ON SS. MARCELLUS AND ANASTASIUS,
MARTYRS AT ARGENTON IN GAUL UNDER AURELIAN
Previous commentary. On their cult, acts, age.
Marcellus, Martyr at Argenton in Gaul (S.) Anastasius, Martyr at Argenton in Gaul (S.)
G. H.
Argenton, a town of the lower Bourges territory, on the river Creuse, not far from the borders of the Poitou and Limoges jurisdictions, Argenton of the Bourges, below in the Acts called Argentomachus, commonly Argenton; is the head of the Archpresbyterate of Argenton, of which is treated in the Register of benefices of the diocese of Bourges § eighth, and there is assigned the parish of S. Marcellus near Argenton, commonly Saint Marceau near Argenton. Philip Labbe at his Life, calls a Priory and town of S. Marcellus, which as it were lies at the roots of Argentomachus. The Abbot of S. Gildas enjoys the right of Patronage. We illustrated on January XVII the double Life of S. Genulphus the Bishop; and in the second, from the Library of Fleury of John Reslius, these things num. 14 are read: In these times of Decius besides, others also are reported to have been likewise sent from the Apostolic See to the Gauls. Of whom the most outstanding and most holy Saturninus, was the first Bishop of the city of Toulouse; The martyrdom of S. Marcellus, who after some time of his arrival, there a glorious Martyr shone forth: Marcellus also, who at Argenton castle there bravely contended for Christ, until he gloriously obtained the palm of martyrdom as victor. Thus there.
[2] S. Saturninus is venerated XXIX November, who in the Acts of martyrdom is said to have come to Toulouse with Decius and Gratus Consuls. That is the year 250. But S. Marcellus completed martyrdom in the place Argentomagus, in the month of June, and venerated 29 June. on the third Kalends of July. On which day, after the martyrdom of SS. Peter and Paul reported, these things adds Usuard: On the same day of S. Marcellus the Martyr, who at the castle Argentomachus for the faith of Christ, together with Anastasius a military man, was crowned with martyrdom, or, as with the Roman martyrology, has Bellinus and various Mss. was beheaded. In the older ones, the Casino and Vatican, only is indicated the memory of S. Marcellus the Martyr. But on account of the solemnity of SS. Peter and Paul Labbe observes, that the festivity of SS. Marcellus and Anastasius is deferred to some day of the next following July, Relics and that is also done in the College of Bourges on account of the distinguished Relics. Gaufredus Prior of Vosiense, in the Chronicle of Limoges ch. 15, asserts, that the Church of Favars enjoys, that no small part of the bodies of Marcellus and Anastasius of Argenton it holds. Meanwhile with Labbeo we wonder, why Saussay in the Gallican Martyrology, at this XXIX June, asserts to be celebrated the Discovery of the bodies of SS. Marcellus and Anastasius, and that the memory of their contest is clear on day XI of this month: on which day, he says, from the summit of a high tower they are said to have been cast headlong. Of whose trophy the monument to this day is the very tower, stained with their gore, remains conspicuous. But no mention of them on that day XI of June in the Martyrologies is celebrated: and Marcellus is said to have been beheaded, both in the Acts, and in the Martyrologies, without mention of being cast down from a tower.
[3] Philip Labbe in vol. 2 of the New Library, among the Lives and Elogies of the Saints of Bourges, edited the double Acts of the Passion of S. Marcellus the Martyr, and his companion S. Anastasius. The earlier he professes to have from an apograph of R. P. James Sirmond Theologian of the Society of Jesus: the same we had before from the Ms. codex of Queen of Sweden, bearing the mark of number XIII, and from a Ms. of Nicholas Belfort, where they appeared abbreviated. The later Acts the said Labbe joined to the earlier with two Hymns, judging them contracted from more prolix ones. Neither lack their errors near the beginning, but lesser appear in the later, nor are they other almost than taken from the Acts of S. Lawrence, when the Pontificate of S. Sixtus II is composed with the Empire of Decius. But these words, under Decius the Emperor, could be so explained, that the Saints are understood to have suffered in the persecution begun by Decius, and continued by Valerian and Gallienus: for then all those things would obtain a convenient sense; and the brothers of S. Marcellus would be, of whom immediately at the beginning of the Acts mention is made by S. Stephen the Pope, predecessor of S. Sixtus, sent into the Gauls; not however by Clement; as ineptly is read in the earlier Acts, by the example of those, who illustrious men, whom Gregory of Tours, lib. 1 of history ch. 28, asserts after Decius's persecution to have been sent into the Gauls, have ascribed to the times of Clement Pope. We with this observation give the beginning from the later Acts, and from number 2 with the other Acts proceed.
ACTS OF THE MARTYRDOM
From Mss. codices and the Labbean edition.
Marcellus, Martyr at Argenton in Gaul (S.) Anastasius, Martyr at Argenton in Gaul (S.)
BHL Number: 5242, 5244
FROM THE MSS.
[1] Marcellus a boy, a most faithful Christian, well learned in letters and morals, son of Aegeus an infidel, and Marcellina a Christian, disciple of S. Sixtus the Bishop, under Decius the Emperor at Rome stayed: who seeing great persecution against the Christians, by the counsel of S. Lawrence went to the Gauls, with Anastasius a Christian man, to seek his brethren, sent by S. Stephen Bishop of Rome into those parts, to preach the Gospel of Christ. Who when he had arrived at Argentomachus, where Heraclius the Praeses resided, exercising great cruelty against the Christians; came to the lodging of a certain woman, who had a son about three years old, Heals the blind, lame, mute; blind, lame, and mute; who having seen Marcellus said: Lord, in you I see an Angelic countenance; I beseech you that through your prayer you restore my son healthy: for I believe in your God, that you can obtain this. When Marcellus saw the woman's faith, he said to her: Bring your son to me; and receiving him, placed him on his knees; and laying his hand on him, prayed to the Lord. When the prayer was completed, with eyes opened he received sight; and with steps restored, and ears opened, with the bonds of tongue broken, he gave him back to his mother healthy.
[2] Then when Heraclius the Praeses had come; a certain one, by name Tranquillinus, said to him: There has entered into your kingdom a certain man, who makes signs; he made the son of the woman, deaf, mute, lame, and blind, hear, speak, see, and walk with feet. Then Heraclius the Praeses, moved with anger, ordered him to be presented to him, and asked him saying: Tell me, where are you from? Or from what province or city have you come here? And what signs do you make? S. Marcellus responded: I am a Christian; from the city of Rome I went out, and I hasten to the city of Toulouse, where my brothers Saturninus and Dionysius stay. Then Heraclius said: Tell me the name of your father and mother. The boy responded, and said: My father Aegiathes, and my mother Marcellina. The Praeses responded, and said: As far as I see, have you been hidden from us? You make the mute speak, you hold the great Apollo in contempt: tell me, what God do you worship? S. Marcellus responded: I adore the Lord Jesus Christ, having professed faith, our Saviour. The Praeses said: On the morrow enter, and sacrifice to Apollo, and Hercules, and Diana mother of the gods. S. Marcellus said: The gods which you call, are not gods, but are the destruction of souls and of those believing in them. Then the Praeses ordered S. Marcellus to be apprehended, is struck on the rack, and to be stretched on the eculeus, and to be beaten by lictors; and ordered him to be put down, and said: Aurelian the Emperor, to the individual Administrators and Rectors who are with him, commanded the members of those, who call themselves Christians, to be burned in a cauldron, and to be roasted on a gridiron: but you hear us, and do not suffer many torments. The holy of God Marcellus responded: I do not fear your torments, Praeses; because I have my faith, which through baptism I received. is pressed by a stone, Then the Praeses ordered a great stone to be pressed on his loins, that the members of the Blessed might easily be broken. When the Praeses saw, that his torments did nothing to harm the servant of God, he ordered him to be roasted on the gridiron. And while the holy of God Marcellus was being roasted, is roasted on the gridiron. he said from the gridiron to the Praeses: Praeses, my flesh is now roasted; eat.
[3] And the Praeses said to him: By the God of the Sun and by the seventy-seven gods, and Diana mother of the Gods, that with various torments I will make you perish, if you will not sacrifice to the great Apollo and Hercules, and, if you will be willing to sacrifice to them, the second after you I will make in my kingdom. And S. Marcellus said to him: Ironically promising he would sacrifice If you wish that I sacrifice to your gods, gather all the Princes with you, and I will stand in the Palace and the priests of your gods, that all may see that I sacrifice to Apollo. Then the Praeses ordered ministers to go around, and to say that all the peoples should gather in the temple of the gods, because Marcellus the servant of Christ would sacrifice to the great god Apollo. But the woman, whose son through the prayer of S. Marcellus with eyes restored, hearing, and steps was healthy; loosening the hair of her head, and tearing her garments, and taking her son, passed through the middle of the crowd of the peoples, and cried with a great voice saying: Woe to you, Marcellus, who raised the dead, made the blind see, the lame walk; and now have you entered to sacrifice to Apollo? You destroy today the people, which through you in Christ desired to believe. Then she was saying: Lord, do not permit this to be done: she was saying
also to the idol: Woe to you, devil, and to your works. But the holy Marcellus, hearing the voice of the woman, was stupefied. With silence made he called her, and said to her: through a little boy he calls the devil out of Apollo, Put down the infant on the ground; and when she had let down the infant, he said: Christ who illuminated the hidden things of darkness, he himself commands you; Stand on your feet, and come here. At the same hour immediately rising, he came to the servant of God; and bending down, the Saint with his hand raised the little infant, and said to him: I say to you, boy, enter into the temple of the Pagans, and say to Apollo; Come out quickly, the servant of Christ calls you. And the boy entering the temple, said to the devil: Apollo, I say to you, deaf devil, mute without voice, without hands and feet, who are the destruction of souls of those duly believing, and sends him to hell, the servant of Christ calls you outside. At the same hour he went outside, and began to cry: Jesus of Nazareth, you have drawn all to yourself, and have snatched this little infant from my power. And the demon coming, stood before the servant of God, and S. Marcellus said to him: Are you the god of the Pagans? The demon responded, and said: Do you not know, Marcellus, who I am? I am the true god of those believing in me, and I do not remain over statues. S. Marcellus said: Wretch, you have acted against yourself, and have been cast out from the kingdom of God; I command you to stand in the abyss, and casts down the statues by a word: and be there until the great day of judgment, when you shall render an account for the souls which you have destroyed. And with S. Marcellus entering, all the statues of Hercules, which were there, fell, and were made into one as dust: and S. Marcellus said: Flee gods of the Pagans, descend into the lower parts of the earth with your father the devil. And the Praeses said: Marcellus, I asked you, that you sacrifice to my gods; now you have crushed them, and harmed them.
[4] The Praeses angry, ordered him to be stretched, and beaten with cudgels; and ordered his ministers to come, and said: Bring forth a cauldron, and pour into it sulfur, pitch, and tow, and bitumen; and ordered the Saint to be put into the cauldron. And then with the cauldron boiling, unharmed by the boiling cauldron he raised a flame of fifteen cubits, and did nothing of evil; and ordered the Saint to be put down on the gridiron. And he stood on his feet, and S. Marcellus rose as he had been, and no wound appeared in him. And the bystanders said; The mercy of God is with this man, because he has overcome all the works of torments, and crushed all their stability. And when they had said these things, the Praeses was angry; and ordered S. Marcellus to be held in custody, until he should consider how he could destroy him. is beheaded. Then the Praeses said to the ministers, that they should bring forth the Saint outside from custody, and lead him to the mountain, and he should be beheaded, because no torment could harm Marcellus the servant of God. But S. Marcellus completed his martyrdom in a good confession, in the place Argentomagus, in the month of June, on the third Kalends of July, under Aurelian the Emperor, and Heraclius the Praeses.
[5] When B. Anastasius, who was the minister of S. Marcellus, had seen, that they had killed him; bending his knees, he prayed to the Lord for two hours, and said: Lord Jesus Christ, who have led us out from the land where we were born, and have snatched us from the hand of the enemy the devil, S. Anastasius because we have followed you, Lord God omnipotent, and have glorified your holy name; do not separate me from your servant Marcellus, that with him I may deserve to enter into the knowledge of truth. Then said the Praeses: beaten on the eculeus dies. Anastasius, sacrifice to the gods, that you not perish through many torments, which Marcellus the magician suffered in our presence. Anastasius said to him: To your gods I, Praeses, make abomination, because I have faith, which through baptism I received. Then the Praeses angry ordered him to be suspended on the eculeus, and while he was beaten, he delivered up his spirit. But blessed Anastasius completed martyrdom, together with most blessed Marcellus, on the fifth day of the Sabbath, at the ninth hour, with our Lord Jesus Christ reigning, to whom empire, virtue, and power into ages of ages. Amen.