ON THE HOLY ROMAN MARTYRS PHILEMON AND DOMNINUS IN ITALY.
CommentaryPhilemon, Roman Martyr in Italy (S.)
Domninus, Roman Martyr in Italy (S.)
[1] The tables of the Roman Martyrology refer to these Martyrs thus: On the same day, of the holy Martyrs Philemon and Domninus. In the Notes it is said, Sacred cult: that the Greeks also commemorate these on this day in the Menologion, namely that translated by Sirletus, and indeed in the first place, but in these few words: On the twenty-first day of the same month, of the Holy Martyrs Philemon and Domninus. Since these things existed only in Latin words, they seemed abandoned property, and were recently transmitted to Carthagena Spartaria. But because the first mention of them was made from the Menologion of the Greeks, further information had to be sought in their books. In the very ancient Greek manuscript Synaxarion of the Clermont College of the Society of Jesus at Paris, this illustrious encomium is found: The contest of the holy Martyrs Philemon and Domninus. Martyrdom from the Greek Synaxarion, These were natives of the most celebrated city of Rome, who in the times of the persecutions traveled through Italy, and there preached Christ, and baptized many of the unbelievers whom they had converted to the faith of Christ. For this reason they were seized by the worshippers of idols and handed over to the Governor of the province. When they could neither be swayed by blandishments nor corrupted by gifts, but called upon Christ and proclaimed Him the only God, they were thrown naked to the ground and cruelly beaten by four lictors; then they were thrust into prison, and finally, struck by the sword, they consummated their martyrdom. The same things, plainly identical, but with the Greek phrasing here and there altered, are read in the printed and manuscript Menaia, the Mazarinian, Menaia the Chiffletian, and others, and in Maximus of Cythera in the Lives of Saints: and somewhat more briefly in the manuscript codex of Turin of the Duke of Savoy. A beautiful allusion to the etymology of the name, taken from "loving," is in the distich used by the printed Menaia and the Chiffletian manuscripts.
Tmētheis
Philēmōn,
kai
Domninon
son
philon
Philein
kephalēs
tēn
tomēn
apeirgasō.
Philemon, cut down, you made Domninus your friend — to love the severing of the head.
[2] On the twenty-sixth day of this month of March, they are celebrated in the Menologion compiled by order of the Emperor Basil the Younger, and the Menologion of the Emperor Basil, in the tenth century of Christ, and adorned with this somewhat fuller eulogy: And the contest of the holy Martyrs Philemon and Domnus. Philemon and Domnus, Martyrs of Christ, were natives of Rome. But in the times of persecution, going into the province of Italy, they preached Christ, and converting many of the unbelievers by their teaching and admonition from the imposture of idols to the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, they baptized them. For this reason, having aroused the anger of others who served idols, they were seized and bound in chains, and handed over to the Governor of the province. When the Governor saw them, he first tried to draw them away from the Christian faith, promising honors and highly valued gifts. But afterward, when he saw them count all things as nothing and invoke Christ alone, he ordered them to be stripped of their garments and stretched out on the ground in four directions and cruelly beaten, so that they might at least thus be forced to sacrifice to idols: but not even in this way did he persuade them. He then shut them up in prison, and having extracted them thence and again afflicted them with the most savage torments, he killed them by cutting off their heads. The province or region of Italy is taken as the interior part, excluding Magna Graecia and Cisalpine Gaul.
[3] Because these Greek records are either not available or are neglected, these two Martyrs have been ascribed to Spain in the Chronicle of Pseudo-Dexter at the year of Christ 300, number 8. wrongly ascribed to Spain. At Carthagena Spartaria, Philemon and Domninus, Martyrs.
These Francis Bivarius and Roderic Carus in the Commentary on Dexter assert to be the same who, with their homeland omitted, are recorded in the Roman Martyrology and the Greek Menologion on this day. Tamaius Salazar added both the eulogy and the Acts, which, he says, could be assembled, nor could the narrative be extended further, since there is not yet a place in the archive of antiquity: which we have now provided. Concerning another Domninus who suffered at Thessalonica with other companions, we shall treat on the thirtieth of March: whom Tamaius vainly contends is not to be distinguished from this one.