CONCERNING THE HOLY MARTYRS VICTORIANUS, PROCONSUL OF CARTHAGE, TWO BROTHERS OF AIX-LA-CHAPELLE, FRUMENTIUS, AND ANOTHER FRUMENTIUS, AT CARTHAGE AND TAMBAIA IN AFRICA.
AROUND A.D. 484.
CommentaryVictorianus, Proconsul of Carthage, Martyr at Carthage in Africa (S.)
Two brothers of Aix-la-Chapelle, Martyrs at Tambaia in Africa (SS.)
Frumentius, Martyr at Tambaia in Africa (S.)
Another Frumentius, Martyr at Tambaia in Africa (S.)
[1] These illustrious Martyrs of Africa are celebrated by the ancient Martyrologies. The genuine Bede is indeed lacking, but the manuscript supplement of the Dijon Bede has: "In Africa, of the Martyrs Victorianus, Frumentius, and two brothers." Similar things are related by other manuscript Martyrologies: the Cassinese, Barberinian, Vallicellian, Commemoration in the sacred calendars, the Trier manuscript of S. Martin, the Cologne manuscript of S. Mary of the Steps, the Liege manuscript of S. Lambert, and the Centulense under the name of Bede, in which one reads: "In Africa, of the holy Martyrs Victorinus, Frumentius and another Frumentius, and two brothers, who, tortured with the greatest punishments, were gloriously crowned." More fully, Usuard expounds these things: "In Africa," he says, "of the holy Martyrs Victorianus, Frumentius and another Frumentius, and two brothers, who in the Vandal persecution, as Victor the African Bishop writes, under King Huneric, for the constancy of their Catholic confession, tortured with the most monstrous punishments, were crowned with a distinguished martyrdom." These are read somewhat more briefly in Ado, Notker, the printed Bede, and in the old Roman Martyrology published by Rosweydus: but more fully and in a different order they are explained in today's Roman Martyrology: "In Africa, of the holy Martyrs Victorianus, Proconsul of Carthage, and two brothers of Aix-la-Chapelle, likewise of Frumentius and another Frumentius, merchants, who in the Vandal persecution (as Victor the African Bishop writes) under the Arian King Huneric, for the constancy of their Catholic confession, tortured with the most monstrous punishments, were nobly crowned." Saussaius writes that the commemoration of the agony of this Victorianus is observed at Liege: the trace of this we have not found in the various Breviaries and Missals of Liege. But perhaps it is done in some particular church.
[2] Maurolycus divides them into two classes, of which the first is: Others wrongly intermingled: "At Carthage in Africa, of the holy Martyrs Fidelis and Victorianus." But Fidelis suffered under the Roman Emperors, of whom we treated above. The second class is: "But at the town of Tabuda, of the Blessed Frumentius and another Frumentius and two brothers," etc. The same is read in Felicius. Galesinius inserts others among them: "At Hadrumetum in Africa," he says, "of SS. Victorianus, Verolus, Secundinus, and twenty companions, who, being the noblest citizens of that city, were slaughtered for the faith by the Arians. In Mauretania, at the town of Typasa, of the holy Martyrs Frumentius and also another Frumentius. These, when the Vandals were harassing the Church of God, most constant in the faith, were tortured with the harshest torments and crowned." Of SS. Verolus, Secundinus, and twenty others, we treated on February 21, where we discussed at length Hadrumetum, an ancient and celebrated city of Africa Propria in the province of Byzacena, and we expressed doubt whether the said Saints attained the palm of martyrdom in the Vandal persecution, since no one before Galesinius appears to have written this. The citizen of this city of Hadrumetum was S. Victorianus, but at that time Proconsul of Carthage. Both Frumentii also seem assignable to Carthage, because Victor
of Utica, before narrating the contest of these, had immediately treated of the punishment inflicted upon twelve boys at Carthage. However, Maurolycus and Galesinius omitted the two brothers of Aix-la-Chapelle, following Peter de Natalibus, who in book 3 of his Catalogue, chapter 220, relates that both were called Frumentius, and suffered at the town of Tabada. We are greatly surprised that Galesinius, who very frequently cites Victor of Utica or Vita, appears so ignorant in this narrative as if he had never seen it. What Peter de Natalibus calls Tabada and Maurolycus Tabuda, Victor calls Tambaia, a city of Africa Propria, also in the province of Byzacena, as are Hadrumetum and Aquae Regiae. S. Augustine, book 7 against the Donatists, chapter 44, mentions Secundianus, Bishop of Tambaia: and Maximianus, Bishop of Aquae Regiae, subscribed to the seventh Council of Carthage. Meanwhile, Galesinius assigns the martyrdom to the town of Typasa in Mauretania, to which Victor transitions after completing his account of these Martyrs. Victor, who lived at the same time, was Bishop of Utica, not far from Carthage, and is inscribed in the Roman Martyrology under August 23.
[3] They suffered around the year 484. Huneric the King, upon the death of his father Gaiseric in the year 476, began to reign, and in the eighth year of his reign, on the sixth day before the Kalends of March, he published fatal edicts against the Catholics -- that is, the year of Christ 484 -- to which Baronius assigned the martyrdom of these Saints, as we likewise do from Victor of Utica, selecting only what pertains to these Martyrs. He writes thus:
[4] The martyrdom of S. Victorianus is narrated. How shall I proclaim Victorianus, citizen of the city of Hadrumetum, then Proconsul of Carthage? I know not, for words fail me. No one in the parts of Africa was wealthier than he, and even in the eyes of the impious King he was regarded as most faithful in the affairs always entrusted to him. It was intimated to him by the King in familiar terms that he would have him as his closest intimate among all, if he would give easy assent to his command. But that man of God gave this reply to those sent to him, with great confidence: "Being secure in Christ, my God and Lord, I say to those whom you send to the King: Let him subject me to fires, drive me to wild beasts, torture me with every kind of torment: if I consent, I have been baptized in the Catholic Church in vain. For if this present life were the only one, and I did not hope for another, which is truly eternal, I still would not have wished to glory for a brief moment in temporal things and be ungrateful to the one who bestowed his faith upon me, his creditor." Aroused by this, the tyrant afflicted him with how many torments over how long a time, human speech cannot express. He, exulting in the Lord and happily completing his course, received the crown of martyrdom.
[5] Of the two brothers of Aix-la-Chapelle. Who can unfold the contests of the Martyrs that took place also at the city of Tambaia? Where two brothers, blood kin, citizens of the city of Aix-la-Chapelle, confident in themselves, swore to each other by the Lord, and asked their torturers that they be tortured with one and the same punishment and equal suffering. And when the first, having been suspended with weights of stones tied to his feet, had hung all day, one of them asked to be let down and given a respite. To him, his brother, fearing he would deny the faith, cried out from his hanging: "Do not, do not, brother! We did not swear thus to Christ. I shall accuse you when we come before his terrible throne: for we swore upon his Body and Blood that we would suffer for one another." Saying these and many other things, he strengthened his brother for the battle of passion. The other then cried out, saying with a mighty voice: "Drive us with whatever tortures you wish, and press Christians hard with cruel punishments. What my brother has become, I too am." With how many burning plates they were scorched, with what claws they were torn, with what torments they were racked, the matter itself shows -- and the fact that the torturers themselves cast them from their presence, saying: "The entire people imitates these men, so that no one at all is converted to our religion, and especially because no bruises, no marks of punishments, appeared on them at all."
[6] Of both Frumentii. Then, with various matters interposed, it is added: "In those days, two merchants, Frumentius and another Frumentius, citizens of that same city, namely Carthage, were crowned with distinguished martyrdom."