ON THE HOLY MARTYRS MARINUS THE SOLDIER AND ASTERIUS THE SENATOR, AT CAESAREA IN PALESTINE,
ABOUT THE YEAR 260.
Preliminary Commentary.
Marinus the Soldier, Martyr at Caesarea in Palestine (Saint)
Asterius the Senator, Martyr at Caesarea in Palestine (Saint)
[1] While a most grievous persecution was raging throughout the entire Roman Empire under the reign of Valerian and Gallienus, divine vengeance was not lacking, by which the Empire was permitted to be shamefully torn apart by the Goths, Burgundians, Marcomanni, Scythians, and Persians. After Valerian had been captured by the latter and reduced to slavery (these are the words of Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, book 7, chapter 13), his son Gallienus, obtaining sole rule over the Empire, [After peace was granted to the Christians by Gallienus, these Martyrs are put to death:] conducted himself more moderately: having issued edicts, he put an end to the persecution stirred up against the Christians, and he ordered by rescript that the bishops of this religion should henceforth carry out their office in security. The year of Christ then passing was the two hundred and sixtieth. After this peace had been restored to all the Churches everywhere, the same Eusebius, later Bishop of this city, writes in chapter 15 that Marinus was consummated by martyrdom at Caesarea in Palestine: namely, as Baronius observes at the year 262, number 78, in the early period of Gallienus's administration, when the edicts written on behalf of the Christians had perhaps not yet been promulgated in all places—or certainly, as Trajan had once decreed, Christians who were denounced could be punished under these edicts, but not actively sought out. Eusebius continues the narrative of the martyrdom of Saint Marinus in that chapter, Their Acts from Eusebius. and then in chapters 16 and 17 relates the virtue of Saint Asterius, whom he calls Astyrius; Nicephorus Callistus reproduces these from Eusebius in Ecclesiastical History, book 6, chapters 13 and 14. Saint Asterius is venerated by the Greeks on August 7. Omitting him, we give the account of Eusebius rendered into Latin by Henricus Valesius.
[2] The martyrdom of Saint Asterius is passed over by these authors; the Greeks (among whom we are surprised that the cult of Saint Marinus has been neglected) celebrate it on August 7 with these words: "On the same day, the venerable Asterius the Senator is perfected by the sword.
Asterius, his neck struck by the sword, Shines like a star among the choirs of Athletes."
Maximus of Cythera treats of the same Asterius on the same day in his Lives of the Saints, as do the manuscript Menaea of our Chifflet.
[3] That this manner of martyrdom was inflicted upon Saint Asterius the Senator is indicated by Rufinus in book 7 of his Ecclesiastical History, chapter 13, when he says that the honor which Asterius bestowed upon the Martyr Marinus after his beheading both honored by the Latins on March 3: immediately earned him the status of Martyr as well. Rufinus is followed by later authors in the Latin Martyrologies. Thus Usuard, and after him Bellinus, in these words retained in today's Roman Martyrology: "At Caesarea in Palestine, of the holy Martyrs Marinus the soldier and Asterius the Senator, in the persecution of Valerian: of whom the former, accused by his fellow soldiers of being a Christian, and interrogated by the judge, when he testified with a most clear voice that he was a Christian, received the crown of martyrdom by the cutting off of his head; and when Asterius received the body of the Martyr, stripped of its head, upon his shoulders and upon the garment which he wore spread beneath it, the honor which he bestowed upon the Martyr he himself immediately received as a Martyr." Ado, Notker, Maurolycus, and others have similar accounts. The printed Bede has fewer details, and in several manuscripts only the names appear. Wandelbert writes:
"— — — Marinus and Asterius shine, renowned for their shed blood."
Galesin refers them to the very Kalends of March.
[4] Tamayo Salazar inscribed Saint Marinus in the Spanish Martyrology: for he says that a Spanish soldier, held in garrison by the Romans at Caesarea in Palestine, also in the Spanish Martyrology received the crown of martyrdom; because in the Chronicle of Dexter, at the year of Christ 268, number 6, the following is read: "Saint Marinus, Spanish by nation, suffers at Caesarea of Mauretania." Tamayo acknowledges that this is the reading in the Chronicles edited by Calderon, Bivarius, and Caro, but argues it is an error, and that "Caesarea of Palestine" should be restored; and he conjectures that he was a Galician. But such matters do not merit being presented to the reader. From the codices of the Martyrology of Saint Jerome we give two Marinuses on this day, and indeed one who suffered in Africa; and in the Index of the same Martyrology published at Paris, nine other Marinuses are found, so that, even if complete trust were placed in this Chronicle, nevertheless nothing certain could be established from these words.
ACTS OF THE MARTYRDOM
From the Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius, book 7.
Marinus the Soldier, Martyr at Caesarea in Palestine (Saint)
Asterius the Senator, Martyr at Caesarea in Palestine (Saint)
[1] After peace had been restored to all the Churches everywhere, at Caesarea in Palestine a certain Marinus, honored with military rank and moreover distinguished by the splendor of his birth and by his wealth, was beheaded on account of his confession of Christ for the following reason: There is a certain honor among the Romans, the vine-staff, and those who obtain it are called Centurions. Saint Marinus, on account of the rank of Centurion, When this position became vacant, Marinus was being called to that promotion by the order of his rank. But when he was on the very point of obtaining that honor, a certain person approached the tribunal and began to accuse Marinus, asserting that it was not permitted by law for him, being a Christian and one who refused to sacrifice to the Emperors, to assume a Roman dignity, and that the rank rightly belonged to himself. Moved by this matter, the judge, named Achaeus, first asked Marinus what his opinion was. Having learned that he professed himself to be a Christian with the utmost constancy, he granted him a space of three hours for deliberation. Accordingly, when he had gone forth from the praetorium, Theotecnus, the bishop of the city, approached him and, drawing him aside in prolonged conversation, at the urging of the Bishop, took him by the hand and led him to the church. And when he had stationed him within, at the very altar, drawing back his cloak a little, he showed him the sword with which he was girded, and then placed opposite it a codex of the holy Gospels, bidding him to choose whichever of the two he preferred. he chooses martyrdom for Christ. Marinus, without any hesitation, having stretched forth his right hand and seized the codex, was addressed by Theotecnus with these words: "Hold fast, then, hold fast to God; and strengthened by His power, obtain what you have chosen. Go in peace." After this, as he was returning from the church, a herald began to summon him before the doors of the praetorium. For the appointed time had already elapsed. Brought therefore before the tribunal, when he showed even greater eagerness of faith than before, he was immediately led away from there, just as he was, to execution and crowned with martyrdom.
[2] Then also Astyrius won a most celebrated name on account of his devout boldness and liberty: Saint Asterius buries him: a man of the Senators of the city of Rome, singularly dear to the Emperors, and known to all both for the splendor of his lineage and for his wealth. When he was present at the execution of the aforesaid Martyr, he placed the corpse upon his shoulders, clothed in a white and costly garment, and carried it away; and having adorned it with magnificent decoration, he delivered it to a fitting burial. Countless other things are also related of this man by his intimates, who survived to our own time.
[3] Among which is a miracle of the following kind. At Caesarea Philippi, which the Phoenicians call Paneas, at the foot of Mount Panium, springs are to be seen from which the Jordan flows. Into these, on a certain feast day, a sacrificial victim was customarily cast, the deceptions of a demon, which through a certain wondrous operation of the demon would appear nowhere afterward; and this phenomenon was customarily regarded by the spectators as an illustrious miracle. On a certain occasion, therefore, when Astyrius happened to be present at these ceremonies and saw everyone struck with wonder at the event, first indeed he pitied the blindness of the common people; he drives it away by prayer. then, raising his eyes to heaven, he besought the supreme God of all through Jesus Christ to restrain that demon, the deceiver of the people, and to command it to cease henceforth from deceiving mortals. When the prayer was finished, they say the victim suddenly floated to the surface of the springs; and thus the miracle utterly ceased for them, no prodigy being seen around that place thereafter.
Annotationsa Military
cohort service, not armed or camp service, is understood, as Valesius infers from the mention of the judge and the forum and trials, and from the fact that Marinus did not plead his case. In Greek: τῶν ἐν στρατείαις ἀξιώμασι τετιμημένων.