Martyrs

CONCERNING THE HOLY MARTYRS

Caius Palatinus, Asterius, Uranius, Sisinnius, Paulus, Philippus, Herefilus, Basilius, Tepicerus or Cipericus, Gregory, Euticus, Victurus, Victorinus, Pecculus, Quirinus, Eutocus, Marius, Honoratus, Asclepidianus, likewise Sisinnius, Felix, Lucius, Gaiosa, Fortunatus, likewise Lucius, Peluianus, Rusticus, Florianus, Donatus, Hilarianus, likewise Fortunatus, likewise Caius, Julius, Pylicus, Antonius, Fronimus, Asclepiades, Fortunio, Castus, Fortius, and sixteen or nineteen others.

Caius Palatinus, Martyr (Saint)

Asterius, Martyr (Saint)

Uranius, Martyr (Saint)

Sisinnius, Martyr (Saint)

Paulus, Martyr (Saint)

Philippus, Martyr (Saint)

Herefilus, Martyr (Saint)

Basilius, Martyr (Saint)

Tepicerus, or Cipericus, Martyr (Saint)

Gregory, Martyr (Saint)

Euticus, Martyr (Saint)

Victurus, Martyr (Saint)

Victorinus, Martyr (Saint)

Pecculus, Martyr (Saint)

Quirinus, Martyr (Saint)

Eutocus, Martyr (Saint)

Marius, Martyr (Saint)

Honoratus, Martyr (Saint)

Asclepidianus, Martyr (Saint)

Sisinnius II, Martyr (Saint)

Felix, Martyr (Saint)

Lucius, Martyr (Saint)

Gaiosa, Martyr (Saint)

Fortunatus, Martyr (Saint)

Lucius II, Martyr (Saint)

Peluianus, Martyr (Saint)

Rusticus, Martyr (Saint)

Florianus, Martyr (Saint)

Donatus, Martyr (Saint)

Hilarianus, Martyr (Saint)

Fortunatus II, Martyr (Saint)

Caius II, Martyr (Saint)

Julius, Martyr (Saint)

Pylicus, Martyr (Saint)

Antonius, Martyr (Saint)

Fronimus, Martyr (Saint)

Asclepiades, Martyr (Saint)

Fortunio, Martyr (Saint)

Castus, Martyr (Saint)

Fortius, Martyr (Saint)

Another sixteen or nineteen, Martyrs

[1] We present this illustrious cohort of soldiers who shed their blood for the Christian faith from the ancient Martyrologies. In the Hieronymian Martyrology printed at Paris, they are enumerated by these names with no place assigned: "Archelaus, Caius Palatinus drowned in the sea, This cohort of Martyrs in the Martyrologies of Saint Jerome, Asterius, Uranius, Sisinnius, Paulus, Philippus, Herifilus, Basilius, Tepicerus, Gregory, Euticus, Victurus, Victorinus, Marius, Honoratus, Asclepidianus, Sisinnius, Felix, Lucius, Gaiosa, Fortunatus, likewise Lucius, Peluianus, Rusticus, Florianus, Donatus, Hilarianus, likewise Fortunatus, likewise Caius, Pylicus, Antonius, Fronimus, Asclepiades, Fortunio, Castus, Fortius, and nineteen others." Here are thirty-seven Martyrs indicated by their own names; and most of them are presented in the same way in the Blume and Lucca manuscripts of the same Saint Jerome: "Arcilaus, Gagus Palatinus drowned in the sea, Asterius, Uranius, Sisinnius, Paulus, Philippus, Hieriphilus, Basilius, Cipetirus, Gregory, Euticus, Victorinus, Pecculus, Quirinus, Marius, Honoratus, Asclepiades, Sisinnius, Felix, Lucius, Gaiora, Fortunus, likewise Lucius, Peluianus, Rusticus, Florianus, Donatus, Hilarianus, Fortunatus, likewise Gagus, Pylicus, Antoninus, Frunimus, Asclepiades, Furtunio, Castus, Fortius, and * sixteen others." Here are thirty-eight expressed by their own names. Victurus is absent, but Pecculus and Quirinus have been added. In our manuscript of Saint Jerome as well, forty-two are assigned to this cohort by their own names, and with the order also frequently varied, they are presented after the Roman Martyrs thus: "And elsewhere, of Fatus, Arcilaus, Palatinus, Asterius, Vrunius, Sisinnius, Philippus, Herefilus, Tipetinus, Gregory, Basilius, Euticus, Victorinus, Peceulius, Quirinus, Eutocus, Honoratus, Asclepiades, Sisinnius, Paulus, Lucius, Fortunus, Lucius, Gagiora, Felix, Peluianus, Gagus, Julius, Rusticus, Marius, Florianus, Donatus, Hilarianus, Fortunatus, Gagus, Pilicus, Antoninus, Frunimus, Asclepiades, Furtononis, Castus, Fortius, and sixteen others." Again absent is Victurus, who was in the first Martyrology, and newly present are Fatus, Eutocus, and Julius.

[2] The names of several are inscribed in other calendars. The Reichenau manuscript, after listing the Roman Martyrs, has: "And elsewhere,

of Rotus, various names in others, Archelaus, and Palatinus." Here the one previously called Fatus is now called Rotus, joined by others to Julius the Bishop, about whom we had treated immediately before. We treat separately of Archelaus together with other companions from the Greek Martyrologies. The Augsburg and Labbe manuscripts: "Lucius, Gagus, Fortunio, Gregory." If Lucius the Pope is understood, we shall begin with Caius. In the Tournai and Liessies manuscripts, Sisinnius and Gagius are celebrated; while Caius and Gregory appear in the Aachen manuscript. Usuard, Ado, Notker, and Bellinus have: "On the same day, of Saint Caius Palatinus, drowned in the sea." The same is read in the printed Bede, although no mention of these is made in his authentic Martyrology or in the supplement of Florus. In today's Roman Martyrology, citing Bede, Usuard, Ado, and others, these are thus augmented: "On the same day, of Saint Caius Palatinus, drowned in the sea, and twenty-seven others"; and especially Caius Palatinus. which number of companions Baronius had read appended in the Martyrologies of Maurolycus and Galesinius. The words of the latter are: "Likewise at Rome, of Saint Caius Palatinus and twenty-seven companions, who, having first been severely tortured, were then all cast into the sea by the same enemies of the faith and attained the heavenly palm." They are noted to have suffered in the year of Christ the Lord 259, under the consuls Maximus II and Glabrio. Ferrarius likewise inscribed them as Romans in his Catalogue of the Saints of Italy with these words: "Caius, a Palatine soldier (Palatine soldiers were those deputed to the service of the Emperors), in the persecution of the Emperor Valerian, under the consuls Maximus and Glabrio, was seized together with twenty-seven others and severely tortured, and at last, for the confession of the Christian faith, was cast into the sea and completed his martyrdom." So writes Ferrarius, unmindful of what he had said immediately before against Galesinius -- namely, that what the latter had written about the time and the Consuls seemed to be said from conjecture. Nevertheless it pleased us to follow him here, because he alone added that they suffered at Rome. Hermann Greven, after citing the words of Usuard, adds: "With this Blessed Caius, twenty-seven others are also recorded" -- which he had read in the Cologne Martyrology printed in 1490. The Vallicellian manuscript: "Of Saint Gagus and twenty-seven others"; and without companions, Saint Caius the Martyr is found in the Dacherian manuscript.

[3] So far the Martyrologies, with sufficiently ample variety, from which we gather a few points. First, with Saints Lucius the Pope, variant readings of names, Fatus, and Archelaus having been assigned to other classes of this day, the leader and standard-bearer of this cohort is Caius, called by others Gaius, Gagus, Gagius, and Agius, while another Caius of the same name is interspersed among the rest with the introductory word "likewise," by which it is indicated that they belong to the same class as the others placed between them. "Palatinus" is appended to the first Caius, and is written as a distinct Martyr with an interposed comma in the Martyrology of Saint Jerome printed at Paris, where Palatinus is also inserted in the Index by Dacherius as a Martyr with a proper name; and in the aforementioned Reichenau manuscript, Palatinus is found without the name Caius -- though this could have been omitted through the copyist's ignorance or negligence. Others consider it to be taken as a common noun, and therefore Baronius and Galesinius in their Notes cite various things about the Counts or Palatine soldiers and the order of Palatine military service. Uranius is also written as Vrunius, just as Herefilus appears as Hierefilus and Herifelus, and with greater variety Tepicerus, Tipecinus, and Cipericus; Gregory is incorrectly written Grigorius; so Victorinus appears as Victurinus; and Pecculus as Peceulus; Asclepidianus as Asclepiades -- but then another Asclepiades is found with a consistent reading. Gaiosa appears as Gaiora and Gagiora; Hilarianus as Helarianus; Pylicus as Pilicus with a simple iota; Antonius as Antoninus; Fronimus as Frunimus; Fortunio as Furtuno; and before Fortunatus, Fortunus. In the Calendar of the Breviary of Rouen, many Martyrs are ascribed to this day, which can be understood as referring to these.

[4] Also on this day, Saint Basilius the Martyr is venerated at Bologna in the church of Saint Mary called "della Vita," The body of Saint Basilius at Bologna; the arm of Saint Honoratus at Turin, where his body rests, donated by Gregory XV. So writes Masinus in his survey of Bologna. We do not believe him to be the same as the one listed among these Martyrs, but we have appended this on the occasion of his name. The arm of Saint Honoratus the Martyr is at Turin in the monastery of Saint Catherine and is venerated on the fifth of March, about which we treat there among the Passed Over.

* variant reading: Herifeli.

* variant reading: Gaiosae.

* variant reading: XIII.