CONCERNING THE HOLY AFRICAN MARTYRS ANESUS, FELIX, DIODOLUS, PORTUS, ABDA, CORNELIA, AND VALERIA.
CommentaryAnesus, Martyr in Africa (Saint)
Felix, Martyr in Africa (Saint)
Portus, Martyr in Africa (Saint)
Abda, Martyr in Africa (Saint)
Cornelia, Martyr in Africa (Saint)
Valeria, Martyr in Africa (Saint)
[1] The ancient Martyrology of St. Jerome in the Lucca and Blume copies enumerates these Martyrs as follows: "In Africa, the birthday of Saints Anesus, Memory of these Martyrs in ancient sacred calendars: Felix, Diodolus, Portus, Abda, Cornelia, and Valeria." Our own ancient manuscript of St. Jerome agrees, but from the two names Portus and Abda it makes a single name Portidae, as also in the Martyrology of the same St. Jerome printed at Paris, where moreover St. Diodolus is absent and the rest are referred to the thirtieth of March. Meanwhile, in the Reichenau manuscript, which often agrees with our copy of St. Jerome, we find: "In Africa: Anesus, Felix, Diodolus, Portus, Abda, Cornelia, Valeria." The same is read in the Rhine, Labbe, and Augsburg manuscripts, although in the last, "Portae, Aptae" is read. In the Barberini and Trier manuscripts of St. Maximin, with the order changed, it reads: "In Africa, the birthday of Saints Anesus, Felix, Diodolus, Cornelia and Valeria, Portus and Abda." In the Usuard manuscript found by us at Rome in the possession of Ferdinandus Ughelli, this order is preserved: "In Africa: Saints Diodolus, Anesus, Felix, Cornelia, Valeria, Portus, and Abda." The same is read in the manuscript Florarium and in Greven's Additions to Usuard. Notker has the following about them: "In Africa: Saints Anesius, Felix, Diodulus, Protus, Cornelius, and Valeria, with their companions." In the manuscript codex of the Carmelites at Cologne the following is read: "In Africa: Saints Dredolus, Anesius, Felix, Portus, Cornelia, Valeria, and Abda." The Liessies manuscript reads: Was Cornelia a virgin? "In Africa, the birthday of Saints Felix, Anesius, Diodolus, and St. Cornelia the Virgin." The Arras manuscript has the following about her: "At Antioch, the birthday of St. Romanus the monk, and of St. Cornelia the Virgin." The same is read in the Tournai manuscript of St. Martin, in which it is then added: "In Africa, the birthday of Saints Felix, Anesius, Diodolus." St. Romanus the monk is celebrated on the ninth of February, without mention of St. Cornelia. The ancient manuscript of the Queen of Sweden also presents them thus: "In Africa, the birthday of Saints Anesius, Felix, with five others": and rightly, for in all, together with Portus and Abda, there are seven. Holstenius in his Observations on the Roman Martyrology wrongly wished five others to be added besides Anesius, Felix, and Cornelia, when the name of Cornelia is not expressed but is necessarily included among the five anonymous ones. The manuscript of St. Cyriacus presents three: "In Africa: Felix, Diodolus, Cornelia." The small manuscript of St. Maximin suggests three others: "In Africa: Anesius, Felix, Valeria, and others." The Monte Cassino manuscript reads: "The birthday of the holy Martyrs Diodolus, Anesius, Felix, Castor, and Dorotheus." But these last two are celebrated on the twenty-eighth of March, having suffered at Tarsus in Cilicia. Wandelbert commemorates only two in this verse: "On the day before, the blessed Diodolus and Anesus shine forth." Usuard enumerates the same two: "In Africa: Saints Diodolus and Anesus." The Prague manuscript adds "with five others," whose names are then indicated: Felix, Cornelia, Valeria, Portus, Abda. The names of some are poorly rendered in certain manuscripts: thus the Aachen manuscript reads: "Denesius, Felix, Diodolus, Abdon." The Liege manuscript of St. Lambert reads: "In Africa, the birthday of Saints Anesus, Felix, Cornelius, Diobolis." The Ado manuscript of the monastery of St. Lawrence reads: "Likewise the Martyrs Diodolus, Anesus, Felix, Cornelius." Peter de Natalibus relates the same in book 11, number 105, thus: "Diodolus, Anesius, Felix, Cornelia, and Valeria, Portus, and Abdas suffered on the second day before the Kalends of April." Maurolycus describes them variously, but here he formed "Porcius and Abdia," while Felicius has "Portius and Aldia."
[2] Bellinus wrote "Theodolus" in place of Diodolus: Galesinius combined both and added Dionysius. "In Africa," he says, "of the holy Martyrs Anesius, Diodolus, Cornelius, Abda, Theodulus, Dionysius, and others." Should Theodolus and Dionysius be joined? In the Notes he cites Bede and Usuard, but from them he had only Diodolus and Anesius. He confesses therefore that he added other companions whose names he received from a manuscript codex and from Victor likewise. This Victor is Victor of Utica, often cited by him when treating of African Martyrs, as if they had suffered during the Vandal persecution. But the Martyrology of St. Jerome was composed before that time: concerning which Franciscus Maria Florentinus observes that Galesinius used a manuscript codex of unreliable character. We therefore omit Dionysius and Theodolus as different from Diodolus. In the present Roman Martyrology the following is read: "In Africa, of the holy Martyrs Theodolus, Anesius, Felix, Cornelia, and their companions." Baronius adds in the Notes: "Usuard incorrectly reads Diodolus. Bede treats only of Anesius: so also does Wandelbert: and the ancient manuscripts agree: certainly not with Galesinius but with Usuard who writes Diodolus": as also the manuscript of St. Cyriacus so often praised by Baronius. Certainly Theodolus was intruded by Galesinius as different from Diodolus, perhaps seizing the occasion for error from the fact that in place of Diodolus found in Usuard, "Theodolus" was written in the Martyrology of Bellinus. Moreover, the meaning of the words is different, since "dolos" in Latin is fraud or deceit, while "doulos" is slave.
[3] Rabanus has the following for this day: "The second day before the Kalends. In Africa, the birthday of Anisius, and the deposition of Bishop Ambrose, and the birthday of seven Virgins whose names God knows." and seven Virgins. These have been transferred from there to the printed Bede, in which the deposition of Ambrose appears to have been incorrectly inserted, and the birthday of seven Virgins -- or certainly seven Martyrs, of whom some are regarded as Virgins. Because of certain relics of St. Cornelia translated to Armorican Brittany, Saussay reports the following: Relics of St. Cornelia at Saint-Malo. "At Saint-Malo, St. Cornelia the Virgin, who was crowned today in Africa, through the devout distribution of sacred pledges, obtained a celebrated anniversary there."