Bishop Martyrs Ephraem

ON THE HOLY BISHOP MARTYRS EPHRAEM, BASILEUS, EUGENIUS, AGATHODORUS, ELPIDIUS, AETHERIUS, AND CAPITO, AT CHERSON IN THE TAURIC CHERSONESE,

AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FOURTH CENTURY.

Preliminary Commentary.

Ephraem, at Cherson in the Tauric Chersonese (St.)

Basileus, at Cherson in the Tauric Chersonese (St.)

Eugenius, at Cherson in the Tauric Chersonese (St.)

Agathodorus, at Cherson in the Tauric Chersonese (St.)

Elpidius, at Cherson in the Tauric Chersonese (St.)

Aetherius, at Cherson in the Tauric Chersonese (St.)

Capito, at Cherson in the Tauric Chersonese (St.)

Section I. These seven holy Bishops of Cherson in the Tauric Chersonese: at what time, on what days, and by what manner of death they perished. They are venerated on March 7.

[1] The Chersonese, which the Latins call a peninsula, is said to be so named from the word "chersos," meaning land, and "nesos," meaning island: and it is a land surrounded by sea on every side except where it is joined to the mainland by a narrow strip, which strip is called an Isthmus. The Greeks more often write "Chersonesos," doubling the letter. Very many peninsulas of this kind are commonly listed by geographers, especially Strabo, Ptolemy, and Stephanus. And not only are such Chersoneses separated from the mainland, but also from islands: for Strabo in book 17, in his description of Cyrenaica, mentions a certain great port, opposite which is situated the Chersonese of Crete. The most famous Chersonese is the Tauric: The most famous of all the regions called by this common name is that which is called the Tauric and Scythian, surrounded by the Euxine Sea, the Cimmerian Bosporus, and the Maeotian marshes, except where the Isthmus stretches between the Sapra marsh, or Pater, and the Carcinites gulf. Strabo in book 7 calls it the Great: The great Chersonese resembles the Peloponnesus both in shape and in size.

[2] where there is also a city called Chersonesus: In that Chersonese there is a city of the same name, called Chersonesus by Ptolemy in book 3, chapter 6, table 8 of Europe; Chersonesus by Strabo, who describes its location thus: Sailing out of the Carcinitic Gulf, on the left is a town and another port of the Chersonesites. For on the shore, past which one sails, exposed toward the south, there is a great promontory extending continuously, a part of the whole Chersonese: and on it is situated a city, a colony of the Heracleots who are in Pontus, called Chersonesus. This in the Menologion of Sirletus, or Cherson: published by Henricus Canisius, is called Cherson, as also in the Menaea and the Anthologion of Arcudius. In the ancient Notitia from a Vatican manuscript and another from the library of the Most Christian King, published by Charles a S. Paulo, among the autocephalous prelates is mentioned the Bishop of Cherson, formerly an episcopal see: of the province of Zechia or Zicchia. The Bishop of Bosporus, of the same province, is appended. At the eighth session of the Fifth Ecumenical Council, among others Stephanus, by the mercy of God Bishop of Cherson, is found to have subscribed. Some Latins call it Cersona. Pope St. Clement, as is said in his Acts on November 23, was forced into exile beyond the Pontus, in the wilderness adjacent to the city of Cersona. Anastasius the Librarian in his Life of Pope St. Martin writes thus: Then the aforementioned most holy man was sent into exile, to a place called Cersona. Abbo of Fleury uses the same name for the place in his Lives of the Pontiffs. Now it is said to be called Corsun, and most ample, afterward called Corsun: by the Turks Sari-Germen, that is, the golden fortress. The Poles and Russians boast that it was once plundered and destroyed by their ancestors, and that with the spoils of the temples carried away from there, sacred buildings at Kiev and elsewhere were adorned: for there was such a population in that entire province, such wealth, that in certain principal cities a thousand temples were counted; and the grandeur of these can still be seen from the ruins, and especially at Corsun, although now it is almost devoid of inhabitants, now destroyed: which was then the metropolis, from which, they say, the Christian religion was especially propagated into Russia. The Turks now hold the southern part of the Chersonese, and under the Turks: and in it Cherson itself, or at least its ruins. The northern part is held by the Tartars, called the Precopians from Precopia, which, situated at the Isthmus, took its name from a ditch.

[3] At Cherson the memory of its seven Bishops is customarily celebrated on the Nones of March. These seven Saints were venerated there on March 7: Of them, among the Latins, Peter Galesinius, John Molanus in his supplement to Usuard, and Philip Ferrari in his General Catalogue of Saints make mention. Galesinius has this: In Greece, of the holy Bishop Martyrs Basileus, Ephraem, Charito, Eugenius, Aetherius, as is evident from Latin calendars: and the rest, who, tortured at Cherson and finally shedding their blood, gave an illustrious testimony of the Christian faith. Molanus: On the seventh day, of the holy Martyrs and Bishops at Cherson, Basileus, Ephraem, Charito, Eugenius, and the rest. So in the second and third editions: for in the first, prepared at Louvain in the year 1568, he does not mention them. Ferrari: At Chersona, of the holy Bishops and Martyrs Basileus, Ephraem, Charito, Eugenius, Aetherius, and the others. Galesinius acknowledges that he drew what he presents about these Martyrs from Greek sources. We too shall bring forth the same, and perhaps some things not read by him.

[4] Their Acts from the Menaea we shall recite below; besides which, in various odes and antiphons they celebrate them together, and from Greek sources: and so they begin the Office of this day: On the same month, the seventh day, of the holy Hieromartys who completed their contest at Cherson: Basileus, Ephraem, Eugenius, Capito, Aetherius, and the rest. The title of the Acts is: Of the holy Hieromartys who were Bishops at Cherson: Ephraem, Basileus, Eugenius, Agathodorus, Capito, and Aetherius. The same Acts in the Lives of the Saints published in the language now used by the common people of Greece, and the same title with the names of six Saints, are exhibited by Maximus, Bishop of Cythera. The Lesser Menologion also, which is found in the book inscribed Horologion, has this: Seventh, of the holy Hieromartys who were Bishops at Cherson: Basileus, Ephraem, Capito, Eugenius, Aetherius, and the rest. Under the end of the same Horologion there is an Epitome of the Menologion compiled by Christopher the Patrician and Proconsul of Mytilene, which on this day has: Seventh, Ephraem, Pastor of Cherson.

[5] The new Greek Anthologion composed by Antonio Arcudio, Archpriest of Soleto, in which there is a synopsis of the deeds: and dedicated to Clement VIII, Supreme Pontiff, and printed at Rome in the Vatican press, exhibits this eulogy of them, which we give thus in Latin: Seventh, of the holy Hieromartys who were Bishops at Cherson: Ephraem, Basileus, Eugenius, Capito, and the rest. Under the rule of Diocletian, Hermon, Bishop of Jerusalem, sent Bishops — to Scythia indeed, Ephraem, but to Cherson, Basileus: who, preaching Christ there, and being beaten, was forced to go into hiding. But when he raised from the dead the son of the Prefect, he was recalled again, and baptized the Prefect himself and many others. But the infidels, driven by madness, having driven ropes through his feet, dragged him: in which torture he breathed his last. After his death, Eugenius, Agathodorus, Capito, and Elpidius came and preached Christ. But the pagans, gathering together, killed them too. After this, Aetherius was likewise sent from Jerusalem, who, perceiving the ferocity of the people, went to Constantine the Great, who had already established the seat of empire at Byzantium, and persuaded him to order the idolaters to be expelled from Cherson. Having built a church there, he went again to the Emperor; and having given thanks and received from the Emperor various gifts pertaining to sacred matters, as he was returning to Cherson, he was cast into the Dnieper River, and there he received the end of his life. What is in the Anthologion of Arcudius is the same as in the Menologion of the Emperor Basil and in the ancient and excellent Greek Synaxarion of the Clermont College of the Society of Jesus at Paris.

[6] The Menaea, as we shall see below, relate that St. Capito, after the death of St. Aetherius, was sent to Cherson, St. Capito was only a Confessor: and that by performing illustrious miracles he converted those who had until then obstinately resisted the preaching, and finally died a holy death. Otherwise, the same Menaea without distinction call them all Martyrs in various odes, yet all are indiscriminately called Martyrs: such as this one: Celebrating the divine memory, O divine Fathers, you truly fed your peoples in holiness and justice, and you attained a blessed end through martyrdom. And this: You drank the cup of venerable martyrdom, God-bearing Fathers, faithfully invoking the name of the Lord. Likewise this: Put to death by the labors of the flesh, you obtained immortal life, holy Fathers, for all who are dead but worship God: and those saved cry out with you: Bless the Lord, all works of the Lord. And this: Consecrated with the ointment of grace, you were Pastors to a devout people, and as lambs of the world you were sacrificed, offered to the Word — that is, to the supreme shepherd, who himself also was offered as a sheep; O most illustrious Martyrs and most beautiful luminaries. Therefore with great desire we all come together to celebrate your divine solemnity. Although some of the Martyrologies and Menologia and titles of the Menaea already cited do not report the names of all, yet, as we have said, the Anthologion expresses them: as do the Acts from the Menaea below, with which these odes also agree: Ephraem the venerable, Basileus learned in divine wisdom, Capito the great, divine Agathodorus, with Elpidius and Aetherius and illustrious Eugenius, let them be celebrated with divinely inspired words: for having lived a holy life and run a devout course of martyrdom, they have become dwellers in the heavenly kingdom. And this: The God-bearing helmsmen of the Church — Ephraem and Agathodorus, Basileus, Capito, Eugenius, Elpidius, and divine Aetherius — were taught by the Holy Spirit. Similar also is this: With one voice let us sing, O faithful, of Eugenius and Agathodorus, Ephraem, Elpidius, with Aetherius, Basileus and Capito, as expellers of the enemy and Hierarchs of Christ, to whom we cry: All works, praise the Lord. Others are similar to these. In some, only

St. Basileus alone is named, in others St. Capito alone; sometimes both are named; occasionally Agathodorus, Eugenius, Basileus, and Elpidius. But that all were Pastors of Cherson is shown by this: All were Bishops of Cherson: Today the city of Cherson celebrates your memory: for you were its towers and divine columns and fortifications, Pastors and teachers and Legates most blessed by the divine gift.

[7] Although indeed one solemnity for all is celebrated on this day, they did not all finish their contest at the same time, St. Capito died on December 12, the rest on March 6: or on one day: for SS. Ephraem, Basileus, Eugenius, Agathodorus, Elpidius, and Aetherius completed their martyrdom on the day before the Nones of March; but St. Capito on December 22. Nor indeed in the same year, as is clear from the narrative of the Menaea. At what period they lived is stated clearly enough in the Menaea: but not in what year each departed from life. The first two were sent to the Chersonese in the fifteenth year of Diocletian, which was the year of Christ 300, beginning from September 17 of the year 299. There St. Ephraem seems to have labored for some time and established the Pontifical See in the city of Cherson (for, as we have seen, he is numbered among the Bishops of Cherson); then, having entrusted it to St. Basileus, he set out for the Scythians or Turks, in the hope of more abundant fruit, whom we have shown formerly inhabited near the Danube, on February 7 in the Life of St. Luke the Younger, chapter 8, note d. They had been sent by Hermon, who was the fortieth Bishop of Jerusalem and the last to hold office under Emperors hostile to Christ and persecuting Christians. After Ephraem and Basileus were killed, Eugenius, Agathodorus, and Elpidius were sent to the Chersonese also by the Bishop of Jerusalem, perhaps by the same Hermon; but St. Aetherius, as I think, by his successor St. Macarius, of whom we shall treat on March 10; and St. Capito, who succeeded him while Constantine was still living — how long he lived is not clear.

[8] By what manner of death each died, the Menaea explain in these verses:

Not bowing your head to idols, Ephraem, by what manner of death each perished: you rejoice, bowing it to the sword.

Dragged by the hands of superstitious men, Basileus tears apart the hands of superstitious error.

A triad of fellow contestants adopts the Prophet's words, saying: I gave my back to the scourges.

Capito stretched out his hands in prayer, and with feet uplifted, proceeded to God.

From the river you pass to God, O Father, to him indeed who in the river was washed according to the flesh.

Section II. These Saints were not Bishops of Spain, nor venerated on March 4.

[9] These Saints placed on March 4 in the Menologion of Sirletus, erroneously: Thus these seven athletes were once venerated by the Chersonites in one solemnity, and still are by all the Churches of the Greeks, on the seventh day of the month of March. They are wrongly transferred to the fourth day in the Menologion that Henricus Canisius published: either because the exemplar of Cardinal Sirletus was defective, or because the copyist or translator acted carelessly. For after commemorating on the fourth day the Martyrs Heraïda, Archelaus, Cyril, Photius, and Gerasimus the anchorite, with the fifth and sixth days skipped over, whereas the notation "Of the same, the 7th day" should have been inserted as for the other days — with those words omitted, the following is appended: On the same day, of the holy Martyrs and Bishops at Cherson: Basilius, Eugenius, Agathodorus, Elpidius, Aetherius, Capito, and Ephraem. On the same day, Nestor and Arcadius, Bishops of Trimythus, having suffered martyrdom, rested in peace. And then: Of the same, the 8th day, of the holy Father Paul surnamed the Simple, etc. And by this method it omits the fifth, sixth, and seventh days, and relegates St. Paul the Simple, who in all the calendars is commemorated on the seventh day, to the eighth.

[10] Baronius partly followed the Menologion: for Paul indeed he retains at the seventh day; but at the fourth he writes: At the Chersonese, the passion of the holy Bishops Basilius, Eugenius, Agathodorus, Elpidius, as also in the new Roman Martyrology: Aetherius, Capito, Ephraem, Nestor, and Arcadius. Thus the last two, who, as we shall presently say, were Bishops of Trimythus in Cyprus, are associated with those seven of the Chersonese, although in the Menologion they are only said to have rested in peace on the same day. Then, he who in all the Greek sources, and in Galesinius who followed the Greeks, and in Molanus and Ferrari is Basileus, or Basileus in three syllables, is to Baronius and the translator of the Menologion Basilius, that is, "royal," while the former means "King."

[11] Now because there was a city in Spain called Chersonesus, those who fabricated the Chronicle to be published under the name of Dexter, they are imagined to have died in the Spanish city of Peniscola: dragged those nine Bishops there as if by force. The location of that Spanish Chersonesus is described in book 3 by Strabo thus: Again, setting out from the Sucro in the other direction toward the mouth of the Ebro, there is Saguntum, founded by the Zacynthians: when Hannibal had destroyed this city contrary to the agreements made with the Romans, he inflamed the second war of the latter against the Carthaginians. In the vicinity are the cities Chersonesus, Oleastrum, Cartalias, and at the very crossing of the Ebro, Dertosa. This city is called by Mariana in book 12, chapter 17, by the Spanish word Penisola, and in Latin Peninsula in book 20, chapter 16. It is in the kingdom of Valencia, not far from the borders of Aragon. The Pseudo-Dexter calls it the Cherronesian city, writing at the year of Christ 60, section 2, thus: At the same time, when there had assembled in the Cherronesian city near Valencia in Spain, and various Bishops of cities allegedly established by St. James: for the purpose of a Council, the holy Bishops, also disciples of St. James the Apostle: Basilius of Carthago Spartaria, his first disciple, Eugenius of Valencia, Pius of Seville, Agathodorus of Tarragona, Elpidius of Toledo, Aetherius of Barcelona, Capito of Lugo, Ephraem of Astorga, Nestor of Palencia, Arcadius of Juliobriga — under the same Judge they were despoiled of their goods and killed. He calls that Judge at the year 57, Alotus. Already before, at the year 37, section 2, he had written that Pius was Bishop of Seville, and of the rest at section 3: St. James also created other Bishops: another Basilius, who was the first Bishop of Carthago Spartaria; Eugenius of Valencia, Agathodorus of Tarragona, Elpidius of Toledo, Aetherius of Barcelona, Capito of Lugo, Ephraem of Astorga, Nestor of Palencia, Arcadius of Juliobriga.

[12] Bivarius in his Commentary on Dexter at the year 60, number 2, gives thanks to God that Dexter has revealed these things. And: From Dexter alone we learn, he says, over which cities they presided, since this had been unknown until now: at what time they flourished, under whose teaching they were instructed, and finally in what city they underwent martyrdom. Then: Why in Spain, he says, where these Saints themselves flourished, the memory of them has perished, the reason is readily at hand: for no one is unaware of the calamities and destructions that Spain has often suffered. The same author, however, had earlier at the year 57, Commentary 2, written thus: The Church of Astorga, by tradition received through the hands of ancestors, holds that St. Ephraem, a disciple of Blessed James, was its first Bishop. That tradition should be proved by the testimony of an author who wrote before that Chronicle was devised. Bivarius adds in the same place that it is established from the Menologion of the Greeks, the Roman Martyrology, Usuard, Molanus, Galesinius, and others, that all these Bishops, ten in number, were companions of one another, and were simultaneously crowned with martyrdom in the same place, on March 4. But he acknowledges below that the name of Pius of Seville is absent from the Roman Martyrology: and likewise that the Greeks celebrate the feast of the rest on March 7, not the 4th, as the Latins do. Who are those Latins? Galesinius, Molanus, and Ferrari, cited by us above, place them on the seventh: Baronius alone on the fourth. I am surprised, moreover, that Usuard is cited by Bivarius. We have very many manuscript copies of Usuard and not a few printed ones: in none do the names of these appear; nor in Galesinius, Molanus, or Ferrari do those of SS. Nestor, Arcadius, or Pius.

[13] John Tamayo Salazar compiles very many things about these Saints, with great diligence indeed, not to say excessive. And recently derived from forged Chronicles: He relies principally on the Chronicle of Dexter, and also on the Chronicles and Adversaria of Luitprand and Julian Peter, which seem to us to be of the same flour as that Dextrine Chronicle. He also cites other Spanish writers who mentioned the said Saints after that Chronicle was published. But we shall never finish for they are said to be the first Bishops established in Spain by St. Peter: if we undertake to examine and refute each thing. Whoever weighs what has been set forth above from various writers, and what will be presented from the Menaea, will easily perceive how weak are the things that have been fabricated about the age and deeds of those Bishops and the place of martyrdom: since from what was said on February 1 and March 1, where we treated of St. Caecilius and St. Hesychius, it is established that there were no Bishops in Spain except those whom St. Peter or his successors sent. We shall now give the Acts of the seven men of the Chersonese from the Menaea of the Greeks and from Maximus, Bishop of Cythera. Of SS. Nestor and Arcadius we shall treat separately.

ACTS FROM THE MENAEA AND MAXIMUS, BISHOP OF CYTHERA.

Ephraem, at Cherson in the Tauric Chersonese (St.)

Basileus, at Cherson in the Tauric Chersonese (St.)

Eugenius, at Cherson in the Tauric Chersonese (St.)

Agathodorus, at Cherson in the Tauric Chersonese (St.)

Elpidius, at Cherson in the Tauric Chersonese (St.)

Aetherius, at Cherson in the Tauric Chersonese (St.)

Capito, at Cherson in the Tauric Chersonese (St.)

[1] In the sixteenth year of the reign of Diocletian, when Hermon, the most holy Bishop of Jerusalem, had sent Bishops to various nations St. Ephraem, Bishop, sent to Tauroscythia: to preach the word of God in the Apostolic manner and to proclaim Christ, these God-bearing Fathers of ours were also sent by him to the Tauroscythian region: Ephraem indeed to Scythia, and Basileus to Cherson. When the latter had come to that city and was exhorting the people to receive the faith and correct their morals, he was regarded by the inhabitants as an advocate of a new government and system, St. Basileus, Bishop, expelled from Cherson: and a corrupter of their ancestral laws and religions; he was received with blows and expelled from the city. From then on he dwelt in a certain cave which they called the Parthenon, joyful indeed and exulting with gladness that he had been insulted for the sake of Christ; but sorrowful, afflicted, and downcast in spirit on account of the error and hardness of heart of the unbelievers.

[2] While he was thus affected in spirit and praying to God for them, he was voluntarily recalled by them. For when the son of their Prefect then recalled, having raised one from the dead: and chief of the city had died and was already given to burial, and his relatives were lingering at the tomb, they seemed to see, as in a dream, that dead man standing there and to hear him saying to them: If you want me to come back to life, recall that stranger whom you insulted, and having received his teaching, pray that he intercede with God for me. When this had been done, and by the prayers of the holy man, with the pouring of blessed water he converts many: as a figure or type of sacred baptism,

the boy had been recalled to life, his parents received the faith of Christ, and with all their household and their acquaintances and friends they hastened to the washing of baptism. But those who persisted in their obstinacy, stirred up to sedition by the Jews, dragged the Saint through the streets he is killed: until he gave up his spirit to God.

[3] Then again, after the death of St. Basileus, Eugenius, Agathodorus, as also SS. Eugenius, Agathodorus, and Elpidius: and Elpidius landed at Cherson: for they too had likewise been ordained as Apostles to the nations by the Bishop of Jerusalem and sent to announce salvation to them. Against these also the impious rose up, and having bound them and torn them most cruelly and savagely with beatings, they killed them, one year after the death of SS. Basileus and Ephraem, on the sixth day of the month of March.

[4] After many years, Aetherius was again sent from Jerusalem as Bishop: who, perceiving the ferocity and obstinacy of the people, set out for Byzantium to deal with the Emperor about those barbarians: likewise St. Aetherius: for already Constantine the Great was holding the reins of the Roman Empire. That meeting with the Emperor succeeded according to his wish: for by the Emperor's edict the unbelieving pagans were proscribed and expelled from the city, and in their place pious men were sent and introduced to inhabit the city. But when the same blessed Aetherius had again set out for Byzantium to give thanks to the Emperor, on his return he was attacked by the impious and thrown into the Dnieper River, and so completed the course of his martyrdom on the sixth of March.

[5] St. Capito passes through fire unharmed: Then, an embassy having been sent to Constantine the Great, they received the blessed Capito as Bishop. This brought joy to the pious and grief to the unbelievers. These latter therefore demand that he exhibit a sign of his faith — namely, that he should enter one of the furnaces that they themselves had kindled, and come out from it unharmed and untouched by the fire. The Bishop therefore, clothed in his sacred vestment and with the Omophorion placed about his shoulders, fortifying himself with the sign of the holy Cross, entered the fire, and remaining in it for a long time, came out entirely untouched, and carried with him his priestly he converts very many: vestment filled with burning coals: and he converted nearly all who were astonished by that miracle to God and purified them by baptism. And he himself at last on the twenty-second day of December ended his life prosperously and happily.