CONCERNING THE HOLY MARTYRS VICTOR, VICTORINUS, CLAUDIANUS OR CLAUDIUS, AND BASSA HIS WIFE, AT NICOMEDIA AND APAMEA IN BITHYNIA.
CommentaryVictor, Martyr at Nicomedia and Apamea in Bithynia (Saint)
Victorinus, Martyr at Nicomedia and Apamea in Bithynia (Saint)
Claudianus, or Claudius, Martyr at Nicomedia and Apamea in Bithynia (Saint)
Bassa his wife, Martyr at Nicomedia and Apamea in Bithynia (Saint)
The memory of the Martyrs Victor and Victorinus of Nicomedia, without further eulogy or other companions, is celebrated in very many manuscript Latin martyrologies, as also in the copies of the Martyrology of Saint Jerome published at Paris and Lucca, and in the Blumian manuscript, which begin thus: "On the day before the Nones of March. At Nicomedia, of Victor, Victorinus, or Victurinus" -- for this sometimes reads Victuri. This day is blank in the genuine Martyrology of Bede, in whose supplement Florus, or whoever composed it, Veneration and eulogy from the sacred Fasti. reports the following: "At Nicomedia, of Victor and Victurinus, who died in prison." Victor alone is recorded in the manuscripts of Augsburg and the Parisian one of our Labbe. The Reichenau manuscript has: "At Nicomedia, of Victurinus; and in Pamphylia, of Victor." But perhaps another Victor suffered martyrdom there. For Nicomedia, a city of Bithynia and frequent seat of Emperors, and Pamphylia, a province on the sea toward the island of Cyprus, are at the greatest possible distance from one another. Meanwhile, by the unanimous agreement of the others, they are assigned to Nicomedia; yet Apamea, another city of Bithynia, is sometimes added. Thus the manuscript Martyrology of Saint Cyriacus reads: "At Nicomedia, of Victor, Victorinus, who during three years in the persecution at Apamea, a city of Bithynia, were brought forward, together with Claudius and Bassa his wife, who, seized from among the laity and afflicted with many torments and thrust into prison, there completed the course of their lives." In the Vatican manuscript of the Church of Saint Peter, the name is not Claudius but Claudianus; the rest agree, and these are more briefly reported in the Monte Cassino manuscript and the Roman one of the Duke of Altemps thus: "At Nicomedia, of Victor, Victorinus, who for three years with Claudianus and Bassa his wife at the city of Apamea during the persecution ended their lives." They seem, therefore, to have been first brought forward and presented to the persecutors in the city of Apamea, indeed also afflicted with many torments, and finally thrust into prison at Nicomedia, where they perished from the hardships, and for this reason the other authors make mention only of Nicomedia. Usuard, Ado, the printed Bede, Bellinus, and others describe their death in the same words, which are also read thus in the Roman Martyrology: "At Nicomedia, of the holy Martyrs Victor and Victorinus, who for three years, together with Claudianus and Bassa his wife, were afflicted with many torments and thrust into prison, and there completed the course of their lives." In some manuscripts Claudius is also written for Claudianus. In the most ancient Martyrology of Saint Jerome that is preserved among us, it reads thus: "At Nicomedia, of Victor, Victorinus, Claudianus, Bassa." Petrus de Natalibus, book 3 of the Catalogue, chapter 180, composed his encomium from Ado. Wandelbert encompasses their contest in this couplet:
"Victorinus triumphs the day before, and Victor, thrust Into prison, who penetrated the stars in lofty flight."