CONCERNING ST. THEOPHILUS AND HIS COMPANIONS, AND LIKEWISE ST. ATHENAEUS, MARTYRS AMONG THE GREEKS.
CommentaryTheophilus and companions, Martyrs among the Greeks (Saint)
Athenaeus, Martyr among the Greeks (Saint)
[1] This last day of March is begun with these Martyrs in the ancient Greek manuscript Synaxarion of Paris, belonging to the Clermont College of the Society of Jesus, but it transmits only the following brief notice about them: Memory of St. Theophilus and companions "In the same month, the thirty-first day. The contest of the holy Martyr Theophilus and his companions." We found in the Ambrosian Library at Milan certain Menaia marked with the letter O and number 148, and others in Paris in the library of Cardinal Mazarin, which celebrate the same holy Martyr Theophilus with his companions, but are silent about the place, time, and manner of martyrdom: whence arises the difficulty of judging whether he is perhaps celebrated with another and possibly greater solemnity: which, having made comparison with other Saints of the same name, since we have been unable to determine, we retain him here with his companions.
[2] There is joined in the said codex of the Ambrosian library St. Athenaeus in these words: and of St. Athenaeus. "The memory of the holy Theophilus and his companions, and of Athenaeus and Benjamin." Concerning the latter, who suffered in Persia, we treat separately. We place St. Athenaeus here with the others because the arena of all their martyrdom is unknown.