Alexander

ON ST. ALEXANDER, MARTYR, AT PYDNA IN MACEDONIA, UNDER THE EMPEROR MAXIMIAN.

Preliminary commentary.

Alexander, Martyr, at Pydna in Macedonia (S.)

[1] We present the Acts, though brief, of the passion of St. Alexander, transcribed from the manuscript Bodecensis codex near Paderborn of the Canons Regular, and from an ancient manuscript Passional of the most celebrated monastery of St. Maximin near Trier, St. Alexander both suffered and is venerated among the Greeks, in which it is recorded that on the day before the Ides of March he fought his contest in the midst of Macedonia and Thessaly, having perhaps been led repeatedly from one region to another. The Greeks in their Menologion assign the last place of his martyrdom in these words: Of the holy Martyr Alexander, who on account of his faith in Christ was struck with the axe at Pidna. Pydna, or Pidna, is an ancient city of Macedonia in the province of Pieria, bordering on Thessaly, on the Thermaic Gulf, noted for the flight of Perseus, the last King of Macedon, which Livy in book 44 and other ancient authors describe. Christians from Thessalonica were also summoned to honor the burial of St. Alexander. Galesius received the same from Greek records, and observes that Pydna is a city of Macedonia, and celebrates him with this encomium: At Pydna, St. Alexander Martyr, who having freely inveighed in the preaching of the faith against the madness of impious men, since he could by no means be cast down from the ground of piety, drank the cup of martyrdom by the severing of his head. Hence Ferrarius in his Catalogue: At Pydna in Macedonia, St. Alexander Martyr. Molanus more briefly: And of the holy Martyr Alexander at Pydna. Which words the Greeks use in their great Menaea and Maximus of Cythera in his Lives of the Saints: There are added two verses with this meaning: Alexander, he who did not suffer the glory of martyrdom to be dishonored, and is held in veneration: underwent the punishment of the head. And then the following encomium follows. He, amid the most foul darkness of error, shone forth in the manner of a most brilliant star: for he both confuted the fury of impious men, and in religion dispatched his adversary with vehement speech as if with javelins, and at length, having routed all error, preached Christ with great freedom. For this reason the followers of error, being provoked, attempted to break his constancy with many and grievous torments: but accomplishing nothing, they beheaded him. But God recompensed his labors with the gift of healings: and so those who approach the holy Martyr with faith are relieved of the most calamitous diseases.

[2] The Spaniards have lately begun to raise a dispute, after the compiler of the Chronicle obtruded under the name of L. Flavius Dexter wrongly transferred to Spain, wrote at the year of Christ 95: In Carpetania at Pydna, or Pyotium, St. Alexander Martyr. Where Rodericus Carus notes that he finds Pydna as a city in Macedonia and in Rhodes, a mountain in Crete. But of this Spanish one there is deep silence, nor is anything clear about Piotium. Franciscus Bivarius also celebrates Pydna as a city of Macedonia in Pieria, and asserts that the memory of St. Alexander Martyr at Pydna on March 14 was venerable to the Greeks. But Tamaeus Salazar in his Spanish Martyrology at this March 14 complains that in the commentaries of Bivarius and Carus nothing was said about this passage of Dexter. He indeed charges Ferrarius, as if he, recently carried away by the sound of the name, and constrained by ignorance of the place in Spain, had by the swiftness of his pen flown from Spain all the way to Macedonia, and there, having stripped Spain, had invested the Macedonians with the glory of the most holy Martyr from alien gifts. But to what end these things, which with the proper names transposed could be turned back against him? This Martyr is among the Greeks both celebrated in martyrdom and held in veneration. Indeed two Martyr Alexanders are assigned to Thessalonica on this day, of whom whether the other is different from this one of Pydna may be doubted. There is likewise another Alexander among the African Martyrs. Why should Spain not also have had its own Martyr Alexanders? We would prefer to bring these forward, and to promote their veneration among their own Catholics (but we lack ancient records), and to indicate in them, which is not done above, the day of their martyrdom.

ACTS OF THE MARTYRDOM

From two manuscript codices.

Alexander, Martyr, at Pydna in Macedonia (S.)

BHL Number: 0280

[1] We ought indeed, dearest brothers, to share in the memorials of all the Saints, but much more of the most blessed Martyrs, so that almighty God through his word may give us also an inheritance and a share with them, and that we may be found with them to bring forth fruit in the holy land: which God promised to his Saints and to the souls of those who believe in him.

[2] For on the day before the Ides of March, Maximian the King summoned blessed Alexander and said to him: St. Alexander steadfast under questioning. I have not summoned you for any other reason, Alexander, than that you should sacrifice to the gods: for I have heard that you are a Christian. But he, established and ready in the faith, fought this contest in the midst of Macedonia and Thessalonica, and refused to sacrifice.

Maximian Caesar then went to the table and ordered him to sacrifice. But Alexander said: What are you doing, Caesar Maximian? You presume too much: I owe you reverence as a King, but I cannot fear you as God. And Caesar said: I order you to die now, unless you sacrifice. Alexander said: This death is life to me: for I have a Lord greater than this world, with whom I shall live, and a King who alone is a just Judge, who made both us and you, and cursed this world he casts down the idol and its Princes. And blessed Alexander, despising a small statue and striking it with his heel, overturned the table on which the sacrifices had been placed. And the King, enraged, ordered him to be led away by Minutianus the Protector. And Minutianus, having brought him out, drew his sword and stood still. And Caesar said to Minutianus: Why do you stand, wretched soldier? And Minutianus said: O King, my head has become a mountain; and I have become entirely trembling.

[3] Then Alexander asked for water and washed his hands and cried out and said: Blessed be the God of heaven and earth: blessed be the God of truth and wisdom: he recites the praises of God, blessed be the God, giver of life and creator of all incorruptibility: blessed be God, who bestows good things on those who are worthy and known to you: blessed be God, who has long patience over the sins of unbelievers: blessed be God, who gathers those scattered in error to knowledge: blessed be God, who frequently raises up those who fall and the unbelieving to mercy: blessed be God, who willed your Word to become incarnate for our sake: blessed be God, who became all things in all for our sake: blessed be God, who persuades persecutors to convert in truth: blessed be God, who trampled upon hell: blessed be he who increases good things for those who ask; blessed be God, who commands spirits, and blessed be he who subjected demons to the Saints: blessed be God, who through Jesus Christ, after the error of Israel, made himself known, and blessed be God, who raised the dead in faith: blessed be God, who promised to reward with equal wages even him who comes at the eleventh hour: blessed be God, who showed your mercy upon my ignorance: blessed be God, who took to himself me, a persecutor and assailant of good things: blessed be God, who drew me from the midst of idolatry to the knowledge of good things, and blessed be God, who bestowed his grace upon me in the time of idolatry for the knowledge of good things: blessed be God, who bestows heavenly things upon those who despise earthly things: blessed be God, who gave to his righteous ones the power over all things: blessed be God, who through Jesus Christ called me into the arena of truth: blessed be God, who deigned through me to destroy the weapons of the devil. And raising his hands to heaven, he said: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God. And when blessed Alexander had said these things, he is beheaded, stretching out his head, he delivered himself to the sword, as it is written, and his spirit to God: and the soldier struck him.

[4] His soul seen being carried to heaven: Then the King saw how immediately four men in white robes received the soul of blessed Alexander and departed into the heavens, and the King repented that he had ordered him to be killed: and those who were with him, being Christians, were made sorrowful. Then the King said to them: Why are you sorrowful? Do you fear that you also will die? And they said: No, Lord, but we ask you that this brother who is worthy of martyrdom be buried. And the King said: What is martyrdom? Victorinus the soldier said: In our law it is commanded, O King, that if anyone has died, all Christians should assemble and bury him. We therefore ask you, O King, to send word to Thessalonica to the brethren, that they may come and bury him.

[5] And immediately Caesar sends a letter allowing the body to be given to the Christians for burial letters to Thessalonica to the brethren thus: King Maximian to the Christians of Thessalonica, greeting. He who, having confidence in your law, despised me, dies by my command: but then send those who are accustomed to receive the bodies of Martyrs: for I have sent on this account, so that coming as quickly as possible by vehicle you may receive the body of Alexander, who, as you say, has suffered martyrdom. Therefore the brethren came from Thessalonica and took up the body of the Martyr Alexander, lover of God and Martyr of Christ. And completing all things according to his works and faith, they departed to Thessalonica: And the soul of the blessed Martyr, as Maximian himself confessed he had seen, was received by Angels in heaven through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.