Brother Martyrs

ON THE HOLY BROTHER MARTYRS,

ORENTIUS, PHARNACIUS, EROS, FIRMUS, FIRMINUS, CYRIACUS, LONGINUS,

UNDER GALERIUS MAXIMIAN IN ARMENIA.

A.D. ABOUT 308

Acts from Menaea printed & Mss. Synaxaria.

Orentius, brother Martyr, in Armenia (S.)

Pharnacius, brother Martyr, in Armenia (S.)

Eros, brother Martyr, in Armenia (S.)

Firmus, brother Martyr, in Armenia (S.)

Firminus, brother Martyr, in Armenia (S.)

Cyriacus, brother Martyr, in Armenia (S.)

Longinus, brother Martyr, in Armenia (S.)

D. P. & FROM MENAEA.

[Translation: These holy seven brother Martyrs, were under Diocletian & Maximian the Emperors, having come from the East, & served as soldiers with twelve hundred recruits, under Rhodon the chamberlain in the city of Antioch. They came to the parts of Thrace, assigned to a legion called Legeander. With sedition arising in those times of the Scythians, having crossed the Ister & plundered Thrace, just after the death of Diocletian, Maximian having taken the empire, was in great anxiety & perplexity; especially because Maroth, the Exarch of the Scythians, exceeding many in size of body & strength, challenged him or any of his men to single combat, on the condition that whoever conquered, the others should yield victory to those.]

[2] With these therefore of the Emperor in much perplexity placed, since no one dared to go forth & engage with the Barbarian, was put forward however the holy Orentius to go forth: for by all votes he was judged, as being strong & experienced in wars, & by agility of body apt to attack & overthrow the assailant. Who putting forward his faith in Christ, & going forth to battle, & arrayed against the Scythian, with a javelin pierced him & with a sword cutting off his head, brought it to the Emperor, & set up the trophy. At which the Emperor exceedingly marveling & being pleased, & for this offering victory libations to the idols, he himself by Christ's alliance & power to have overcome the boaster, not by the help of the falsely-named gods, openly confessed.

[3] But then he allowed him to enjoy the royal honors, the Emperor being awed I think by the magnitude of the achievement, & having provided to him in advance the belt of the conquered Barbarian, costly & many-talented; later however when he was exhorted to apostatize from Christ & was not persuaded, he sends him, with his six brothers, into the city of the Satala in Armenia; commanding the Duke there, if indeed being examined they were persuaded to sacrifice to the gods, to send them back to him; but if they were not persuaded, to make them exiles into the regions of Abasgia & Zicchia.

[4] According to therefore the Emperor's command being led, & having reached what is called the Encampment, Eros the first of the brothers departed to the Lord, on the twenty-second day of the month of June; the holy Orentius reaching Rhizaeum, with a stone tied to his neck, was thrown into the sea; for concerning him this also had been decreed. From there however by an Angel's intervention unharmed he came out, the Angel lifting him & setting him on a certain rock; & having prayed, he gave up his spirit, & there was buried, in the same month on the twenty-fourth.

[5] The holy Pharnacius, being in Cordylus, departed to the Lord, on the third of the month of July; on the seventh Firmus & Firminus, reaching Apsaron, found the end of temporal life. The holy Cyriacus, led away to the land of the Lazi, in a place called Zaganis, rested in the Lord, on the fourteenth of the month. The blessed Longinus, last of all, when sailing from Zaganis to Libica, with a great storm arising in the sea & a great wave, having prayed to God gave up his spirit, & was deposited at Pityus, after the ship had been driven there for four days.

[7] Contest of the holy Martyr Orentius & his brothers.

The Martyr Orentius, & his brothers six being, were under the reign of Diocletian, from the East coming. Serving in the rank of recruits, they went to the parts of Thrace against the Scythians. The Emperor having gone out & arrayed against, & the Prince of the Scythians having sought a single combatant, Orentius was preferred; & in single combat killed the Scythian, bringing his head to the Emperor. Filled with joy the Emperor commanded Orentius to offer victory sacrifices to the gods. But he said, Rather to Christ let us offer a sacrifice of praise, as the cause of victory. Then angered the Emperor exiled him, together with his brothers, to the parts of the East where also they were perfected each in different places, some thrown into the sea, others otherwise removed.

[8] The aforesaid Menaea, with the Chiffletian Synaxarium, fit their own Distichs to each, common to all the Eulogy to be premised, as follows. where Distichs fitted to each.

[1] These holy seven brother Martyrs, came

from the parts of the East, & under

Diocletian & Maximian to military service were enrolled,

with twelve hundred recruits, Of the rebel Scythians to the leader Maroth under

Rhodon the Chamberlain, in the city of Antioch.

They came moreover to the parts of Thrace,

inserted into the Legion which was called Legeander.

And when after Diocletian's end, sedition

the Scythians had stirred, & having crossed

the Ister were ravaging Thrace; Maximian, To the Romans offering single combat

holding the Empire, was in great

perplexity & solicitude: most of all

because Maroth, Leader of the Scythians, in magnitude

& robustness of body much surpassing the rest,

himself or any of those who with

him were challenged to single combat,

on this condition, that to those who were stronger victory

the others would concede.

[2] When however the Emperor very much was anxious,

since no one dared against the Barbarian

to go forth, & conflict with him to undertake, going forth Orentius,

at length was persuaded S. Orentius; as one

who by common all's vote was esteemed

to be able with him to engage, & the challenger

to lay low, as in strength prevailing &

of wars experienced. Therefore with Christ's faith armed,

to the contest he proceeded; & with

the Scythian engaging, with a javelin pierced: & with a sword

his head cutting off, him slain the victory to Christ he ascribes: himself brought

to the Emperor, & trophy erected. Then

with him vehemently both wondering & exulting,

& for victory to idols sacrificing, professed

confidently the Saint, that by Christ's virtue

cooperating overcome by him was the boasting Barbarian,

not however of the vain idols by help.

[3] is given nonetheless the spoils of the Barbarian: And he indeed then was permitted of honors,

by the Emperor to him decreed, to enjoy; reverenced,

as I think, by him the deed's magnitude;

who also to him gave the conquered Barbarian's

belt, beautiful & most precious.

But afterwards, when to him to persuade he could not

the impious, but afterwards with his brothers is sent away into Armenia. that from Christ he would apostatize; he dismissed him

with his six brothers into Armenia, to the city

of the Satala; mandating the there constituted

Duke, that, if indeed those brought into examination

he could persuade to sacrifice to the gods, them

to him he would send back; but if not, exiles he would relegate

to Abasgia's & Sicchia's regions.

[4] Those therefore according to the precept led, &

to the place which Parembole is named coming; From these Eros dies 22 June,

Eros, first of the brothers to the Lord

migrated, on the 22 day of the month of June.

But holy Orentius up to Rhizaeum

having proceeded, with a stone to his neck tied (for

also this about him had been mandated) into the sea was cast

was: Orentius vainly submerged in the sea 24; but, when from there he had emerged, without

harm with assisting him an Angel & him raising,

& upon a dry certain rock placing;

his spirit also he himself in prayer emitted,

& there was buried, on the twenty-fourth

of that month's day.

[5] Saint then Pharnacius, when he was

at Cordylus, Pharnacius 3 July, to the Lord migrated, on the third day

of the month of July; on the seventh Firmus & Firminus,

Apsaron entering temporal life's end they found.

But S. Cyriacus, Firmus & Firminus 7, into the Lazi having proceeded

region, in the place Zaganis called, rested in

the Lord, on the fourteenth of the aforesaid month.

Blessed finally Longinus, of all the last,

when from the aforesaid Zaganis place he was sailing into Libyca, Cyriacus 24, Longinus 28:

with vehement tempest & perilous

arisen on the sea, praying his spirit to God delivered:

& with the ship after four days at Petiuntem landed,

there was deposited.

[6] So far at XXV June the Menaea printed, in which plainly similar we have found in Mss. elsewhere & most especially

at Paris in the Chiffletian, Mazarinian & Claromontane, but at day XXIV, on which by them

even the Menaea is said to have died S. Orentius: several at the 24 of the month, the Menaea at 25 have it. & on the same day these very things found in his those used in the writings

Sirlet, when he was composing the Menologium, which by Canisius edited we have; & whence Baronius with his Colleagues,

of the Roman Martyrology under Gregory XIII reformers, took the Epitome inserted in it now,

but not without errors. For what was it to assign to the Satala all seven Martyrs, because there

they had been directed for examining? who then are said to have been from each other separated & into different places led away.

But that they were also of the military cingulum deprived by the Emperor, because they were Christians,

The first follow the Rom. Martyrology from his own took Baronius, found not in the Menologium: but found name of Heroius in place of

Eros; which I fear came from the often noted precipitancy of Sirlet, the Menologium hastily patching together,

who would have thought he was reading Ἥρως,

Ἥρωος, whose genitive is Ἥρωος, where originally

was held Ἔρως, which makes Ἔρωτος. The premised however history of the seven holy Brothers,

beyond custom prolix, but not without errors. yet not entire (as below I shall note) was inserted into the Synaxaria by these collectors,

& thus better consulted truth, than he who its epitome inserted into the Menologium of Basil the Emperor. So

true is what often is said, Compendia to be Dispendia. This that through thyself thou judge, Reader, the same

receive, as there is proposed at day XXIV.

[7] Contest of holy Martyr Orentius &

his Brothers.

Martyr Orentius & his Brothers, Less differs the epitome of acts numbering

six were under the Empire of Diocletian, from the East

brought. Serving in the order

of Recruits they went to the parts of Thrace against

the Scythians. And also the Emperor himself against

the same with an army having proceeded, & with applied

to the enemies' camps camps, to the Prince

of the Scythians to be engaged in single combat

a fighter sought; preferred to the rest was Orentius,

who in single combat conquered & killed the Scythian,

& his head brought to the Emperor. He indeed

filled with joy, in the Menologium of Basil Emp. when Orentius he ordered to the gods

for victory to immolate: Nay rather, said he, we offer

to Christ, this victory's bestower a sacrifice

of praise. Then indignant the Emperor

relegated him, together with his Brothers, into

the parts of the East, where also they died each

in different places; some indeed of them into

the sea cast, others indeed otherwise removed from the midst.

From the deep of the sea alive emerging, dies

In the earth Orentius, & the way of heaven holds.

Lifted from the earthly Farnatius dregs,

The pavements as victor he treads of the ethereal House.

With love of ethereal beauty captured Eros,

Let him rejoice with the same as to spring joyful migrating.

Are spiritual Firmus, Firminus, thrones,

On which of Angels to sit the King deigns.

Longinus & Cyriacus equal to the Angels,

Equal in honor with the Angels God has made.

EXEGETICAL COMMENTARY ON THE ACTS.

To time & places' more distinct notice.

Orentius, brother Martyr, in Armenia (S.)

Pharnacius, brother, Martyr, in Armenia (S.)

Eros, brother, Martyr, in Armenia (S.)

Firmus, brother, Martyr, in Armenia (S.)

Firminus, brother, Martyr, in Armenia (S.)

Cyriacus, brother, Martyr, in Armenia (S.)

Longinus, brother, Martyr, in Armenia (S.)

[9] Diocletian laid down the Empire at Nicomedia, and passed to a private life, to be led at Salona in Dalmatia, These things after the year 305, in the year 305, on the 1st of May, substituting for himself Galerius Maximianus, his son-in-law, already long since chosen as Caesar; and he is believed to have prolonged that life, most content with his solitude, up to the year 316; having died, what you may wonder at in so great a tyrant, by a natural death; whereas a span of five years remained to his own successor. The end therefore must be understood not of his life, but of his rule; after which his successor found it necessary to set out against the rebelling Scythians. Accordingly this Single Combat cannot be deferred much beyond the year 306, unless it be established by suitable authority that that Scythian war happened later. It appears that a day proper to each could have been assigned, had it not pleased to take that one on which Orentius, the chief of all, died. And to have noted this much about the time is enough: the places here named and to be illustrated require more labor.

[10] The city of the Satali, to which the Martyrs are said to have been directed from Thrace, was in Lesser Armenia, an Episcopal see under the metropolis of Sebastia, situated between this and Trebizond near the Black Sea, it began at Satala in Armenia, yet much nearer to Trebizond than to Sebastia. Because the revisers of the Roman Martyrology had ascribed these seven Martyrs to this city, as we said; and the Settala family of Milan bears seven wings in its ancestral shield; it seemed to certain sciolists to furnish a foundation for fetching the origin of that family from Armenia, on account of the affinity of the words Satala, Settala, and Septala; which could not but have displeased and still displease the Settala themselves, men recently learned, and their posterity (if they have left any like themselves). See what was said on the 28th of May at the day of S. Senator, Bishop of Milan, drawn into that family without suitable proof, where you will read that in the thirteenth century it was called "de Settara," the last consonant of which name, R, having in course of time degenerated into the L nearest it; it pleased them to assume seven wings for an emblem, although they thought nothing about the Armenian Settala.

[11] How the Saints came hither from Thrace, probably by a land journey after crossing the Bosphorus or the Hellespont, around the last province of Pontus, through Phrygia or Pontus and Galatia and Cappadocia, the Menaea do not explain; nor either what kind of trial was carried out against them at Satala, and how constant they were in the faith: but, all those things being omitted, which I would believe were once written entire, they hasten to describe in what places each found the end of life. And first Eros indeed is said to have died at Parembola (in Latin we would say "Camp"), of which place the Council of Ephesus makes mention, continued in various places in order, and the book of the Notitiae in Ortelius's Geographical Thesaurus, who also ascribes it, under the name of Kainē Parembytēs, to Pontus or Armenia. Rizaeum, where Orentius was rolled down into the sea, is to Ptolemy the port of Rizus, between Coardulum and the Pontic Athens. A little beyond Athens toward the East Cordula is marked, here called Cordulum. Twice as far in the same coastal tract is Absarus, to others Absyrtus, in the borders of Colchis. But the Region of the Lazi, to others Lazica, is at the mouths of the Phasis, subject to Sebastopolis as its metropolis. The river running into Pontus from the Phasis, called Singames, in place of Saganeos up to Pityus. mentioned afterward, could have given its name: whence, sailing further into Libyca, not yet known to us, Cyriacus the last of the brothers is said to have been driven to Pityus, the boundary of the Roman Empire, when Longinus had already died, and had been buried there. But since all the places named hitherto are led and led about along the coastal shore not far from Trebizond toward the Caucasus; it appears that nearly all the brothers met their death before they reached the borders of Abasgia, which has its beginning from Colchis; and beyond which, further on the northern shore of the Euxine, is Zicchia, afterward called Georgia, but now Mingrelia.