ON THE HOLY MARTYRS JOHN AND FORTY-FOUR COMPANIONS IN AFRICA. LIKEWISE SS. SALVIANUS OR SILVANUS, ANDUS OR ANDINUS, AND MINANDUS.
CommentaryJohn, Martyr in Africa (S.)
Forty-four companions, Martyrs in Africa (SS.) Salvianus, or Silvanus, Martyr (S.)
Andus, or Andinus, Martyr (S.)
Minandus, Martyr (S.)
[1] This is the third class of Martyrs in four copies of the Martyrology of S. Jerome, in which they are recorded thus: "In Africa, of John and forty-four others." The same things are read in the ancient manuscript Martyrology of Queen Christina of Sweden, in the Appendix of Ado in Rosweyde, African Martyrs, and in the Tallaght manuscript, but with the place omitted, as generally happens in that Martyrology. In the Reichenau manuscript, through the negligence of copyists, the name of Neon the Deacon, transcribed from the already-mentioned Alexandrian Martyrs, is read in place of John. In the Parisian manuscript of Labbé, fifty Martyrs are named, with neither any Martyr's name nor place added: perhaps one should read forty, with the smaller number also omitted.
[2] After these are recorded, the following is added in the Martyrology of S. Jerome printed at Paris: "At Albua, of Salvianus, Andus, Minandus." In the Blumian codex there are no companions; whether these should be assigned to another place. in the Luccan codex the following is found: "And at Albua, of Silvianus." In our codex of the same S. Jerome, it reads thus: "Of Andinus, at Albuca, of Silvanus." There is a certain Silvanus on 8 March among the African Martyrs; again on 9 March a Silvanus was joined with other Africans in Hermann Greven, whom we did not dare to judge different from the other. On this day Silvanus is also recorded in the ancient Tallaght manuscript in Ireland. What the place Albua is, we have not yet been able to determine. Victor of Utica mentions the city of Albulensis in Mauretania Caesariensis, cited by Ortelius in his Geography: is that city to be understood here? With Albuca therefore set aside, among the Martyrs there remain Salvianus or Silvanus, Andus or Andinus, and Minandus, whom we present to the judgment of readers on account of the antiquity of the codex.