ON S. BASILLA ON THE SALARIAN WAY, AND SS. CRISPOLUS AND RESTITUTUS, ON THE NOMENTAN WAY,
ROMAN MARTYRS.
CRITICAL COMMENTARY.
Distinguishing SS. Basilla and Restitutus from other synonyms.
Basilla, Roman Martyr (S.)
Crispolus, Roman Martyr (S.)
Restitutus, Roman Martyr (S.)
BY THE AUTHOR D. P.
[1] We join these Roman Martyrs, having suffered on XI June, about whom some things are disputed, whether they seem to belong to other days; but such a doubt will more conveniently be satisfied, when what is found about these Saints in the ancient Martyrologies, we have indicated. And first the most ancient apograph of the Hieronymian Martyrology of the Epternacens monastery, has these in the first place; Their sacred memory in ancient Fasti. "III Ides of June at Rome the nativity of S. Basila. Likewise at Rome of Crispolus and Restitutus." Behold how all are accurately attributed to Rome, but under a certain disjunction, as will soon be said. In three other apographs of the same Hieronymian Martyrology, Corbey, Lucca and Blumian, these are read: "III Ides of June, at Rome the nativity of S. Basilla, and of SS. Chrispolus, Restitutus." The Martyrology Ms. of Cardinal Barberini has thus: "At Rome the deposition of S. Basilla and SS. Crispulus and Restitutus." Which without distinction are thus read in the Mss. Richenoviensis and Rhinoviensis: "At Rome of Basilla, Crispulus, Restitutus." But with Rome omitted, are thus found in Mss. Casinensis and Altempsianus: "S. Basillae, and SS. Crispulus and Restitutus." Mss. Florentine of the Grand Duke and of Senator Strozzi, and another under the name of Ado, with the Florentine Martyrology of the year 1486, thus all refer: "At Rome on the Salarian Way of S. Basilla Virgin in her own cemetery, likewise at Rome of SS. Crispolus and Restitutus." Which are thus read in the old Ms. of the Queen of Sweden published through Holstenius: "At Rome on the Salarian Way the nativity of S. Asella (rather Basilla), and on the Nomentan Way the nativity of SS. Crispolus and Restitutus." Ms. Aquisgranensis: "Of Basilla in her own cemetery." Ms. Vatican of S. Peter: "At Rome the nativity of S. Basilla, and the nativity of S. Crispulus." Mss. Augustan and some Parisian: "At Rome of Restitutus." In the Auctarium of Ado printed and Mss. Laurentine at Liège, and Trier of S. Maximinus, and Ms. Florarium another Saint is added with these words: "At Rome the nativity of SS. Basilla and Basilissa, and of SS. Crispolus and Restitutus." Which about the two first are also read in the Ms. Liège of S. Lambert.
[2] Basilla today referred, These things we have accurately collected from various Martyrologies; through which we believe the one today referred is best distinguished from Basilla, or rather Basilissa, together with Aureus or Aurea, Nuscia or Nusca, buried in the said cemetery of S. Basilla, and referred on the XX day of May. And this one perhaps, of whom we now treat, previously buried in another place, afterwards was translated to the place which was previously called of S. Hermes, then from Protus and Hyacinthus buried in the same place was so called; at last from his last and most famous deposition there, made on XXII September, took its name, when there was being written a certain old, not so much Martyrology (as it pleased Bucherius to call it) as an indication of the chief festivities only in the Roman cemeteries under the earth, and on 22 Sept. translated to the Cemetery of S. Hermes, of which the catalogue the author seems to have woven, separately from the other festivities of the Roman Basilicas which otherwise would have been incomparably greater in number, when these only thirty-five are reckoned. The author seems to have lived in the middle of the fourth century, under the Pontificate of Liberius. For he explains, what Roman Bishops, in which cemeteries, were then held buried through the hundred preceding years, from Pope Lucius, who died in the year CCLV, until Julius, who died in the year CCCLIII.
[3] She is said to have suffered in the year 304 But the parchments, in which these things were contained, Bucherius had from our Bolland, and inserted in his Commentary on the Paschal Canon of Victorius p. 267, where to confirm our conjecture it is thus read:
"In the month of August, the Fifth Kalends of September, of Hermes in (the cemetery) of Basilla, on the old Salarian. In the month of September, the third of the Ides, of Protus and Hyacinth in (the cemetery) of Basilla. On the tenth Kalends of October, of Basilla on the old Salarian, in the Consulship of Diocletian the IXth and Maximian the VIIIth."
Which particularly ascribed to this Saint, when a similar note is added to no other here, is not without mystery; and makes the suspicion, that the author was from the guardians of this church and cemetery, and therefore was occupied with special care about this her festivity; her and S. Hermes's church restored in the 8th century because he did not have the purpose to indicate festivals to be celebrated above ground in churches, among which would have been the nativity of S. Basilla on this day XI June. These Consuls note the year of the vulgar era CCCIV: by which if the time of martyrdom is indicated, as I think is indicated; this Basilla had nothing common with S. Eugenia; granting that she (as in her fabulous Acts is said) truly suffered under Gallienus, with her Eunuchs Protus and Hyacinthus. She however seemed to the author of those Acts apt, to sustain a role in the comedy adorned by him, on account of the common burial with the aforesaid. Therefore I shall not here refer, what on XX May, I did not wish to give as excerpts from the aforesaid Acts, as all suspect of fiction, and to be more accurately examined with the Acts of S. Eugenia: but from Anastasius the Librarian I shall note, that Hadrian Pope I renewed the Basilica of the cemetery of SS. Hermes, Protus and Hyacinthus, and Basilla, of wondrous magnitude, which had probably first been founded in the time of Constantine the Great. The Basilica and that cemetery, as under the villa of our Society outside the Pincian gate, at the second mile from the city, are today seen, Aringhus most accurately describes book 4 ch. 37; and from the fragments of marble found there demonstrates, they were of SS. Hermes and Basilla, as also Peter Mantius calls it, enumerating the Roman cemeteries.
[4] Body translated to S. Praxedis in the 9th century. Previously namely ch. 34, the same Aringhus had said, that the body of S. Basilla, raised from the cemetery, into the church of S. Praxedis by Paschal Pope I was translated; certainly not many years after the renewed Basilica; since Hadrian began in the year DCCLXXII, Paschal died in the year DCCCXXIIII. Aringhus adds, that of this translation the faith to readers is made by a title sculpted on marble there. This must be of recent sculpture: for neither Ugonius On the Roman Stations Station XLI, nor Pancirolius On the Roman Churches, nor any other has mentioned any title, in which the name of S. Basilla may be read; and the same Ugonius, enumerating the Relics of that Church individually, passes over Basilla; Pancirolius so named Basilla with others, whose bodies rest there, that he says nothing of the author or time of translation. Asked by me about that tablet in the year MDCLXXXI, the then very R. P. Leander, now Most Eminent of the H. R. C. Cardinal Coloredus, betook himself to the place, and inspected the tablet, and detected it, although by gypsum drawn over it seems marble, to be in truth wooden, situated near the chapel of the most holy Column: the inscription however, although it bears something of antiquity, does not seem to be earlier than the beginning of this century. Moreover, for this cause and from ancient tradition, there the Office is made of S. Basilla, as if in body present.
[5] About SS. Crispulus and Restitutus, named with S. Basilla, it can first be disputed, whether this S. Restitutus should not be referred to the day XXIX May, on which day we have given his Acts, Another Restitutus on 29 May. from the old Roman Ms. of the Church of S. Maria Maggiore, for here also he is said to be buried on the Nomentan Way. But he is referred alone there; here a companion is added Crispolus: and in the same ancient Mss. the name referred on each day seems to indicate two different ones: certainly there could have been two Restituti buried on the Nomentan Way, as two Basillae on the Salarian Way. We confess however, since in the chief fasti on this day no mention is made of such a burial, it could be that it was added here by posterity, on the occasion of other Saints. We have however placed it in the title, that in the ancient ones at least some separation may be indicated of S. Basilla from SS. Crispolus and Restitutus, although other causes too can be devised of such a separation.