golden, Gyllus shows in book 4 chapter 4 of the Topography of Constantinople. But the most learned Cangius shows Codinus to have trifled, when he sought the origin of the name of Deuteron from Justinianus Rhinotmetus, having started to reign there a second time; for of it Procopius of Gaza makes mention, in book 1 on the Buildings of Justinian the Elder, who preceded that Junior by a whole hundred years, just as Procopius himself, often performed his embassies. I would also believe that not very ancient is that Hospital, of which there is no mention in Codinus in the Origins of Constantinople. But because the age of this still escapes us, I shall only dare say, that to the 9th or 10th century at least that foundation must be ascribed, since the Ruthenians, who received from the Greeks Timothy to be venerated on the day X June, embraced the Christian faith in the 10th century.
[7] Cardinal Sirletus, when for Baronius's sake about to recognize and augment the Roman Martyrology, had hastily composed in Latin from the Greek Synaxaries some Menology; among many other things in hastening he wrongly translated; he also rendered the very place, which first instituted the cult of Timothy, doubtful to Baronius, when he wrote thus: His city is Prusa, not Prusias: At Prusias of the most holy Martyr Timothy Bishop of the same city, who under Julian the Emperor the apostate, while he ruled his church well, and was illustrious for the fame of many miracles, the distinction of them. was beheaded by Julian the deserter of the Christian faith, whose day is celebrated in his most holy martyrium. The error, into which Sirletus stumbled, long ago coming forth Stephanus of Cities meets, Prusa differs from Prusias, he says; and Ptolemy places this on the Hypus river; the other, of which we here treat, at Mount Olympus of Mysia; Strabo near the bay which is next to the Astacene bay, which comes nearly to the same: but further toward the East stands the Meriandinian Bay, into which the Hypius flows. The same cities and their site Philippus de la Rue also excellently distinguished, in the new map of Asia Minor, edited at Paris in the year 1652: but he calls both city Prusa, which is also done in the maps added to Ptolemy. But Saint Timothy in all ancient Mss. and printed is called Ἐπίσκοπος τῆς Προύσης Bishop of Prusa: who similarly by Genebrardus in the Greek Calendar, and by Molanus in the Auctarium of Usuardus, is also surnamed Bishop of Prusa and Martyr. But Baronius when in the text of the Roman Martyrology he had placed "of Prusias," in his Notes wrote "at Prusa."
[8] Some relics of a Timothy at Bologna, Masinus in Bologna Surveyed mentions of this man, as if some of his relics were preserved in the church of S. Stephen: but it would be very difficult to prove, that those relics are of S. Timothy killed in Bithynia. In the Syrian Calendar printed at Rome in the year 1624, is referred S. Timothy, with two thousand Companions. But him I think to have suffered in Syria with his companions, but placed today by those, who were ignorant of the proper day: if however it is certain enough, and another with 2000 companions, perhaps in Syria. that someone of his name suffered with so many companions. But then it would follow, that such a slaughter pertains to some persecution by gentile Emperors of the 3rd or 4th century. For Julian did not so publicly rage, as to make thousands of Martyrs at once: but for the most part another pretext being sought, as in our Timothy he could pretend the injury inflicted on the Dragon, in whom Julian more willingly recognized something divine than in Christ, according to the custom of the Gentiles, whose superstitions he wished to restore, and on that account to seem glorious.
ON SAINT BENJAMIN,
MARTYR HONORED BY THE GREEKS.
Collection from the Ms. Synaxary of Constantinople.
Benjamin M. honored by the Greeks (S.)
G. H.
That very often praised ancient Ms. Synaxary of the Church of Constantinople, pertaining to the College of the Society of Jesus at Paris, after the report of the elogium of S. Timothy Bishop of Prusa, crowned with martyrdom under Julian the apostate, has these words: "On the same day. The contest of the holy Martyr Benjamin." The contest of the holy Martyr Benjamin. The rest is missing. The Martyr could have died under earlier Gentile Emperors, because that S. Timothy is placed before him, can be ascribed to his more celebrated cult: wherefore concerning the time of martyrdom we determine nothing, not even by divining.