African Martyrs Julian

ON THE HOLY AFRICAN MARTYRS JULIAN, SICUS OR

YSICUS, CYRILLUS, FELIX, PHILIPPUS, CEDECESIS, CENDEUS, MARIANUS, ROGATUS,

CONCESSUS, JUVENCULA.

Julian, Martyr in Africa (S.)

Sicus or Ysicus, Martyr in Africa (S.)

Cyrillus, Martyr in Africa (S.)

Felix, Martyr in Africa (S.)

Philippus, Martyr in Africa (S.)

Cedecesis, Martyr in Africa (S.)

Cendeus, Martyr in Africa (S.)

Marianus, Martyr in Africa (S.)

Rogatus, Martyr in Africa (S.)

Concessus, Martyr in Africa (S.)

Juvencula, Martyr in Africa (S.)

[1] The Martyrology of St. Jerome, which we possess in a codex written nearly a thousand years ago, has the following for this day: On the seventh day before the Ides of March, in Armenia at Sebastia, the forty soldiers. Likewise of Julian and Sicus. In Africa, of Cyrillus, The names of these in the Martyrologies. Felix, Philippus, Cedecesis, Cendeus, Marianus, Rogatus, Concessus. In the Lucca manuscript of the same St. Jerome, the following is read concerning these: Likewise of Julian, Sicus, and Cyrillus. In Africa, of Felix, etc. The same entries are found in the Martyrology of St. Jerome printed at Paris, in which two distinct names are written as Cere and Cedis, not Cesis, and in place of Sicus one reads Ysicus, and at the end the name of Juvencula is added. In the Reichenau manuscript, that is, of Augia Dives near Constance, seven names are set forth, and the first three are also assigned to Africa with these words: In Africa, of Julian and Sicus, Cyrillus, Philippus, Marinianus, Rogatus, Concessus. The Augsburg manuscript of the monastery of St. Ulrich gives five: In Africa, of Julian, Felix, Philippus, Marianus, Concessus. The same number, but with some of them different from these, is found in the Paris manuscript of Labbé: In Africa, of Julian, Sicus, Philippus, Nectarius, Concessus. Where we fear that in place of Marianus or Marinianus, the name Nectarius was introduced through the error of copyists. For the rest, in agreement with these Martyrologies, we assign all of them to Africa; and in the Martyrology of St. Jerome we think it should be read thus: Likewise in Africa, of Julian, Sicus, Cyrillus, Felix, etc. In Notker, these five are mentioned: In Africa, of Felix and Philippus, Marianus, Rogatus, and Concessus. But with no mention of Africa, the Anchin manuscript has the following: Likewise of the Saints Felix, Philippus, Rogatus. The manuscript of St. Maximin: of Marianus, Julian, Sebastian, Felix. The same name of Sebastian is also found in the Aachen manuscript, where the order is: The birthday of Julian, Sicus, Philippus, Marianus, Concessus, Sebastian. Greven also adds him together with Silvanus in the supplement to Usuard: On the same day, the Saints Sicus, Philippus, Marianus, Concessus, Sebastian, Julian, Silvanus. Of these, Silvanus belongs to the African Martyrs listed under March 8. Indeed, Sebastian also seems to have been wrongly inserted: for in the Lucca manuscript of St. Jerome, and in his Martyrology printed at Paris, one reads for this day: In Armenia, of Sebastian and the forty soldiers, where in our codex the city of Sebastia is better indicated; meanwhile that error is also repeated in the Corbie manuscript. From which, or from a similar corruption, Sebastian seems to have been joined to these Martyrs and should be entirely omitted.

[2] Two of these Martyrs, SS. Felix and Philippus, are referred to the following day, Some listed under March 10, 11, 12: the tenth of this month, in the aforementioned Martyrology of St. Maximin, likewise in the Florentine manuscripts of the Medici library and of D. Carlo Strozzi, and in the Martyrology printed there in 1486. But on the twelfth day they are contained in the Tamlacht manuscript. Two others, Rogatus and Cendeus, are again listed under March 11 in three copies of the Martyrology of St. Jerome, inserted after the Carthaginian Martyrs, whom we do not consider different from these.

[3] whether soldiers In the Calendar of the Mainz Breviary printed in 1495 and 1507, the commemoration of eleven soldiers is noted for this day. Whether these are different from these Martyrs is not clear: perhaps it should be read as forty soldiers, who are those crowned at Sebastia.

ON THE HOLY KINDRED MARTYRS — GRANDFATHER, GRANDMOTHER, FATHER, MOTHER, AND TWO SONS — AMONG THE GREEKS.

Grandfather and grandmother, father and mother, two sons, kindred Martyrs among the Greeks (SS.)

These holy Martyrs are celebrated in the Greek Menaea with these words: "The holy Martyrs — grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, and two children — are perfected by the sword" (Ὁι ἅγιοι Μάρτυρες, πάππος, μάμμη, πατὴρ, μήτηρ, καὶ δύο τέκνα ξίφει τελειοῦνται). "A kindred race contended through the sword: the grandmother with the grandfather, the mother with the father, and the children" (Διὰ ξίφους ἤθλησε συγγενὲς γὲνος, Ἡ παππόμαννος, πατρόμητρος, τεκνία).

The holy Martyrs — grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, and two sons — ended their lives by the sword. Through the sword, as athletes, a kindred race contended: with the grandfather, the grandmother; with the father, the mother and the sons. They are also mentioned in Maximus of Cythera. We have found nothing elsewhere.