ON THE HOLY ROMAN MARTYRS
QUIRIACUS, BLASTUS THE TRIBUNE, DIOGENES, ÆNAS, NICANDER, DOROSTOLUS, EUSICIUS, AQUILA, CANTIANUS,
AND TWO HUNDRED SIXTY-TWO OTHERS.
LIKEWISE LONGINUS AND JOANNES THE PRESBYTER,
HISTORICAL COLLECTION.
Notice of them from the Martyrologies & the Acts of SS. Marius & Martha: The body of S. Blastus & two Companions translated to Lucca.
Quiriacus, Martyr at Rome on the Salarian Way (S.)
Blastus, Martyr at Rome on the Salarian Way (S.)
Diogenes, Martyr at Rome on the Salarian Way (S.)
Ænas, Martyr at Rome on the Salarian Way (S.)
Nicander, Martyr at Rome on the Salarian Way (S.)
Dorostolus, Martyr at Rome on the Salarian Way (S.)
Eusicius, Martyr at Rome on the Salarian Way (S.)
Aquila, Martyr at Rome on the Salarian Way (S.)
Cantianus, Martyr at Rome on the Salarian Way (S.)
Longinus, Martyr at Rome on the Salarian Way (S.)
Joannes, Martyr at Rome on the Salarian Way (S.)
G. H. & D. P.
The ancient copies of the Hieronymian Martyrology begin this 17th day of June with these Saints. The most ancient one, the Epternach, has thus: On the 15th of the Kalends of July, at Rome, of Cyriacus, Blastus, Sacred cult in the ancient fasti, Diogenes, Nicander, Dorostolus, Jusicus, Aquila, Cantianus. In the Lucca Ms. are read the names of Quiriacus, Blastrus, Nicander, Ænas, Dorostolus, Isicius, Aquila, Cantus, Cantianus & Cantiana. To these the arena of Rome is set before in the Blumian copy, with the full consent of others: but the same the Corbie copy, printed at Paris, sets forth thus: At Rome, of Quiriacus, Blastus, Nicander, Enodorostolus, Isicus, Aquila, Cantus, Cantianus, Cantianella, Protus. Separately, after others, it is held: At Rome, of Diogenes; & in the already alleged Corbie, Blumian, & Lucca. The ancient Ms. of Queen Christina of Sweden sets forth this: At Rome, on the old Salarian Way, the birthday of S. Quiricus with eight others: of whom we have set forth seven by their names from the Epternach copy, but the eighth, Ænas, we have added from others. In the Ms. of the monastery of S. Cyriacus, praised elsewhere by Baronius, these are read: At Rome, of Quiriacus, Blastus, Nicander, Diogenes. The Tournai Ms. of S. Martin has this: At Rome, at the seven columns, the passion of SS. Quiriacus, Blastus & Diogenes. The Monte Cassino Ms.: At Rome, of Quiriacus, Blastus, Diogenes. The Trier Ms. of S. Maximinus: At Rome, of Quiriacus, Nicander, Eusa, Dobostolus, Blastus, Diogenes. The Aachen Ms.: At Rome, of Diogenes, Blastus & Vinicander, Quiriacus. The Florentine Mss. of the Medicean library & of Senator Strozzi: At Rome, the birthday of S. Quiriacus: likewise, at Rome on the Salarian Way at the seven columns, the birthday of S. Diogenes, a man most illustrious in virtue & holiness. But others in that same place are said to be crowned at Ravenna with others in these words: At Ravenna, SS. Fronus (or Froto), Candrus, Blastus, Nicander, Ænas (or Ahenas), Dorostorus, Iphicus, Cantinus, Cantianus, Cantianilla. The Reichenau Ms.: At Rome, of Diogenes, Quiriacus: & at Ravenna, of Fronius, Blastinus. Hieronymus Rubeus, in book 2 of the History of Ravenna, page 45, reports these things from old Martyrologies: At Ravenna, of the holy Martyrs the seven brothers, Nicander, Cardrus, Blastrus, Dorostrus, Phion, Ahenas & Yphicus.
[2] The Augsburg, Gellone Mss., one of S. Gall, 262 adjoined. & another submitted to us at Paris by Philippus Labbe, have these: Of Quiriacus, Cantianus, Marinus, Mart. At Rome, of Diogenes, Blastus, & of two hundred sixty-two other Martyrs. The Trier Ms. of S. Martin: At Rome, of Diogenes & of two hundred sixty-four others. Grevenus in the Additions to Usuardus: Likewise of the Saints Dagenis, Blastus, Cancianus. At Rome, of Diogenes & of two hundred sixty-four others. Concerning these anonymous Martyrs, in the first place Usuardus, Ado, & other more recent ones treat with the present Roman Martyrology, in which they are inserted enclosed in a parenthesis. At Rome, the birthday of the holy two hundred & sixty-two Martyrs who in the persecution of Diocletian were slain for the faith of Christ are set on the old Salarian Way at the Slope of the Cucumber: which place some today believe to be called Periolum, in Piazza, in the Sanctuary or Roman Martyrology. In the Brussels Ms. of S. Gudula: And at Rome the passion of SS. Diogenes & Quiriacus. Thus others above are attributed to the old Salarian Way, of which Aringhus treats in book 4 of "Rome Subterranean," chapters 27 & 28. Those who in some Mss. are added, Cantius, Cantianus & Cantianilla, do not pertain here, perhaps adjoined by others who in place of "Aquila" read "Aquileia," where the said Martyrs suffered on the 31st of May, when we treated of them. Concerning those who are attributed to Ravenna, I think they are so placed that Phion & Fronus or Fronius or Froto seem to be added from elsewhere. Yphicus seems to be called by others Isicius & Eusicius. The name Candrus seems added corruptly from the word Nicander, & thus repeated, which we judge was done inadvertently. If anyone suggests more certain things, he will gain favor with the Saints themselves, & we will accept it with a grateful mind.
[3] At Lucca in the church of S. Justina, Joannes Maria Florentinus of Lucca, from whose singular erudition we have the most ancient Martyrology of the Western church which we call the Hieronymian, collated with the aforesaid Mss. & illustrated with most learned Notes, a little after we had returned to Belgium having enjoyed his most kind hospitality, sent to us the Life of S. Silaus, of whom we treated on the 21st of May, published at Lucca in the year 1662, where in chapter 12 he treats of the monastery of S. Justina, & of the Relics of S. Silaus & of other Saints kept there: & on page 79 he asserts that in the inner church are kept three bodies of holy Martyrs, together with an Inscription, written rather barbarously in characters of the 10th century, of which (since, on account of its antiquity, it is no longer legible) this double transcription is found.
the bodies of SS. Blastus, Longinus & Joannes. ✠ I, Inghizzo, make a brief record concerning the bodies which he took from the cemetery of S. Hermes; & these Saints had the name Blastus & Longinus & Jo…s the Martyr, on the Salarian Way, by the Pincian gate.
✠ I, Igizo, make a brief record concerning the bodies of the Saint, which he took from the cemetery of S. Hermes: & these Saints had the name Blastus, & Longinus, & Joannes the Martyr, on the Salarian Way by the Pincian gate. Which seem thus to be recalled to the laws of Grammar: I, Inghizzo (or Igizo), make a Brief of record concerning the bodies of the Saints, which I took from the cemetery of S. Hermes on the Salarian Way at the Pincian gate: & these Saints had the names, Blastus, Longinus, & Joannes, Martyrs.
[4] They have no peculiar cult in the said monastery; The former buried on the Salarian Way with 260 martyrs, & if they had one on some certain day, it ought rather to be reckoned that of a Translation, than of a Passion. For each could have undergone this on different days, the bodies being successively carried into the one cemetery which is named. But since the Ms. of the Queen mentions the Salarian Way, & Malmesbury in book 4 of the History of the English, concerning the third gate of the city of Rome (this is the Pincian, although he himself seems to write "Portitiana"), when, I say, he says of the third Gate, that the road leading thence, called in the same way, when it reaches the Salarian, loses its name; & there nearby in the place which is called "of the Cucumber" rest the Martyrs Festus, Joannes, Liberalis, & in one tomb 260, & in another 30; Diogenes, Blastus, Lucina: it becomes probable that this is the same Blastus whom the Martyrologies name with 260 companions; & who was translated to Lucca, with the bodies of SS. Longinus & Joannes. by Joannes the Presbyter, perhaps here named, And concerning Longinus indeed nothing occurs which one could
conjecture: but Joannes the Presbyter, who buried those & several other Martyrs, can have been afterward buried together with them, as Florentinius divines. But I do not know how he himself refers this to the times of Julian the Apostate. Those certainly, of whom the Martyrologies speak, suffered about the year 270, under the Emperor Claudius, a whole century before Julian came to the Empire: & concerning them, in the Acts of SS. Marius & Martha, on the 19th of January, it is read thus at nos. 2 & 3: At the same time… Claudius… held two hundred sixty Christians on the Salarian Way, who, while digging sand, had been condemned for the name of Christ; whom he had shut up in a potter's-workshop outside the walls of the Salarian gate, & ordered to be killed with arrows in the amphitheater of the city. When this had been done, with the help of SS. Marius & Martha in burying the Saints. Marius & Martha his wife, grieving exceedingly, with their sons Audifax & Abacuc, came to the place where the bodies of the Saints had been killed, & found fire placed over the holy bodies. And taking them they began to draw the bodies of the Saints from the fire… & as many as they could they buried, in a crypt on the Salarian Way, beside the Slope of the Cucumber. Then they buried with them also a certain Tribune of Claudius, named Blastus: & in the same place they celebrated vigils & fasts with prayers for many days with B. Joannes. And certain Mss. add the 15th of the Kalends of July, so that it is also probable from such Acts that they are the ones inscribed in the aforesaid Martyrologies on this day, together with the same Joannes. Whom therefore, with Longinus, we have joined to the rest.
ON SS. DIOSCORUS AND MARINUS,
MARTYRS AT ALEXANDRIA.
From four ancient copies of the same Martyrology & others.
CommentaryDioscorus, Martyr at Alexandria (S.)
Marinus, Martyr at Alexandria (S.)
G. H.
The four indicated copies of the Hieronymian Martyrology, in the second place, set forth these Martyrs thus: At Alexandria, of Dioscorus & Marinus, Martyrs. Who are mentioned in the same way in the Reichenau, Tournai, Trier Ms. of S. Maximinus & others; in some of which, in place of "Alexandri," "Alexandriæ" is put, or even the arena is omitted, or other Martyrs are interposed. Their memory is celebrated also in the Martyrology printed at Cologne & Lübeck about the year 1490; likewise in Grevenus in the Auctarium of Usuardus, in Maurolycus, Felicius, & others. In the Carmelite Ms. kept at Cologne they are said to have been soldiers. In the Anchin Ms. Marina the Virgin is placed at Alexandria: But she seems to be understood as Maria crowned at Aquileia, who is reported in the following group, & is also called Marina.