ON ST. CONON THE GARDENER, MARTYR IN PAMPHYLIA,
AROUND THE YEAR 251.
A HISTORICAL COMMENTARY.
Conon the Gardener, Martyr in Pamphylia (St.)
[1] This other Conon is set forth on the fifth day of March in the Great Menaea of the Greeks and in Maximus of Cythera ἐν βίοις ἁγίων, and alone in the New Anthologion approved by Clement VIII and printed at Rome by the Vatican press. In the Greek Menologion published by Henry Canisius, there is some transposition of days; for after day 4, day 8 is repeated twice in the headings, with days 5, 6, and 7 omitted, which should be restored, and St. Conon should be referred to day 5; St. Conon venerated on March 5: about whom the following is related: Saint Conon the Martyr τοῦ κυπρίου from Nazareth of Galilee. This man, under the Emperor Decius, on account of his confession of the Christian faith, having iron nails driven into his feet, was ordered to run before a chariot; falling on his knees and praying, he surrendered his spirit to Christ the Lord. The translator, having noticed an error in the word τοῦ κυπρίου, did not wish to render it in Latin; if he had inspected the printed Menaea, he would have very easily removed the mistake: in these the following is read: Τῇ ἀυτῇ ἡμέρα τοῦ ἁγίου Μάρτυρος Κώνωνος τοῦ κηπουροῦ. The manuscript Synaxarion agrees. But Maximus of Cythera has τοῦ κηπωροῦ, and in the Anthologion and the Menologion of the Emperor Basil τοῦ κηποροῦ. All of which mean the same thing: On the same day, therefore, of the holy Martyr Conon the Gardener. And these verses are joined in the Menaea:
Ἥλους τύπους φέροντι κυρίῳ Κώνων Ἥλων τύποῦς πρόσεισιν εἰς πόδας φέρων, Ὀξυτάτοις Κὼνων ἥλοισι πάρης πόδε πέμπτῃ.
To Christ the Lord who bears the marks of nails, Conon Approaches bearing in his feet the marks of nails. Be present, Conon, with sharpest nails in thy feet on this fifth day,
namely of March, on which he is venerated. Then this eulogy is added in the Menaea, the Anthologion, and in the Cytheraean, and in the said Parisian Synaxarion, as well as in various manuscript Menaea.
[2] Born at Nazareth: St. Conon, a native of Nazareth of Galilee, flourished in the time of the Emperor Decius. Setting out thence for Pamphylia to the region of the Mandi, in a place called Carmela, he cultivated a certain garden excellently and from it prepared his sustenance. He was sincere and simple in his character, a gardener in Pamphylia: so much so that when men came to apprehend him and sought him and greeted him mockingly, he returned their greeting from his heart; and when they indicated the reason for their appearance, namely that the Governor Publius had summoned him, sincere and simple: he replied: "What indeed does he need my services for, especially since I am a Christian?
Let those rather be summoned who hold the same views as he does and are bound by the same religion." When, however, he was bound and brought before the Governor and was pressed to sacrifice to the idols, steadfast in the faith, he groaned deeply and seemed to subject the Governor to less honor; and thus he confirmed himself in the faith of Christ, lest he should suffer any wavering. his feet pierced with nails, Therefore, with iron nails driven through his feet, he was compelled to run before a chariot until his strength failed, when he fell on his knees, and having poured forth prayer, he rendered his spirit to God. put to death:
[3] Thus far the Greek Acts, in which, along with the Menologion of the Emperor Basil and Maximus of Cythera, we have written "the region of the Mandi," whether in the region or city of the Madi? for they have ἐις χώραν Μάνδων τῆς Παμφυλίας, for which in the Menaea and Synaxarion is read ἐις πόλιν Μάνδων τῆς Παμφυλίας. Thus on February 26, St. Nestor in the Latin Acts, number 2, is said to have been a Bishop at Mandis, and a Martyr at Perge. Was there then such an episcopal city there? Since no mention of it is found anywhere in the Notices of the Churches, we judged that Magydis should be read, which is a maritime city of Pamphylia, from which Mandis could very easily have been written by mistake. In the Anthologion, with the names Mandon and Carmela omitted, he is said to have come to the region of Pamphylia, and having received a small piece of land, to have prepared from it a garden, and from the vegetables planted, to have prepared sustenance for himself and for guests and the poor; the same things about the garden are read in the cited Menologion of the Emperor Basil.
[4] under the Governor Publius, In the same Menologion and Anthologion, the name of the Governor is omitted, though others call him Publius. Thus the aforementioned Nestor, who also suffered in the same Pamphylia under the Emperor Decius, is said in the Latin Acts to have been presented to the Governor Pollio, but in the Greek Menologion to the Governor Publius, and was crucified by his order. Likewise Galesinius, on the same February 26, relates that Papias, Diodorus, and Claudianus, and also another Conon, were beheaded at Attaleia in the same Pamphylia under the Governor Publius, who in the Acts of St. Nestor is again called Pollio, called Pollio by others. so that perhaps the Governor, being of two names, was called Publius Pollio, or certainly the Greeks called Pollio by the name Publius.
[5] Also venerated on March 6. He is also inscribed in today's Roman Martyrology, but on the following day, with these words: In Cyprus, St. Conon the Martyr, who under the Emperor Decius, with nails driven into his feet, being ordered to run before a chariot, falling on his knees, yielded up his spirit in prayer. The Greek Menologion is cited in the notes; but we have said that in it neither the 5th, nor the 6th, or 7th day is prefixed, but through error the 8th day is placed before, for which the 5th day should be restored. Likewise, instead of the word τοῦ κυπρίου, τοῦ κηπουροῦ or κηποροῦ should be read, by which it is indicated that he was a gardener.