ON ST. NICANDER, MARTYR IN EGYPT.
AROUND THE YEAR 302.
CommentarySt. Nicander, Egyptian Martyr.
[1] The Martyr Nicander is inscribed in both the Latin and Greek calendars. From the former, Galesin has the following: "In Egypt, of the blessed Martyr Nicander, whose many deeds bravely and holily performed for the religion of Christ and his admirable devotion to the Martyrs Veneration among the Latins are recorded in writing." Concerning the same, in today's Roman Martyrology, the following is recited: "In Egypt, of St. Nicander the Martyr, who, while diligently seeking the relics of the holy Martyrs, himself merited to become a Martyr under the Emperor Diocletian." In the Notes, the Greeks are cited, who in their Menologion narrate his deeds in summary. It is the one rendered into Latin by Cardinal Sirletus and published by Henry Canisius, and among the Greeks in a double Menologion in which the following is read: "On the same day, of St. Nicander the Martyr. He, under the Emperor Diocletian, burning with love for the Martyrs and devoting himself to diligently and reverently collecting and tending their relics, was denounced before the Governor and detained; freely proclaiming Christ to be the true God, he was flayed and obtained the crown of martyrdom." We have come upon another Greek Menologion, written by command of the Emperor Basil Porphyrogenitus, in which somewhat more is found about the deeds of this Saint, which we thus render into Latin: "The contest of the holy Martyr Nicander. Nicander, Martyr of Christ, flourished in the reign of Diocletian. He continually devoted his efforts to visiting the Saints imprisoned in the dungeons, ministering to them, procuring their necessary sustenance, and indeed burying their relics. Seeing therefore the relics of such Saints so scattered and neglected, since he dared not approach them by day lest he too be apprehended, he came by night and carried them away, one after another, and placed them all in one and the same location. Caught therefore by one of the idolaters, he was betrayed to the Governor and immediately seized, punished, and compelled to deny Christ. But he refused to deny Him, and rather proclaimed Him to be the true God and the Creator of all things. Wherefore, having provoked the Governor to anger, he ended the course of his life by the sword: and thus dying, he received the eternal crown and the blessed life that never ends."
[2] In both the manuscript and printed Menaea, the feast of the same Martyr is celebrated, and in the Menaea and in the title it is stated that he was an Egyptian; then the following is read: "In the reign of Diocletian this same Martyr lived, nurtured in piety and bound to the Martyrs with a singular affection of charity. His sole devotion was secretly to take up the bodies of the holy Martyrs, to care for them, and to adorn them elegantly and holily. And so, when he saw the relics of Saints cast aside and neglected somewhere, he approached at nightfall and, having taken them up with due veneration and care, deposited them in a certain place. But being caught by a certain Pagan and denounced to the Governor and seized, he freely testified that Christ was the true God, and for this reason, having been flayed, he carried off the crown of martyrdom." This manner of death is thus indicated in the prefixed distich:
Νίκανδρον ἐκδαίρουσιν ὥσπερ ἀρνίον Ξεῖρας βάλλοντες οἱ μάγειροι τῆς πλάνης.
"Like a lamb they flay Nicander, Laying hands on him, the butchers of deception."
[3] On the twenty-fourth of March he is again listed in the same Menaea, the same distich already cited being prefixed: again on March 24 the narrative of his deeds differs only in phrasing. He is also called an Egyptian in the title. The same things are recorded on both days in the Lives of the Saints translated into the modern Greek by Maximus, Bishop of Cythera.