ON ST. ADRIAN, MARTYR AT CAESAREA IN PALESTINE,
IN THE YEAR 308.
CommentaryAdrian, Martyr at Caesarea in Palestine (St.)
[1] Eusebius Pamphili in his Ecclesiastical History treats at length of the Martyrs of Palestine, and specifically of those who were slain in his own city of Caesarea during the persecution of Maximinus. The passion of several Martyrs is described in book 8, chapter 21, as that division was customarily printed; which in the new edition of Henry Valesius is contained in chapter 11 of the supplement to book 8, under the title On the Martyrs of Palestine. Among the various Caesarean Martyrs in Eusebius, The Martyrs who are indicated are inscribed on five different days in the Roman Martyrology: Pamphilus the Priest, Valens the Deacon, and Paul on the Kalends of June; then the Egyptian Martyrs Elias, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Samuel, and Daniel; St. Adrian, likewise Porphyrius, servant of St. Pamphilus, and Seleucus of Cappadocia on February 16, and on the next day, February 17, Julian of Cappadocia and Theodulus, an aged servant from the household of the Governor under whom Eusebius narrates that these and the preceding seven were crowned with martyrdom; and then he adds the following:
[2] While the disturbance and fury of the Governor against the aforementioned Martyrs was still on everyone's lips, suffered on this day: Adrian and Eubulus from the region of Manganaea set out for Caesarea to visit the other Confessors; at the very entrance to the city, just as the others had been, they were asked for what purpose they had come. Having confessed the truth of the matter, they were brought before Firmilianus, who again, just as he was, using no delay, after frequent tearing of their sides with iron claws, condemned them to the beasts. Two days later, therefore, Adrian on the fifth day of the month Dystrus, that is, on the third day before the Nones of March (on which day the birthday of Fortune, as the Gentiles suppose, is celebrated at Caesarea), was thrown to a lion and then pierced with a sword, and thus completed his martyrdom. Eubulus, however, on the day after next, on the very Nones of March... sealed the last of the contests of the Caesarean Martyrs. As will be told on that day.
[3] Concerning St. Adrian, the following is read in the Roman Martyrology: At Caesarea in Palestine, St. Adrian the Martyr, who first in the persecution of Diocletian, inscribed in Latin Martyrologies. by the order of the Governor Firmilianus, was thrown to a lion for the faith of Christ, then slain with a sword, and received the crown of martyrdom. Molanus in his Additions to Usuard adorns him with this eulogy: At Caesarea in Palestine, St. Adrian the Martyr, who on the feast day when the birthday of Fortune of the Caesareans (for so it was believed) was customarily celebrated, was first cast before a lion to be torn apart, and then was slain by the sword. Galesinius and Canisius in the second edition have similar words.
[4] The Greeks dedicated his memory to the 3rd and 4th day of February. In the Greek Menologion composed at the command of the younger Emperor Basil, the following is read for the first day: but among the Greeks On the same day, the contest of the holy Martyrs Adrian and Eubolus at Caesarea. Adrian and Eubolus, Martyrs of Christ, born in Vanea, on February 3 and 4: out of zeal for defending the Christian faith, set out for Caesarea to be present to Christians held in chains or under interrogation, to console, exhort, and encourage them; and to the Gentiles they did not cease to disseminate the word of Christ and to baptize many. For this reason they were easily recognized and seized and handed over to the Prefect Fermilianus, who, after having badly mistreated the Martyrs with beatings and burned their sides with torches, condemned them to the lions; but since the lions were so far from inflicting injury on the Saints that, bending their knees, they even licked their feet, the Prefect, incited by vehement anger, had the Martyrs beheaded.
The Greeks treat of the same in the Great Menaea printed, and in Maximus of Cythera ἐν βίοις ἁγίων, but somewhat more briefly concerning St. Adrian; the same things are read in the ancient manuscript Parisian codex of the Jesuit College of Clermont, in the manuscript codices also of the Medici of the King of France, and another of Cardinal Mazarin. That which follows, on March 7, regarding the Life of St. Eubulus, we shall publish. In the Greek Menologion of Cardinal Sirleto, published by Henry Canisius, on the 4th day of February, it is thus transmitted: The Birthday of St. Adrian, who at Caesarea under the Emperor Decius suffered martyrdom.
[5] That we may treat of the time of his death, first the error must be removed whereby the Emperor Decius is wrongly named in the last Menologion; and it must be admitted, together with the Roman Martyrology, that they suffered in the persecution of Diocletian, which, after he had laid aside the imperial garb and put on private dress, suffered in the year 308. was continued under his successors, and especially in the East and at Caesarea in Palestine under Maximinus, to whom that province was given in the year 305 or the following. Under him Eusebius records in chapter 4 of the said Supplement the Martyrs who suffered in Palestine, and in chapter 6 he relates that St. Agapius suffered in the presence of the tyrant Maximinus in the 4th year of the persecution, and then enumerates the 5th and 6th year of the persecution, namely that begun by Diocletian; and therefore to the earlier Martyrs killed in the month of February we have assigned the year 308, which we also assert of these. They were natives of the region of Manganaea, for which in the Menologia and Menaea is read Βανέα, Vanea or Ganea, contracted from the former name, and some nearby district seems to be meant.
[6] Whether SS. Adrian and Euolus, ascribed to Africa and related in many Martyrologies for this day, are different from these, or should be considered entirely the same, we do not dare to decide; but we leave it to the judgment of others, and we carefully set forth the Martyrologies concerning each one.