CONCERNING THE HOLY MARTYRS TIMOLAUS, DIONYSIUS, PAUSIS OR PUBLIUS, ROMULUS, ALEXANDER, LIKEWISE ALEXANDER, AGAPIUS, AND DIONYSIUS, AT CAESAREA IN PALESTINE.
YEAR 303
CommentaryTimolaus, Martyr at Caesarea in Palestine (S.)
Dionysius, Martyr at Caesarea in Palestine (S.)
Pausis, Paesis, or Pausides, to others Publius, Martyr at Caesarea in Palestine (S.)
Romulus, Martyr at Caesarea in Palestine (S.)
Alexander, Martyr at Caesarea in Palestine (S.)
Another Alexander, Martyr at Caesarea in Palestine (S.)
Agapius, Martyr at Caesarea in Palestine (S.)
Dionysius, Martyr at Caesarea in Palestine (S.)
[1] The Tables of the Roman Martyrology indicate these Martyrs to us on this day thus: At Caesarea in Palestine, the birthday of the holy Martyrs Timolaus, Dionysius, Pausis, Romulus, Alexander, another Alexander, Agapius, and another Dionysius, Name in the Roman Martyrology. who in the persecution of Diocletian under the governor Urbanus, struck by the sword, merited the crowns of life. To which Baronius has thus annotated: Eusebius treats of these in book 8 of his Ecclesiastical History, chapter 13, where he affirms that all these consummated martyrdom on this day in the second year of the persecution of Diocletian. Since all these are said to have been struck by the sword, those are convicted of error who teach that the use of the sword was interrupted: and he endeavors to prove its use by adducing the testimonies of Cassiodorus and Prudentius. But Baronius was deceived by the Latin translation of Joannes Christophorsonus, manner of martyrdom from which he inserted the said chapter 13 into the Annals at the year 303, number 86. In Greek, Eusebius expounds the martyrdom thus: All eight in number, on one day their heads were afterwards cut off in that very Caesarea. Which was done by the sword, and the day in Greek xiphei, as is explained below from the Menaea. Concerning the day there is a slight difference in the Greek text: for in the Greek edition with Christophorson's interpretation, to the preceding is added: On the twenty-fourth day of the month Dystrus, which happened to be the ninth day before the Kalends of April. reported from Eusebius. But in place of "pros ennea," Valesius prints "pro ennea," before the ninth day of the Kalends of April: which meanwhile coincide. Valesius published after the eighth book the History of the Martyrs, in whose third chapter these are recounted:
[2] In the second year thereafter, when the fury of the persecution against us had grown more vehement, Urbanus then governing the province, first the Emperor's letters were sent, by which it was ordered by a general decree that all everywhere, of all places and peoples, should publicly offer sacrifices and libations to the idols. And having related the martyrdom of SS. Timothy, Agapius, and Thecla, who are venerated on August 19, he thus continues: But who was not amazed at the things that followed after, when they saw them, or not struck with astonishment when they heard? At a festival of the Gentiles. For when the Gentiles were celebrating a public festival and the customary spectacles, the great rumor among all was that, besides others whom they received with the greatest favor, those Christians also who had recently been condemned would fight with beasts. And when the report of this matter grew everywhere among all, six young men, of whom one, a Pontic by nation, was called Timolaus; another was from the city of Tripoli in Phoenicia, Dionysius by name; the third was called Romulus, a Subdeacon of the Church of Diospolis; six voluntarily professing the faith of Christ rush forward. after these two Egyptians, Pausis and Alexander; lastly another Alexander of the same name, from Gaza: all these, I say, having first bound their hands to show that they were ready and prepared to undergo martyrdom, ran at full speed to Urbanus, who then happened to be proceeding to the amphitheater, confessing themselves to be Christians, and making manifest to all, through the confidence of their spirit, strengthened against all dangers, that those who profess the worship of the true God do not fear even the attacks of beasts. two are added, And immediately indeed, having struck both the governor himself and those who stood by with no small amazement, they were committed to custody. But a few days later, when two others had been added to them, of whom one named Agapius had already long before suffered various torments and had been celebrated for many confessions; the other named Dionysius supplied them with things necessary for the use of the body; they undergo martyrdom: all eight on one and the same day perished in the city of Caesarea with their heads cut off,
on the twenty-fourth day of the month Dystrus, that is, the ninth day before the Kalends of April. So it is there. But Pausis in Greek is expressed as Paesis: in the Index of the Roman Martyrology, Pausides.
[3] The Greeks in the veneration of these Martyrs all, so to speak, By the Greeks they are venerated chiefly on March 15, anticipate the Kalends of April, and celebrate them with solemn worship on the very Ides of March, or the 15th day, on which the Menologion composed by order of the Emperor Basilius the Younger in the tenth century has thus: The contest of the holy Martyrs Timolaus, Agapius, and companions. These holy and excellent athletes of Christ and Martyrs lived under the Emperor Diocletian: Agapius from the city of Gaza, in the Menologion of the Emperor Basilius, Timolaus from Pontus on the Euxine Sea, Dionysius and another Dionysius from the city of Tripoli in Phoenicia. Romulus was a Subdeacon of the Church of Diospolis: close to these were two Egyptians named Alexander. These, when persecution arose, out of desire to suffer for Christ, giving each other their hands, of their own accord approached the governor of the city of Caesarea, who was then torturing Christians: and standing before him, they confessed themselves to be Christians. But the governor exhorted them at great length, that he might induce them to sacrifice to the idols: and he promised that, if they obeyed, he would confer upon them gifts and dignities. But when he could not by persuasion draw them to his will, he subjected them to fierce torments, and after they had endured them, he ordered their heads to be cut off by the sword: and thus they surrendered their holy souls to God. In the Menologion of Cardinal Sirletus these are read for the same March 15: and of Cardinal Sirletus, Of the holy Martyrs Agapius and his companions, Publius, Timolaus, Alexander and Alexander, Dionysius and Dionysius, who suffered under the Emperor Diocletian. Agapius from the city of Gaza, Timolaus from Pontus, two Dionysiuses from Tripoli of Phoenicia, Publius and two Alexanders from Egypt, under the governor Urbanus at Caesarea gave up their lives for Christ. Romulus is omitted here, as in the former Menologion he who is here called Publius -- to Eusebius Pausis or Paesis -- who is also called Pouplios in the Anthologion and printed Menaea, but in the Parisian Synaxarion of the Clermont College of the Society of Jesus, Plesios: and the Menaea. in which all the rest are named, with nearly the same eulogy added, which, taken from the Menologion of the Emperor Basilius, is concluded there with these words: he ordered their heads to be cut off by the sword. and Galesinius. The fatherland of each is not assigned the same as is indicated above in Eusebius. On the same day Galesinius commemorates the same with this eulogy, which, as he says in his Notes, was summarily translated by him from Greek books: At Caesarea likewise, of the blessed Martyrs Agapius, Timolaus, Publius, and companions, who in the persecution of Diocletian, under the prefect Urbanus, having confessed the faith of Christ with steadfast spirit, struck by the sword, departed to their reward in heaven. We have received from Rome an Arabic-Egyptian Martyrology, rendered into Latin by Gratia Simonius, a student of the Maronite College, where for the same March 15 is noted the memory of S. Agabius and his companions.
[4] On the tenth day before the Kalends of April, which would be the day before the ninth day before the Kalends of April, of which we treated above, various Martyrs who suffered at Caesarea are reported in the Martyrology of S. Jerome, some of whose names agree with these Martyrs or do not greatly differ, others perhaps added, on March 23 in the Martyrology of S. Jerome and others many are listed because they were crowned in the same persecution at the same place. These are thus read in the Corbey manuscript published at Paris. In the city of Caesarea, of Agatius, Alexander, likewise Fidelis, Tiomylus, Dionysius, likewise Dionysius, Rusticus. The last omitted, the rest are thus commemorated in the Lucca codex: In the city of Caesarea, of Agatho, Alexander, Fidelis, Thiomolus, Dionysius, likewise Dionysius. The Blume manuscript agrees, in which the first is written Agatius. In our very ancient codex these are found: In Caesarea, of Agatinus, Alexander, Fidelis, Thimodolus, Dionysius, likewise Dionysius, and of eight others. From these, Notker lists thus: In Caesarea, of Achatius and Alexander. But these three the Reichenau manuscript: In the city of Caesarea, of Agatius, Timiolus, and Dionysius: which, with the place omitted, are thus written in the Augsburg manuscript of S. Ulrich, Aganus, Piomalus, Dionysius, and in the Labbé manuscript, Agauis, Piomtus, Dionysius. The name of the first in the Neapolitan manuscript of Caraccioli is Agazzus, of the second in the Aachen manuscript Promolus. These are for March 23 in the Martyrologies: and he who is first Agatius, Agatho, Agatinus, Agazzus, Aganus, Agauus, is above Agapius, also often placed in first position. He who is now Tiomylus, Thiomolus, Thimodolus, Timiolus, Piomtus, is above called Timolaus. The two Dionysiuses are everywhere the same: perhaps on account of the particle "likewise," after Alexander, there were also two Alexanders. But those above reported from Eusebius, Romulus and Pausis, to others Publius, are absent, and in their place are Fidelis and in a single codex Rusticus: and in another, eight companions are cited, which is the total number in Eusebius.
[5] Finally on this March 24, on which we reported them from the Roman Martyrology, and on March 24 in the Greek sources the eight Martyrs slain by the sword at Caesarea in Palestine are again celebrated in the printed and manuscript Greek Menaea, with none of their names appended. But Molanus in his additions to Usuard thus expresses them: At Caesarea, of the eight holy Martyrs Timolaus, Dionysius, Romulus, Pausis, Alexander, Alexander, Agapius, and Dionysius. Galesinius again enumerates the same and adorns them with his eulogy. Again in the Martyrology of S. Jerome they appear to be listed, but erroneously attributed to Africa, which in our very ancient codex are thus written: In Africa, of Agapius, Timolaus, and the Martyrology of S. Jerome Romulus, Pionius, Alexander, Diopius. In the Lucca and Blume copies there are two of Alexander, Diophus, and thus in Eusebius there are two Alexanders and two Dionysiuses. The name of the latter is corruptly formed here as Diopius, Diophus, and Diophy. Then in place of Pionius, to others Phisonus, or with greater corruption Firosus, is above the name Pausis, Poesis, Publius, and Plesius. In some readings one finds Apagitus and Molaus for Agapius and Timolaus. Following in the said Martyrology of S. Jerome was a troop of African Martyrs, so that from this it becomes more credible that Africa was erroneously attached to these Martyrs.