ON THE HOLY MARTYRS OF NICAEA: VICTORINUS, ALEXANDER, EUPHRATA, CASTULA, NICOSTRATUS, LUCELLA, AND FOUR HUNDRED OTHERS.
CommentaryVictorinus, Martyr at Nicaea in Bithynia (S.) Alexander, Martyr at Nicaea in Bithynia (S.) Euphrata, Martyr at Nicaea in Bithynia (S.) Castula, Martyr at Nicaea in Bithynia (S.) Nicostratus, Martyr at Nicaea in Bithynia (S.) Lucella, Martyr at Nicaea in Bithynia (S.) Others, 400, Martyrs at Nicaea in Bithynia (SS.)
[1] These Martyrs are inscribed in the copies of the most ancient Martyrology of Saint Jerome, but with some diversity of writing. Memorial in the Martyrology of Saint Jerome. In our codex, written nearly a thousand years ago, after the report of Saint Dula, handmaid who suffered at Nicomedia, this is subjoined: "And elsewhere, of Victorinus, Alexander, Euphrata, Castulus, Nicostratus, Lucella, and ten Martyrs." In the other three codices, the word "And elsewhere" being omitted, they are immediately joined to Saint Dula, as if they too had suffered at Nicomedia: and the names are thus expressed in the Corbie codex printed at Paris: "Victorinus, Alexander, Eufrasis, Castula, Nicostratus, Lucella, and four hundred Martyrs." In the Lucca exemplar it reads thus: "Victorina, Alexandra, Eufrasta, Castula, Nicostratus, Lucella, and three hundred Martyrs." In the manuscript of Blumius it is written thus: "Victorinus, Alexander, Eufracha, Castula, Nicostratus, Lucella, and four hundred Martyrs." Prague manuscript, In the manuscript codex of the Church of Prague, not after Saint Dula but at the end after Irenaeus the Bishop and Martyr, about whom we shall treat below, these words are read: "Victorinus, Alexander, Castula, Euphrata, Nicostratus, and four hundred Martyrs." The name of Lucella is omitted, which is thus subjoined to Saint Dula in the Labbe Codex: "Elsewhere, of Lucilla and four hundred Martyrs." The same words are read in the manuscript of Augsburg, Saint Ulrich's, Labbe, Augsburg, but with the preceding ones, Lucella is written. Greuen in the additions to Usuard places these Martyrs far from Saint Dula and indicates the place of martyrdom in these words: "At Nicaea, of Victorinus, Alexander, Euphrata, Castula, Nicostratus, Lucilla, and four hundred other Martyrs." In the Tamlacht manuscript, the same names seem to be repeated under various spellings Tamlacht manuscript in this manner: "Cartula, Cufata, Caustrata, and four hundred others, Theodola, Nicostrata, Euphrata, Lucella, Victorinus, Alexander: Castoli and ten others." Of these, the name Alexander is everywhere the same. Victorinus or Victurinus the names variously written, is also once called Victorina. Euphrata is read a third time,
and in another form Eufracha, Eufrasta, Eufrasi, and in the Tamlacht manuscript Cufata, Euphratia, and perhaps Caustrata, unless this is Nicostrata, who is then added and is called Nicostratus by others. Castula appears five times, also Castulus, Castolus, and corruptly Cartula. the anonymous ones in varying numbers. The attached anonymous Martyrs are numbered four hundred six times, three hundred twice, and ten the same number of times.