Martyrs

ON THE HOLY MARTYRS

EUSTOCHIUS THE PRESBYTER, GAINUS HIS KINSMAN, PROBA, LOLLIA, AND URBANUS THE CHILDREN OF GAIANUS,

AT ANCYRA IN GALATIA.

The cult & Acts from Manuscript Synaxaria.

UNDER MAXIMIAN

Eustochius the Presbyter, Martyr at Ancyra in Galatia (St.)

Gaïnus the Kinsman, Martyr at Ancyra in Galatia (St.)

Lollia, his daughter, Martyr at Ancyra in Galatia (St.)

Proba, his daughter, Martyr at Ancyra in Galatia (St.)

Urbanus, his son, Martyr at Ancyra in Galatia (St.)

AUTHOR. G. H.

The glorious contests of these Martyrs

are set forth in the Manuscript Menaia

of Milan, of the Ambrosian library,

A memorial in the Synaxaria, of Turin, of the Duke of

Savoy, of Dijon, of the college of the

Society of Jesus, of Paris, of Cardinal

Mazarin, and of the Dominican Fathers

in the square of St. Honoratus, and especially in the very old

Manuscript Synaxarium of the Church of Constantinople,

which belongs to the Paris college of the Society of

Jesus, where they are thus set forth: On the

same day, the contest of the holy Martyr Eustochius the Presbyter,

and of Gaïnus his nephew

or kinsman, and of his children,

Lollia, Proba, and Urbanus.

On the same day, the 23rd of June, the contest of the holy

Martyr Eustochius the Presbyter, with Distichs and of Gaïnus his nephew

or kinsman, and of his children,

Lollia, Proba, and Urbanus. Then individual

Distichs about each are added in the Dijon Manuscript.

Since Eustochius was of the flower

the rest could not be read.

Divine Gaïnus, armed with shields, signifying those beheaded,

is diminished by the head, but remains unharmed in soul.

Lollia, approach Christ through the sword, as a Bride;

and be born to him, baptized in thine own blood.

Proceed rejoicing to God, Proba,

pouring out rivers of blood from thy severed neck.

O Urbanus the Martyr, while thou losest thy head by the sword,

thou liest supine like a torn lamb.

[2] Then follows the Epitome of the martyrdom of this kind.

This Eustochius, among the Saints, and an Eulogy, and

Gaïnus his nephew, and his children Lollia,

and Proba, and Urbanus, was from

the city of Usada, in the times of Maximian

and Agrippinus the Governor.

Now Eustochius, being formerly a Priest

of the heathen, on beholding the Saints

bearing witness for Christ,

and working extraordinary miracles,

condemned his own religion;

and going to Eudoxius the Bishop of Antioch,

was baptized by him, and

was deemed worthy of the ordination of a Presbyter.

And coming to a village called Lystra,

and finding his nephew Gaïnus

with his three children,

and having set forth to them the things concerning Christ,

he baptized them, and all those

related to him by kindred. Whence, on account of this

being seized, he was led before the Governor,

and having confessed Christ, was hung

upon the wood and severely scraped.

Then they were sent on to Ancyra,

to Agrippinus for interrogation;

and not consenting to deny Christ,

first Lollia and Urbanus are hung up facing

one another, and scraped along their cheeks;

whose blood Gaïnus the nephew of Eustochius

receiving, was beaten on the back and the belly;

and the holy Eustochius was beheaded,

and after a day his nephew also;

but the little children, brought down,

were bound to a bronze wheel.

And thence preserved unharmed

in an extraordinary manner, the motion of the wheel having ceased,

and the fire having been quenched,

their heads are shaved, and they are pierced through with nails;

and the females have their breasts cut off,

while Urbanus is mutilated.

And by these not being persuaded,

but loudly proclaiming Christ,

they have their heads cut off with the sword.

[3] This holy Eustochius, and Gaïnus his kinsman,

St. Eustochius, ordained Priest from a sacrificing-priest of idols, and his three children, Lollia, Proba,

and Urbanus, were from the city of Usada,

in the times of the Emperor Maximian and Agrippinus

the Governor. Eustochius therefore was formerly

a sacrificing-priest of idols: who, when he beheld the Saints

undergoing Martyrdom for Christ, and

the miracles wrought by them beyond nature, despised

his domestic superstitions, and going

to Eudoxius, Bishop of Antioch, was baptized

by him, and held worthy to have the order of Presbyter

conferred upon him. he baptizes others, And when thence he had come

to the town of Lystra, and had found his nephew

Gaïnus with his three children,

he set forth to them the mysteries of Christ, and baptized them,

and all who touched him by any kinship.

For which cause, being detained, and led to

the Governor, and having confessed Christ, he is

hung upon the wood; and is violently torn.

After these things they were sent together to Ancyra, to Agrippinus

presiding there: by whom, summoned to

examination, when they confessed Christ,

first indeed Lollia and Urbanus were hung up

in mutual sight, and their cheeks

were torn: whose blood Gaïnus, Eustochius's

kinsman, received: and all, after various torments, are slain by the sword. wherefore on the back

and belly he is beaten. But the holy Eustochius

is beheaded, as after a day Gaïnus

his nephew. But the children, brought forward, were

bound to a bronze wheel; whence indeed they were miraculously

snatched away, the wheel ceasing to move and the fire

extinguished. Afterward their heads are shaved, and they are

transfixed with nails, and the breasts of the females indeed

are cut off, while Urbanus is emasculated.

At last, distrusting nothing, but with a clear voice proclaiming Christ,

they are crowned, their heads being cut off.

[4] The places indicated, Ancyra, It remains to say something about the places here named.

Ancyra is a most well-known city of Galatia, and the chief

Seat of the Governors even of the neighboring dominions,

and therefore the arena of these, as of very many other Martyrs.

Adjoining Galatia is Lycaonia, Lystra, and in it

Lystra, a city formerly Episcopal, and made illustrious by the hospitality

and preaching of St. Paul the Apostle, in

which these Martyrs were arrested, and thence led to Ancyra.

Sufficiently near to this is Antioch

of Pisidia, in which St. Eustochius was baptized by Bishop Eudoxius,

and ordained Presbyter. the city of Usada, Hence

we gather that the city of Usada was situated not far thence.

The same Acts are in the Menology of Sirleto,

published in Latin. Gaïnus is called in Greek "anepsios,"

of Eustochius, which we render "Kinsman," whether paternal or maternal cousin:

although we know it can also be taken for "nephew" through

a brother or sister; Sirleto wrote "cousin-brother":

the whole therefore is left to the reader's discretion. There Probolulus is taken

for a single son, but because below three of his children

are named, they ought plainly to be distinguished, and that Lollia

was wholly a girl, the cut-off breasts show;

Urbanus also is called Urbasius, and Agrippinus

the Governor also Agrippa, by the same

Sirleto. Baronius seems to have detected something of confusion in this

place, and therefore abstained from referring those names into

the Roman Martyrology.

ON THE HOLY MARTYRS

PALLADIUS, COTYLAS, ADRAMAS, MOSES, ESAS, PALICONUS, COTYLAS II,

AND ONE HUNDRED FIFTY COMPANIONS.

Venerated among the Abyssinian Ethiopians.

Palladius, honored among the Abyssinians (St.)

Cotylas, honored among the Abyssinians (St.)

Adramas, honored among the Abyssinians (St.)

Moses, honored among the Abyssinians (St.)

Esas, honored among the Abyssinians (St.)

Saliconus, honored among the Abyssinians (St.)

Cotylas II, honored among the Abyssinians (St.)

The 150 Companions, honored among the Abyssinians (SS.)

D. P.

From the already often-praised Metrical Hagiology

of the aforenoted nation, we have again

received this notable troop

of holy Martyrs, whom we presume to have suffered in Egypt,

and we subjoin them

to others pertaining to the persecution of Maximian,

set forth by conjecture on the first days of this

month. They are indicated as condemned to death by a certain

council of seven men while

they are thus invoked. Among them three or six brothers, I salute Palladius, Cotylas, and

Adramas, three brothers, and three others, Moses,

Esas, and Paliconus: to whom a second Cotylas

was added to complete the number. They died

tortured for the sake of Christ by seven

Idolaters, and those lame or drunken,

as Job Ludolf explains; but I think these epithets

can be referred to drunkenness of mind rather than of body.

Of these same seven again

mention is made in the following strophe, through which the Poet

salutes the one hundred fifty Saints, before whom

the seven Idolaters, brought to judgment,

set a sharp sword, with a boiling pan,

before their eyes: but by the sight of these they were not

terrified. More and more distinct things we would now seek in vain.

Ludolf doubts whether he here called

Paliconus should not be called Palingenius: but in

his own Calendar, naming only the first three, he adds, "and

Companions," nor in the Notes does he suggest anything pertaining here.

ON THE HOLY MOTHER AND SONS, MARTYRS,

DIDARA, BISOE, AND NOR,

HONORED AMONG THE SAME ABYSSINIANS.

Besoës the soldier, among the same (St.)

Nor the brother, among the same (St.)

Didara the mother, among the same (St.)

D. P.

I proceed with the Ethiopic Hagiology,

and separately from the earlier more numerous

troop, I set forth this trio,

whom I find there thus saluted.

I bid thee greeting, Bisoe

the Soldier, whom they bound to an ox with ropes

and dragged about; in whose honor I offer a sacrifice

of praise. I salute also thy brother

Nor, and thy mother Didara: who also

themselves for the sake of Christ sustained much trial.

By which words it is indicated

that these too underwent martyrdom, or certainly by a notable

confession deserved to be commemorated among sacred memorials.