ON SAINTS MARINA AND THEONIUS,
MARTYRS AT ALEXANDRIA.
From the same Martyrologies.
CommentaryMarina, Martyr at Alexandria (Saint) Theonius, Martyr at Alexandria (Saint)
G. H.
In the last place, in the same Hieronymian copies, these are found; in the Epternach, In the city of Alexandria, of Marina. In the Corbie printed at Paris: In Alexandria, the birthday of Saint Marina, of Theonius. But by error (as Florentini recognizes) in the Lucca manuscript is read, of Saint Marius; and in the Blume, Maria. In the ancient manuscripts of the Queen of Sweden, the Roman of Cardinal Barberini, and the Cologne of Saint Mary ad Gradus: In Alexandria, the birthday of Saint Marina; and by error in the Reichenau manuscript it is Marinus. Usuard followed: in the primary manuscript, At Alexandria, the passion of Saint Maria the Virgin. In other manuscripts and in Bellinus, Grevenus, Molanus together with the Roman Martyrology, of Saint Marina the Virgin. In the appendix to Ado: In Alexandria, of Saint Maria the Virgin and Martyr, and of Balbina. This Balbina is assigned to Rome in the Trier manuscripts of Saint Martin and Saint Maximinus; the Liège of Saint Lawrence, and the Florarium manuscript, and we treated of her on the 31st of March. But we retain Theonius, added in the ancient Corbie manuscript, lest his memory perish. Others have added elogia from the Life of Saint Marina or Margaret the Virgin and Martyr, as we said among the Omitted: and more will have to be said on the 20th of July: whether from that Marina this woman too is called a Virgin we doubt; and therefore we abstain from that title, with the more ancient manuscripts.
CYRIACUS AND PAULA THE VIRGIN
AT MALAGA IN SPAIN
ABOUT 305
HISTORICAL COLLECTION
On their passion, cult, and age.
Cyriacus, Martyr, at Malaga in Spain (Saint) Paula, Martyr, at Malaga in Spain (Saint)
AUTHOR G. H.
Malaga is an ancient city of Baetic Spain, episcopal in the present-day kingdom of Granada, and a celebrated trading-port on the Mediterranean sea. This city, groaning under the Saracen yoke for seven hundred and seventy years, freed from it by the arms of King Ferdinand the Catholic in the year 1487, Memory in the Calendars: had before that seen the notable contest of Saints Cyriacus and Paula the Virgin. Their memory Usuard inscribed in his Martyrology eight hundred years ago with these words: In the Spains, in the city of Malaga, of the holy Martyrs Cyriacus and Paula the Virgin, who after many torments inflicted upon them, overwhelmed with stones, rendered their souls to heaven among the rocks. From this elogium, according to our experience in such matters, we judge that formerly there existed Acts of the martyrdom, in which those many torments and the magnanimity of the Martyrs were set forth; but we think that these perished amid the persecutions of the Saracens, at least among the Spaniards; whether some perhaps still lie hidden in Gaul can be doubted. The name of the holy martyr is written in the chief manuscripts of Usuard, Siriacus, which Molanus also retained, but in the margin he added the name Cyriacus, which others generally have who have copied the said elogium, namely Bellinus, Grevenus, Maurolycus, Galesinius, Canisius, and others together with the Roman Martyrology, and with very many manuscripts.
[2] Thomas de Trujillo, in the 2nd volume of the Thesaurus of Preachers, expounds the Gospel When you shall hear of wars and seditions, on the feast of the Blessed Cyriacus and Paula, and adds some of their Acts with these words: The glorious Martyrs, namely Cyriacus and Paula, suffered martyrdom in the city of Malaga on the eighteenth of June, and on such a day the Martyrologies themselves place the feast of these Saints. And they say and narrate, briefly indeed and succinctly, concerning the admirable martyrdom of these Saints, that after they had been afflicted with various torments, at last they were stoned: some elogium and thus the glorious Martyrs, passing to the Lord, obtained everlasting felicity. Whence also Pope Innocent VIII in his Brief, which he sent to the Catholic Sovereigns Ferdinand and Isabella, in giving them thanks for a certain exceptional gift received from them, when they had won for him the aforesaid city of Malaga; the aforesaid Pontiff, I say, making mention in the said Brief of the said Saints, says that they were like Blessed Stephen in their martyrdom. Thus there; things all similar to which they published in Spanish: Ambrosio Morales, book 10 of the Spanish History, chapter 28; Juan Marieta, book 2 on the Saints of Spain, chapter 31; Francisco de Padilla, Doctor of Theology and Canon in the Church of Malaga, and Provost of the Treasury or of the sacred vessels, in the Ecclesiastical History of Spain printed in the said city of Malaga in the year 1605, century 4, chapter 29; and Martín de Roa, then Rector of the Society of Jesus in that city, in his History of Malaga, published in the same place in the year 1622, chapter 17; and these two add that the feast of these Martyrs, as Patrons of this city, is celebrated with great solemnity with an Octave, and that on the day itself a general procession is instituted from the Cathedral Church to the Parochial Church of the said Saints; solemnity at Malaga. and that their silver statues, splendidly wrought, are carried under a canopy by the chief Knights of the city in the middle of the Procession. They reckon the time of the martyrdom, following Morales, Garibay, and Vaseus, to have been in the tenth persecution under Diocletian.
[3] Juan Tamayo de Salazar in the Spanish Martyrology says that all confess that their Acts have perished, yet he himself produces them, Acts from a manuscript Legendary. as taken from the Asturican Legendary, which it pleases to subjoin to the judgment of others: In the times of Diocletian, the most impious Emperor, after he had taken up the helm of the Empire, many thousands of Christians were spread abroad through the provinces of the whole Roman world. And when the most impious Emperor had heard this, they suffer under the judge Ruffinus, full of wrath, he caused several Judges and Governors to be sent throughout the whole Empire, who should seize them, and cast them into public custody, until they should abjure their superstition, and offer incense to the gods of the Roman Empire. From Africa there came to Malaga, a maritime city, a certain Judge named Ruffinus: who had previously dragged very many Christians to death, while he wandered through Spain. When he came to Malaga, he had the Emperor's edicts published, to the effect that he should hold all who embraced the faith of Christ committed to prison, until they should either offer sacrifices to the gods, or lay aside life. Among other Christians, therefore, whom the inquisition of the officers had apprehended, were Cyriacus, a handsome youth, and Paula, a most beautiful Virgin, of the family of the Oppii, most ancient Christians, who first brought the miracles of Christ into the Spains, and natives of the same city. When the Judge had ordered them to be led before him, seated on the tribunal, he said to Cyriacus: What you are called, or of what nation you show yourself to be, nobly professing the faith of Christ, declare to us: To whom answering, the holy youth said: My name is Cyriacus, this Virgin is Paula, natives of this city, of Christian parents and forefathers: we are Christians. To whom Ruffinus: Now therefore hear me, and choose for yourselves one of two answers: either sacrifice to the immortal gods, and be friends of the most invincible Emperor, or surely receive the sentence for nefarious crimes. Then Cyriacus answered: We choose the last sentence: for the first we abhor with all our inward parts. Then the Governor ordered them to be tortured with various torments: but when he could not turn the holy Martyrs from their resolve of confessing the faith, they are overwhelmed with stones. he ordered them to be led out into a field outside the city and to be attacked with stones: and thus the religious Martyrs, passing to the Lord, obtained everlasting felicity, on the 14th of the Kalends of July, in the year of the Lord 305.
[5] Thus there; which would seem probable, if there were not ascribed to Diocletian things that could have been done by Maximian Herculius: A fiction under the name of Julian. who alone attempted to take back the empire he had abdicated; but this too the fabricator destroys, namely that which recently appeared under the name of Julian, Archpriest of Toledo, in whose Adversaria, numbers 24 and 156, Saints Cyriacus and Paula are said to have suffered in the year 60 or 58 in the persecution of Nero. Tamayo indeed prefers that opinion, accustomed throughout his whole Martyrology to employ the rubbish of that pseudo-Julian, comparable to fragments of broken glass, as if gems of rare antiquity and esteem. To us it seems safer to follow the Asturican Legendary offered by the man himself, doubtless much more ancient than those fictions.