CONCERNING THE HOLY PERSIAN MARTYRS: ZANITAS, LAZARUS, MAROTHAS, NERSES, ELIAS, MARES, ABIBUS, SEMBEETHES, AND SABBAS.
IN THE YEAR 326
CommentaryZanitas, Martyr in Persia (Saint)
Lazarus, Martyr in Persia (Saint)
Marothas, Martyr in Persia (Saint)
Nerses, Martyr in Persia (Saint)
Elias, Martyr in Persia (Saint)
Mares, Martyr in Persia (Saint)
Abibus, Martyr in Persia (Saint)
Sembeethes, Martyr in Persia (Saint)
Sabbas, Martyr in Persia (Saint)
[1] Isaiah, son of Adam, a Knight of the Persian King Sapor, wrote at length the Acts of the martyrdom of Saints Jonas and Barachisius, to be given on March 29, being himself an ear-witness and eye-witness of all: and in them at number 2 he reports the following about their approach to these nine Martyrs, together with the martyrdom of the latter. Seized, they are encouraged by Saints Jonas and Barachisius: "When they were in the village," he says, "which is called Bardiaboch, and had come to the prison in which the Christians were held confined,
they asked the keeper of the prison to permit them to enter to the condemned Christians. And when they had entered, they found nine condemned men who were opposing the decrees of the impious King Sapor. When, therefore, Saints Jonas and Barachisius saw them in their torments and greeted them, they began to exhort them and say: 'Brothers and fathers, let us fear nothing: but in the name of the Crucified One let us endure one contest, that we may obtain an everlasting crown, just as our brothers and fathers also have obtained it through martyrdom.' By this speech of Saints Jonas and Barachisius those men, even more confirmed, were encouraging one another, and as it were anointing and strengthening each other with the oil of grace for patience and the perfection of torments and martyrdom. The names of the holy Martyrs who were bound in prison are these: Zanitas, Lazarus, Marothas, Nerses, Elias, Mares, Abibus, Sembeethes, and Sabbas. These, having endured many tortures for the name of Christ, and having gloriously completed the course of their life in the very contest of martyrdom, they die nobly: keeping the faith firm, crowned with the incorrupt and immortal crown of martyrdom and with great praise, flew to heaven to the choirs of Angels."
[2] The same names are repeated and their constancy is praised, with indication of the redemption of the sacred bodies and the day of their birthday, in these words reported at the end: "When a certain man distinguished for piety, named Abdissotas, Their bodies are redeemed: learned that Saints Jonas and Barachisius had been crowned with martyrdom, he approached and purchased the tabernacles of the Saints for five hundred Daric miliares and three silk garments from those by whom they were kept. Nor did the buyer purchase only the bodies of Saints Jonas and Barachisius, but also those who had endured martyrdom before them. The buyer swore that none of the Princes would learn that the guards had sold the bodies of the Saints; and he said that he was an old friend of those who had suffered martyrdom. For the guards had demanded an oath, fearing that if the matter came to the ears of the Princes, they might fall into some danger. The names of the Saints who bore the palm of martyrdom are these, as we said above: Jonas and Barachisius, Zanitas, Lazarus, Marothas, Nerses, Elias, Mares, Abibus, Sembeethes, and Sabbas. These eleven champions and glorious Martyrs fought for Christ to the end and allowed themselves to be tormented with various kinds of tortures, so that they might appear constant in the faith of Christ, and leave to posterity a distinguished specimen of virtue, their intercession is sought. and an example and model. These most holy and blessed Saints, invincible soldiers of Christ, fighting strenuously for their Captain and carrying off the victory over the enemies of Christ, have been clothed with the robe of light and have obtained from him the incorrupt crown of glory. And we are all helped by their prayers and supplications before God."
[3] "Nine of these Martyrs of Christ were killed on the sixth before the Kalends of April, the birthday, March 27: and the remaining two on the fourth before the Kalends of the same month. This history of the holy Martyrs was written by Isaiah, son of Adam; who, since he was a knight of the Persian King Sapor and was present with the chief men of the Magi as merely an auditor and spectator of what was being done; and thus had heard and observed all things that occurred in this contest from beginning to end; Acts faithfully written, he committed them to the records of letters for the edification, benefit, and salvation of all, so that all might strive to imitate such valor for Christ; to whom be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."
[4] Concerning these Martyrs Galesinius has the following: "In Persia, of the holy Martyrs Zanitas, Eulogy of Galesinius Lazarus, and seven companions. These, under Sapor, King of the Persians, and the most horrible enemy of the Christian people and name, having been cast into chains for the faith, after they had exhausted various torments, with the glorious contest of martyrdom completed, in their confession, strengthened by heavenly constancy, for the victory of the faith, crowned with a splendid crown, they fly to heaven to the choirs of Angels." Molanus celebrates the same in his Supplement to Usuard, and the Roman Martyrology, the time of martyrdom. but expresses no names. In the Roman Martyrology this eulogy has been composed for them: "In Persia, of the holy Martyrs Zanitas, Lazarus, Marotas, Narses, and five others, who under Sapor, King of the Persians, most savagely slaughtered, merited the palm of martyrdom." Felicius expresses all of them by their proper names and adds that they suffered in the eighteenth year of King Sapor; but Theophanes reports that this persecution was stirred up in the twenty-third year of his reign, the twenty-first year of the Empire of Constantine the Great, and we shall show at the Acts of Saints Jonas and Barachisius that they suffered in the year of Christ 326: with whom on March 29 these nine are commemorated in the Menologion of the Emperor Basil, and they are expressed by their proper names in the Menaia: and at the end the Relics of Saints Jonas and Barachisius are said to have been joined to the other nine Martyrs, who were crowned on the twenty-seventh of March.
[5] Whether relics of St. Lazarus are at Bologna. Masini in his Bologna Perlustrata reports for this day St. Lazarus the Martyr, certain relics of whom are preserved there in the church of St. Francis and the church of the Servites of the Blessed Mary, but whether they are of the said Persian Lazarus is perhaps held only by conjecture.