ON SAINTS DOMNINUS, PHILOPOLUS, ACHAICUS, AND PALATINUS AT THESSALONICA IN MACEDONIA.
CommentaryDominicus, Martyr at Thessalonica in Macedonia (St.)
Philopolus, Martyr at Thessalonica in Macedonia (St.)
Achaicus, Martyr at Thessalonica in Macedonia (St.)
Palatinus, Martyr at Thessalonica in Macedonia (St.)
[1] The city of Macedonia, Thessalonica, is well known, about which we said several things in the Life of St. Matrona the handmaid, crowned there with the palm of martyrdom on the fifteenth of March. In the same city, on this thirtieth of March, four athletes suffered for the faith of Christ, with whom the Martyrology of St. Jerome opens this day in these words: Memorial in ancient Martyrologies: The third day before the Kalends of April. In the city of Thessalonica, of Domninus, Philopolus, Achaicus, Palatinus. So our very ancient copy, and three others agree, with some diversity however in the writing of two names. For Acacius is read in others, as also Philopholus and Philippopolus. Notker gave everything as it is written in our first copy: the manuscripts of Reichenau in Swabia and Rheinau in Switzerland express these names thus: In the city of Thessalonica, of Domninus, Philopolus, Acacius, and Palatinus. In the Labbaeus manuscript Filipolus is written, in the Augsburg manuscript Filopoli, and Agaci. In the Barberini manuscript Philophilus, in the manuscript of Queen Christina of Sweden cited by Holstenius, Philippus and Acatus; in the rest they agree. Usuard in the double Paris manuscript of St. Germain, where he lived, omitting Palatinus, celebrates the other three thus: At Thessalonica, the birthday of Saints Domninus, Filopolis, and Achaicus. The same things are read in the Utrecht manuscript: but with the place omitted, they are read thus in Rabanus: Birthday of Domninus, Philippopolis, and Jacacius. The Roman manuscript of Duke Altemps: At Thessalonica, of Saints Domninus, Philopius, and Achaicus. But with Achaicus omitted, these three are enumerated in the Trier manuscript of St. Maximin: At Thessalonica, of Domninus, Phylopolus, Palatinus. In the Vatican manuscript of the church of St. Peter two are recorded: In the city of Thessalonica, of Domninus, Palatinus. Which are also read in one Cassino codex, but in another the memory of Domninus and Agasius is celebrated. In the manuscript of St. Cyriacus the following is found: At Thessalonica, of Saints Domninus, Paulinus, Eulalia the Virgin, about whom we shall treat presently: but the name Paulinus seems to have been intruded in place of Palatinus. In the Arras and Tournai manuscripts is joined: Birthday of St. Eulalia the Virgin and Palatinus. In the Aachen manuscript mention is made of Domninus, Filipolus, Eulalia the Virgin, and six hundred and one others. But a smaller number is added in the Trier manuscript of St. Martin: At Thessalonica, of Domninus the Martyr and twelve others. In the Liege manuscript of St. Lambert, Romulus is given as a companion of Domninus, who in the manuscript Ado of St. Lawrence near Liege is appended to the following Martyrs: and perhaps he is St. Regulus the Bishop, who is venerated on this day.
[2] Among the Martyrs of the following class the leader is Victor, who with Domninus is celebrated in this verse by Wandelbert: St. Victor to be separated: The third day shines with Domninus and his companion Victor. Hence Victor in various manuscripts under the name of Usuard, and others, also in Bellinus, Maurolycus, Greven, and Molanus, is joined to Domninus. Concerning these the following is read in the present Roman Martyrology: At Thessalonica, the birthday of the holy Martyrs Domninus, Victor, and their companions. Baronius in his Notes cites Usuard. But in his genuine codex not Victor, but Philopolus and Achaicus are joined to Domninus.
[3] Baronius adds in the same place: Concerning Domninus of Thessalonica, about whom it is treated here, Whether the same Domninus is venerated on October 1: the Greeks have under the Kalends of October in the Menologion, where his Acts are narrated in summary form: and they report that he suffered in the persecution of the Emperor Maximian. But he is recorded as a different person in the said Roman Martyrology under the Kalends of October, the Greeks in the Menologion being again cited: which will be more fully examined there: meanwhile we give his eulogy from the Menologion published by order of the Emperor Basil: Domninus the holy Martyr, a Christian of Thessalonica, his eulogy: of singular piety and devotion toward God, when the Emperor Maximian was devoting himself to the building of Thessalonica, was discovered to be a Christian, seized, and brought before his tribunal: to whom Maximian, inflamed with vehement anger, said: Do you dare, even in my presence, to profess yourself a Christian, and having rejected our Gods, to worship another God? Wherefore, if you wish to consult your own safety, sacrifice to the Gods. But when Domninus replied that he knew one God only and wished to render worship to him alone, all other beings, which are Gods in opinion only but not in reality, being despised; the Emperor ordered his soldiers to tear his body with scourges: and when he still persevered in the faith toward Christ, he was led outside the city, and his arms and legs were broken. But the Saint, after his limbs were crushed, meanwhile taking no food, surviving these great evils and torments for seven more days, and always giving thanks to the very end, gave back his spirit to God. Similar things are found in the Greek Menaia and Synaxarion, and in the Menologion of Sirletus cited by Baronius, but somewhat more abridged.
[4] Nicaeus the Bishop is recorded in three Martyrologies, and first Rabanus has the following for this day: The third day before the Kalends, Whether Nicaeus the Bishop should be joined? Birthday of Domninus, Philippopolus, and Jacacius, and the deposition of Austasius the Abbot and Nicaeus the Bishop. Of these, Austasius, by others Eustasius, Abbot of Luxeuil, was recorded on the preceding day. And the first three are Domninus, Philopolus, Achaicus: to whom Nicaeus is more closely joined in the printed Bede, toward the end in these words: And the birthday of Domninus, Philipponius, and Lacatius, and Nicaeus the Bishop. Galesinius also, after he had recorded with the printed Bede Saints Agapius, Secundinus, and others who suffered in Numidia, subjoins, as though they were their companions, the names of Nicaeus the Bishop, Domninus, Philipponius, and Lacatius. We, doubtful about this Nicaeus, subjoin him to the others as we found him, wherever he may have lived: we omit him, however, from the title, fearing lest he might have been some Saint of the city of Nicaea. The bare name of Nicenius is read on the preceding day in the Cassino manuscript in Lombard script, and is joined to Regulus, who also pertains to this day.