CONCERNING SAINT MELITON AND HIS COMPANION, MARTYRS, AT VENICE
CommentaryMeliton, Martyr, at Venice (Saint) Companion, Martyr, at Venice (Saint)
In the year one thousand six hundred and sixty, residing for some days at Venice, among other pious places we visited the temple of Saint Lazarus in the Ptochotrophion, or Charitable House of Beggars, under the direction of the venerable Priests of the Somaschian Society: and there near the altar of Saint Sebastian we found various Relics of the Saints, At Venice in the temple of Saint Lazarus, honorifically placed in a gilded wooden chest, beautifully ornamented inside, and preserved in appropriate compartments of transparent crystal, so that they could be viewed and honored with due veneration. And not far from there we read a bull hung up, of John Francis Morosini, Patriarch of Venice and Primate of Dalmatia, by which the said relics are approved as legitimate. This bull was copied for us by Peter Maurus, Priest of the Somaschian Society and Rector of the said Ptochotrophion, and he attested with his own hand that after the recognition and approval noted in the bull, the said Relics were brought to the altar of Saint Sebastian in the month of January of the year 1653. He also testified that concerning those Saints whose notable relics are there, the Office is celebrated with the double rite on the days noted in the Martyrology.
[2] Among these Relics, as is expressed in the Patriarch's Bull, is the Body of Saint Meliton, one of the Forty Martyrs, the body of Saint Meliton and the arm of a companion are preserved: and the arm of another of the Forty Martyrs. These relics, together with others of various Saints, previously translated from Antioch or Bithynia, called Natolia, through Lord Nicolaus Orlandus, a merchant and relative of Lord Vincent de Busis, were granted to Lord Dominic Biava through the heirs of Lord John Baptist Combi: which Lord Combi had the said relics, previously deposited in the inner sacristy of the church of the venerable nuns of Saint Mary in Celestibus, Venice, where they were honored with other Relics; then transferred from that sacristy to the choir of the venerable nuns of the Most Holy Sepulcher at Venice, with the permission of Lord John Theupoli, Patriarch, on February 9 of the year 1628, from the said Vincent Busis depositing them, and kept them devoutly until his death in a chapel magnificently constructed in his own residence: which we ourselves also visited, kindly received by Lord John la Noue, the said Combi's son-in-law: from whom and other heirs, by the will of Mr. Combi, the said Relics were donated to the aforesaid temple of Saint Lazarus. Where we learned that on this day the Ecclesiastical Office is celebrated concerning them with the double rite.
[3] However, it is not sufficiently proved to us that Saint Meliton the Martyr and his companion, whose Body and arm are preserved there, are those who are numbered among the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste. For the bodies of those Forty Martyrs were thrown into the fire and reduced to ashes. but they do not appear to be from the 40 Martyrs of Sebaste. By a common error the name of Meliton was sought in the Martyrologies, and since no other was found, it was believed that it must be the body of that Meliton. The same happened with Saint Gorgonius, whose body was translated from Rome to the city of Tours, as will be stated below on March 11.