CONCERNING SAINTS PALATINUS, FIRMIAN, AND RUSTICUS, MARTYRS, AT NICOMEDIA
CommentaryPalatinus, Martyr at Nicomedia (Saint) Firmian, Martyr at Nicomedia (Saint) Rusticus, Martyr at Nicomedia (Saint)
In the Martyrology of Saint Jerome, after the Persian Martyrs have been listed, three Nicomedians are added, concerning whom the Luccan copy has the following: At Nicomedia, of Palatinus, Firmian, and Rusticus. In the manuscript codex in our possession, Names in the Martyrologies. Firmanus is read: with this omitted, the Martyrology of Saint Jerome published at Paris reads thus: At Nicomedia, of Palatinus, Rusticus, Pion. But the first reading is confirmed by the printed Martyrologies of Rabanus and Bede: At Nicomedia, of Palatinus, Firmian, and Rusticus. To which is added the title of Martyrs in the Richenberg manuscript, and at Galesinius and Ferrarius. The Tournai manuscript of Saint Martin: At Nicomedia, of Firmian and Palatinus. In the Aachen and Blumian manuscripts only Palatinus appears, who in Greven in the Auctarium of Usuard is written as Palastinus. On this same day in the cited Martyrologies of Saint Jerome, codices, and other ancient manuscripts, those who suffered at Nicaea are listed, Gorgonius Palatinus and Firmus. Other men called Palatinus. Thus also on February 22 we presented thirty-two Nicomedian Martyrs indicated by their own names, of whom the first and leader of the rest is Euterius Palatinus, as if he were so called because he served in the palace, or was enrolled in the Palatine military service, which we also established concerning the said Gorgonius, if perhaps there was some repetition of this name. Meanwhile we consider this Nicomedian Palatinus to have been so called by his own proper name, because he is either placed before the rest, or is admitted into the society of the other two by the conjunction "And" as a distinct athlete. The one who was substituted in place of Firmian in the Martyrology of Saint Jerome published at Paris, Pion, is omitted by us, whether Pion should be added because he does not seem to be established as different from Pion or Phion of Smyrna, listed in the same Martyrology on this day and again on March 12, ascribed to these by the fault of copyists.
veneration on March 2. Again on March 11, Rusticus and Palatinus are listed in the Liege manuscript of Saint Lambert, and Firmian is joined to them in the ancient manuscript of Saint Maximin.