CONCERNING THE HOLY MARTYRS OF SEBASTE: DECRONUS, ARION, AMMONUS, AND TWELVE OTHERS.
Commentary Decronus, Martyr at Sebaste in Armenia (S.)
Arion, Martyr at Sebaste in Armenia (S.)
Ammonus, Martyr at Sebaste in Armenia (S.)
Twelve Others, Martyrs at Sebaste in Armenia (SS.)
We have said on February 3, in the Acts of S. Blasius, Bishop of Sebaste, and on March 10, when we treated the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, that Sebaste is held by some as the metropolis of Armenia, by others of Cappadocia. These Martyrs are ascribed to this place in the Martyrology of S. Jerome published at Paris: "At Sebaste, of Decronus, Orion, Ammonus." In the Lucca edition it is read thus: "At Sebaste, of Decronus, Arion." In the Blume manuscript, Detronus is written; the rest agrees with the preceding. In the very ancient manuscript of the same S. Jerome preserved among us, it is read thus: "At Sebaste, of Decronus, Arion, and twelve others." The Reichenau manuscript: "At Sebaste, of Artonus," then, after the interposed Africans, "of Decronus, Arion." The Rhinow manuscript: "At Sebaste, of Arion." The Augsburg manuscript of S. Ulrich: "At Sebaste, of Dieronus, Arion." The Labbé manuscript: "of Decronus"; the rest is the same as the preceding. Rabanus: "At Sebaste, of Decronus and Arion"; for the last, in the printed edition of Bede, one reads "Alion." Galesinius, citing Bede, writes "of Decronius and Alion." He cites and follows these in the General Catalogue, as does Ferrari. But with the city of Sebaste omitted, they are added, as said above, to the African Martyrs, and written as Dieronus, Dreconus, and "of Decronius and Arion." And these are what have been found in the Martyrologies, from which we can with sufficient certainty assign them to Sebaste. But we have expressed the first Martyr's name as Decronus, because it is so expressed six times; Decronius and Dierorus are read subsequently; Decronus, Decronius, Detronus, and Decro are also found, but only once each. The companion's name Arion is sufficiently consistent, with Orion and Arton appearing occasionally. A third, Ammonus, is added to these, but only in the Martyrology of S. Jerome, as in our codex are the twelve companions, whom we leave attached on account of the antiquity of the codices. In the ancient but not sufficiently clear Tamlacht manuscript among the Irish, there are found on this day the names Arion, Dreconus, Orion, Ammonus, and Ammon, and on the following day Arion and nineteen others, Dreconius and Arion: which belong here, and in place of twelve others, nineteen are read.
CONCERNING S. ALEXIANUS, DEACON.
Commentary Alexianus, Deacon (S.)
The manuscript Martyrology of Utrecht, from the Collegiate Church of S. Mary, is sufficiently ancient. In it the illustrious memory of the Saints of England is often contained, so that it might seem to have been brought thither from England; it was copied at Utrecht around the year 1140, as seems to be established from the appended Chronicle and Paschal Table. In that Martyrology, the following words are contained under March 20: "Likewise of Alexanus, Deacon." In the Trier manuscript of S. Martin, equally or more ancient, it is written "of Alexianus, Deacon." It is also read thus in the additions to Usuard collected by Hermann Greven nearly two hundred years ago. We suspect that he was a Martyr, but we have not affixed that title, proposing the matter to the judgment of others, that they may compare it with other manuscripts.