ON SS. QUARTUS AND QUINTUS
ROMAN MARTYRS DEPOSITED AT CAPUA.
CommentaryQuartus, Roman Martyr, deposited at Capua (St.)
Quintus, Roman Martyr, deposited at Capua (St.)
BY THE AUTHOR G. H.
That ancient among the Romans existed the memory of SS. Quartus & Quintus the Martyrs, we gather from their cemetery, in the century of Christ eighth renovated, about which Anastasius the Librarian in the Life of Hadrian the Pope first these things writes: The cemetery. In like manner also the Basilica of SS. Gordianus & Epimachus, or the cemetery of the same Church of Simplicius & Servilianus, & of Quartus & Quintus the Martyrs, & of B. Sophia, together with the cemetery of S. Tertullinus, outside the Latin gate anew he renovated. These things there. The Acts of SS. Gordianus & Epimachus, suffering under Julian the Apostate, already this X of May we have given: but of SS. Simplicius, others Sulpitius, & Servilianus, who under Trajan crowned were, the Passion we illustrated on the day XX of April. About S. Tertullinus, who under Valerian a Martyr died, must be treated on the day IV of August. Blessed Sophia judges Aringhus of Rome subterranean book 4 chapter 4, not to be of the holy three daughters Virgins & Martyrs the mother most celebrated, whose body with the daughters' bodies is said to be buried together, & whose memory is recalled on the XXX of September; but of the same name a Virgin & Martyr, whose afterward the body into the title of Equitius by Sergius II to transfer it happened. In the most ancient of the Martyrology Hieronymian apograph the Epternac, at this day, when it had been treated of SS. Gordianus & Epimachus, soon is subjoined: The Latin way to the Hundred-halls of Quartus & Quintus. the cult ancient. The said Martyrology described Usuard & Ado, both with these words: Likewise at Rome the Latin way to the Hundred-halls, the birthday of SS. Quartus & Quintus. These followed the rest of the Martyrologists: from whom we gather these in the said place for the Christian faith's confession to have been with martyrdom crowned, & their venerable bodies there a place of burial to have obtained: which once an estate had been of SS. Simplicius & Servilianus, but afterward a name had received from some noble or imperial edifice, that the Hundred-halls it was called: but then SS. Quartus & Quintus & B. Sophia's bodies had received, as a common to all cemetery, above which, after Julian's slaying, a noble of SS. Gordianus & Epimachus arose church, & from all a common received appellation. But at what time or by what kind of martyrdom they ended their life plainly to lie hidden we judge.
[2] Whether Bishops of Capua, or Confessors Another is the sense of the Church of Capua, in whose Breviary, which we have in the year 1489 printed, on the day IX of March, is prescribed in the Calendar, in red character, a solemn feast, under the double rite, of Quartus & Quintus, Bishops of Capua: & this is prescribed a Prayer. Be propitious, we beseech Lord, to us thy servants, through these holy Confessors & Pontiffs Quartus & Quintus, who in the present rest church, the glorious merits, that by their pious intercession from all things always we may be protected adverse. The Gospel for the Lessons at Matins is recited according to Luke, Let your loins be girt, with the ordinary homily of S. Gregory the Pope. Meanwhile the rest are prescribed, as in the feast of SS. Tiburtius, Valerian & Maximus the Martyrs: & namely the Chapter The just shall stand in great constancy. or Martyrs? The Hymn at first Vespers & at Matins, Of the Saints the merits illustrious joys: at Lauds & second Vespers, King glorious of the Martyrs: & so consequently from the Office of Martyrs in the Paschal time. Michael the Monk in the Sanctuary of Capua published four Calendars, & in the third & fourth of these these things are read, Of the holy Confessors Quartus & Quintus. The same Michael the Monk recounts from page 213 the Bishops of Capua, among whom the sixth & seventh by him are placed S. Quartus Bishop & Martyr, & S. Quintus Bishop & Martyr: & he adds: We follow the Cardinal de S. Severina, who on account of the authority of the Breviary these did not omit. These indeed others are to be reckoned from those, about whom in the month of May the Roman Martyrology: in which at this day X these things are read: Likewise at Rome the Latin way to the Hundred-halls, the birthday of the holy Martyrs Quartus & Quintus: whose bodies to Capua were translated. Ferdinand Ughellus volume 6 of Italy sacred, when about S. Aristæus, the fifth Capuan Bishop, he had treated, these things subjoins: After this the same Monk SS. Quartus & Quintus the Martyrs, or rather Martyrs not Pontiffs whose festal day in the Roman Martyrology X of May is celebrated, Capuan Bishops to have been relates from an old Breviary. But since Baronius to Capua the bodies of SS. Quartus & Quintus translated asserts, & nothing about the Episcopal dignity has, it seems to be asserted, not Bishops but Martyrs to have been, since also the Cardinal Bellarmine them from his Catalogue has expunged. These things Ughellus. The same refers as Martyrs Ferrarius in the Catalogue of the Saints of Italy, & adds them in the new of that Church Tables not to be named Bishops. Nay in the cited above Breviary, just as they are called Confessors, & yet are venerated with the Office of Martyrs; so could be added the name of Bishops.
[3] The same Michael the Monk page 35, But indeed, he says, Quartus & Quintus, to the Roman ascribed Martyrology, were Clerics of Capua, Martyrs suffering at Rome on the Latin way: nor that gratuitously we assert. In a chapel, which now is called of S. Francis, Their altar & under it the bodies: was an ancient altar, which was called of SS. Quartus & Quintus. Wished the chapel's Patron, permitting the Archbishop Cæsar Costa, that with marbles, & with marble of SS. Francis, Quartus & Quintus statues to adorn it: therefore the ancient altar demolished was, & was found under it a loculus two containing bodies, with an inscription, which on account of antiquity's mold whole was not read: but what could be read so has: where they are called Clerics: the bodies of the holy Clerics of Capua here placed are.
Which words the Archbishop Costa, in the lower base of the new altar there erected, to be sculptured only wished. Come now let us join with the firm tradition the inscription, & about the Clericate of SS. Quartus & Quintus we shall not doubt. There is added that in the church of S. Priscus their images, among other many most ancient, in mosaic are beheld. They are images joined with countenance very youthful, with head shorn, as now to mendicants to be shorn the custom is: they have in hand a crown: certainly with a crown to have been Martyrs it argues. The Archbishop Cæsar Costa, when to the church of S. Priscus for recreation's sake he had turned aside, the most holy Sacrament adored, those images visited; & reading the inscribed names, & this proves the Mosaic old with hand raised to me turned, See, he said, Martyrs with crowns. The tonsure what, unless to have been Clerics it shows? And the faces those as if boyish, among other of the holy Ecclesiastics images, either of old men, or of men, or of youths, that not in a lesser order constituted they were to doubt will it allow? But if Capuan Clerics, for what cause suffering at Rome? Hence I myself gather, SS. Quartus & Quintus to have been men in the city Capua chief, & sprung from a noble lineage. Were wont the Prefects of provinces, the more noble by lineage Christians apprehended to Rome to dispatch. Baronius year 104. So to be judged it is to have happened to SS. Quartus & Quintus: namely apprehended they on account of the Christian faith's confession, dispatched to Rome, & there by the Emperor (whoever he was) with the head struck, & their bodies at last to Capua, their fatherland, restored.
[4] These things for his singular toward Capua his fatherland affection Michael the Monk. Who in the second part of his Sanctuary, about to treat of the Saints who have images in the church of S. Priscus after page 132, exhibits the dome or cupola of that church, where Saints sixteen are represented in Mosaic or tessellated work, in the act of offering crowns, which they hold with either hand; so that in the middle, in the church of S. Priscus. with countenances to one another turned & eyes to heaven raised, are beheld on this side S. Peter the Apostle, on that side S. Priscus the Bishop, of stature virile, of countenance senile & bearded; but between them under the outstretched of the same arms, stand boys two, by half smaller than they, with above written names, on this side S. Quartus, on that side S. Quintus, plainly such, as above are described by the words of Costa the Bishop; yet so that S. Quintus in body & age somewhat greater seems, than S. Quartus.
[5] An excellent altogether of venerable antiquity monument that is, & which engraved in copper here I wished to give to be beheld. But when for that end doubts certain I had proposed in the year 1677 to R. P. Antonius Auria, of the Capuan then College the Rector; sent he to the village of S. Priscus a Priest industrious, who the very images accurately should inspect, & Michael the Monk's facsimile, how aptly it was expressed, should consider. But from his answer it was understood, little accurately formed to be that facsimile: wherefore the work that to be deferred I judged, until a more accurate other be obtained delineation, according to the form by me submitted, which of use can be for the natal day of S. Priscus himself the I of September.
[6] Moreover that SS. Quartus & Quintus were from Capua sprung, with difficulty you would beat out from those three letters Cap. For what if Capite plexos (beheaded) they signify? But let us grant Capuans to indicate: whether therefore will it follow, that they from Capua to martyrdom to Rome were sent? I do not judge. They could also such have been to the Roman Clergy ascribed already before by some of the Roman Pontiffs, & in his ministry familiar to have lived; that even thereby more illustrious their martyrdom was; but they are referred after Gordianus & Epimachus in the Martyrology of SS. Jerome, either because with them they suffered under Julian; or rather because, they themselves making the Title of the church, & therefore first to be named, of burial a place lent, long before suffering on the same day, but in the reckoning of popular cult later. The bodies of SS. Sulpitius & Servilianus on the Latin way once laid to have been above we said: & them by Hadrian the Pontiff's grace & help translated to have been into Germany, to the monastery Ellwangen, the cult at Ellwangen. now a Church Collegiate, from the old of the said place tradition was said at their natal day XX of April. In the same Ellwangen church, under the rite double of the second class, this X of May, are venerated also as Patrons SS. Quartus & Quintus: about whom besides a Prayer proper all things are taken from the Common of Martyrs; & this to be done on account of their notable Relics there deposited to conjecture, once to us wrote Christopher Striborius of our Society a Priest.