ON THE HOLY AFRICAN MARTYRS PETER, EUSEBIUS PALATINUS, RUSTICUS, HEREBUS, MARES PALATINUS, AND 9 OTHERS.
CommentaryPeter, Martyr in Africa (St.)
Eusebius Palatinus, Martyr in Africa (St.)
Rusticus, Martyr in Africa (St.)
Herebus, Martyr in Africa (St.)
Mares Palatinus, Martyr in Africa (St.)
VIII Companions, Martyrs in Africa
[1] Behold another class of Martyrs who suffered in Africa, who also belong to this fifth of March. Of these, the first two are assigned in the illustrious Calendar or manuscript Martyrology of the Vallicellian Congregation of the Oratory at Rome: In Africa In Africa, of Peter and Eusebius; to whom a third is added in the manuscript Martyrology of Prague: In Africa, of Peter, Eusebius, Rusticus; Adrian and Euolus were added, but these belong to the former class of African Martyrs. SS. Peter, Eusebius, The Cassino manuscript: Of the Holy Martyrs Rusticus and Peter. More are joined with these in the manuscript Martyrology of Reichenau: In Africa, of Eobolus, Rusticus, Peter, Phocas, Maturius, Victor, Eusebius. The same are in the Parisian manuscript of Labbé, with Maturius omitted and the Martyr Phocas substituted; the same are also recorded with the place omitted in the Augsburg manuscript. Of these, Phocas, who suffered at Antioch, is given separately, along with his companions Victor. The Tournai manuscript: The Birthday of SS. Adrian, Rusticus, Victor, and Eusebius. At Antioch, the passion of St. Phocas Virgin. In the Laetia manuscript, with no mention made of Phocas, those words "At Antioch" are wrongly transferred before the four aforementioned Martyrs. The manuscript Martyrology of St. Jerome has thus: At Antioch, of St. Phocas. In Africa, of Peter, Rusticus, Heribius, Mares Palatinus, Herebus, Mares Palatinus, and 9 others. and 9 others. In the Corbie edition printed at Paris, also of St. Jerome, through the fault of copyists the words "In Africa, of Peter" having been omitted, the rest is presented thus: At Antioch, the passion of St. Phocas, Rusticus, Herebus, Mares Palatinus, and 9 others. But the Lucca and Blumian Martyrologies, also of St. Jerome, establish the said correction: At Antioch, the passion of St. Phocas. In Africa, of Peter, Eusebius, Rusticus, Herilus, Mares Palatinus, and 9 others.
[2] Thus far we have given the more ancient Martyrologies, from which this controversy arises, whether another Eusebius Palatinus with nine other Martyrs should be distinguished. Concerning these, Usuard, Ado, [Eusebius Palatinus and companions separately recorded without place of martyrdom,] the printed Bede, Bellinus, Maurolycus, and the two Trier manuscripts with two others under the name of Bede, have nearly these words: Likewise on the same day, the passion of St. Eusebius Palatinus and nine other Martyrs. Nearly the same are read in today's Roman Martyrology. But only eight are recorded in the Martyrologies of Rosweyde, Notker, and Florus; for Bede recorded no Saints on this day. In the Cassino and Altaemps manuscripts, twelve companions are added to Eusebius; in the Utrecht manuscript eleven; and with Notker, another Palatinus is distinguished from Eusebius, so that by this reasoning Eusebius and Palatinus can be considered to have suffered in Africa with SS. Peter, Rusticus, Heribus, and Mares, to whom nine fellow soldiers are also added. In the manuscript of St. Cyriacus, with the name of Eusebius omitted, twelve companions are added after St. Phocas, which belong here. In the Corbie manuscript of St. Rusticus, Hercaeus is added, whom we believe to be called Herebus or Heribus by others. The name Palatinus we append as an appellation to Eusebius and to Mares.
[3] The author of the Chronicle of Dexter raises a new controversy, in his customary manner transferring those whom he finds in various Martyrologies assigned to no place in the Chronicle of Dexter assigned to Medellin, to some town of Spain. His words at the year 134, number 4, are these: At Medellin in Lusitania, the holy Martyrs Eusebius, Palatinus, and nine others, who steadfastly suffered for the faith of Christ. Francis Bivarius and Rodrigo Caro note on this passage that they are venerated on March 5; on which day the Hispanic Martyrology of John Tamayo Salazar thus begins for these Saints: At the colony of Medellin in Lusitania, SS. Eusebius and Palatinus with Firmanus and Rusticus and seven companions, with Firmanus and Rusticus added, who, when they presented themselves to the Judge for the love of Christ and the confession of the faith, were long detained in prison, and at last, tortured by the cruelty of the Emperor Hadrian, through various agonizing torments they valiantly reached the eternal rewards of Martyrs. Then some Acts of these are adduced, adorned with similar encomia, and besides the Chronicle and those cited by us, Rabanus and Galesinius are cited, the first of whom on this day does not mention any of the aforesaid Martyrs; and yet these are put forward as if they were his words: On the same day, of SS. Palatinus, Firmanus, Rusticus, and other Martyrs. Perhaps
Tamayo transferred them here from March 10, where these are read: At Nicomedia, of Palatinus, Firmian, and Rusticus. Nor has any other Firmian or Firmanus Martyr been inserted in the Martyrology of Rabanus except this one who suffered at Nicomedia. Galesinius writes that St. Eusebius Palatinus and his nine companions suffered in the persecution of Trajan, and alleges in his Notes Usuard, Bede, and a manuscript. We have given their words without mention of Antioch or Trajan. Concerning the authority of this handwritten Martyrology, we treated above with reference to the earlier African Martyrs. But how can Martyrs who suffered at Nicomedia, or who, though wrongly, were ascribed to Antioch and the time of Trajan, be transferred to Lusitania on the authority of both Rabanus and Galesinius cited, and indeed two whose names are not mentioned in the Chronicle of Dexter? George Cardoso in his Lusitanian Hagiologion, omitting Firmian and Rusticus, celebrates Eusebius Palatinus and nine companions crowned with martyrdom at Medellin in Lusitania; the same are related by Martin Carilius in his Hispanic Chronicle at the year assigned in the Chronicle of Dexter, namely 134, and by Barnabas Morenas de Vargas in book 5 of his History of Emerita, chapter 3, because the town of Medellin, commonly called Medellín, situated not far from Emerita and within its diocese, is where these Martyrs are now venerated as Patrons of the first class, as the aforementioned Cardoso indicates. Meanwhile, everything rests on the sole authority of the Chronicle of Dexter, which we have often said merits very little trust.
[4] Philip Ferrarius in his new Topography on the Roman Martyrology ascribes the said Martyrs to Caesarea in Palestine. On March 5, he says, elsewhere ascribed to Caesarea in Palestine Adrian, a soldier Martyr under Diocletian. Likewise Eusebius Palatinus with nine other Martyrs. Likewise Theophilus, a most learned Bishop and Martyr under Severus. All of whom are inserted in the same order in the Roman Martyrology, and both Adrian and Theophilus are attributed to Caesarea in Palestine, as will be said in their proper place; between whom, since Eusebius Palatinus and his companions are interposed without mention of any place, he believed that they also completed their martyrdom at Caesarea in Palestine. By the same reasoning exactly, Eusebius with his companions is often substituted for St. Phocas the Antiochene Martyr. Thus the Vatican manuscript of St. Peter's: At Antioch, the birthday of Bl. Phocas the Martyr. On the same day, the passion of St. Eusebius Palatinus and nine other Martyrs. Similar things are found in the Cassino, Altaemps, and Cologne manuscripts of St. Mary ad Gradus, Dacherian, and others, as well as in that by which Florus filled the lacunae of Bede. Deceived by this occasion, Galesinius ascribed both Eusebius and his companions to Antioch together with St. Phocas, and Antioch and from the Acts of another Phocas, Bishop of Sinope in Pontus, he wove together longer encomia for them, adding that the crown of martyrdom was granted to them in the persecution of Trajan. All of which Tamayo Salazar transferred, not without rhetorical amplification, to his Martyrs of Medellin, asserting that when the storm of the Emperor Trajan's persecution arose, they were either seized for the faith, or, having learned of his decree not to seek out Christians, voluntarily presented themselves to the Judge and were thrust into prison, and there, afflicted with various hardships of foul stench and hunger, they counted the day on which they would attain the merit of martyrdom for the confession of Christ the Lord; and then, after Trajan was taken from the living, they suffered in the time of Hadrian. He then rejoices that by this discovery of his, the opinion is excellently preserved both of Dexter, who records their struggle in the time of Hadrian, and of Galesinius, who places it in the age of Trajan. How solid these claims are may be gathered from what has been said.
[5] Masini, in his survey of Bologna, mentions the Martyr Eusebius on this day, relics of a certain Eusebius at Bologna. and asserts that some of his relics are in the church of St. Francis, and others also in the church of SS. Fabian and Sebastian; but these seem to have been attributed to this rather than to other Saints of the same name, because this one first appeared inscribed in the Roman Martyrology and assigned to no certain place.