Martyrs Alexander

ON THE HOLY MARTYRS ALEXANDER, COLUTHUS, AND BARBARUS

HONORED AT CONSTANTINOPLE.

Alexander, Martyr, honored at Constantinople (S.)

Coluthus, Martyr, honored at Constantinople (S.)

Barbarus, Martyr, honored at Constantinople (S.)

G. H.

Of these three Martyrs there have made mention various Fasti of the Greeks, and first the MS. Synaxarion of Constantinople, preserved at Paris in the Clermont college of the Society of Jesus, has these things on this XIV of May: On the same day the contest of the holy Martyrs Alexander, Coluthus, and Barbarus. Their solemnity is celebrated in the temple of S. Irene at the sea. The same are read in the MS. Menaea of Milan of the Ambrosian library marked with the letter O and the number 148, and others of Dijon of Peter Francis Chifflet. In these is added a distich, by which it is indicated that to them the heads were cut off.

Τρῶν συνάθλων τετμημέναις κάραις Τρία Τριὰς τίθησιν ἄξια στέφη

The heads being cut off of the three contending, the Trinity conferred three worthy crowns.

We subjoin some Acts of a certain S. Barbarus the soldier, whose body at Methone in the Peloponnesus was buried. But whether that one be the same who with these companions, of whom there is no mention, is venerated at Constantinople, we cannot for certain judge, therefore from this one we separate him. But we suppose that the Venetians, among whom the Menaea were printed, since they knew not a proper day for this Saint, took this one, on which they learned from them that some Martyr of this name was commemorated by the Greeks.

ON S. BARBARUS THE MARTYR

TRANSLATED FROM METHONE TO VENICE.

Barbarus, Martyr, translated from Methone to Venice (S.)

BY THE AUTHOR G. H.

Methone, a city of Messenia on the Southern shore of the Peloponnesus, even now a famous emporium, is now called Modon, by Leunclavius and others Mutune and Muthone. In this city S. Barbarus or Barbarius, under Julian the Apostate crowned with martyrdom or at least laid to rest, is celebrated on this XIV of May in various Martyrologies. Ferrarius in the general Catalogue thus opens this day. The memory in various Fasti At Methone in the Peloponnesus, of S. Barbarus the Martyr under Julian the Apostate: whose body was translated to Venice. He adds in the Notes: From the Martyrologies of Maurolycus and Galesinius, with which the records of the Venetian Church, which have the body, agree. Maurolycus Abbot of Messina writes these things: At Methone, of S. Barbarus the Martyr, under Julian after various tortures beheaded, now buried at Venice. Which same things are read in the Calendar or historical Ephemeris of Constantius Felicius of Urbino, printed in the year MDLXXVII. In the Church and diocese of Venice he is venerated with an Ecclesiastical office, and the body is said to be in the Church of S. Lawrence. Galesinius in place of the Peloponnesus put Thrace in these words: In Thrace, of S. Barbarus the Martyr, who, ennobled by a manifold and varied contest of martyrdom, under Julian the Emperor, the most bitter adversary of the Christian name, is crowned. In the Notes he asserts, that his sacred Relics, at Venice placed again in the basilica of S. Lawrence, are preserved with pious cult. Richard Whitford, in a Martyrology printed in the year MDXXVI in English at London, has these things: At Muthone the feast of S. Barbarius the Martyr and a noble Duke, who under Julian the Emperor suffered very many and those most cruel torments, when very many were converted, and chiefly S. Bacchus the Duke, and his servants SS. Callimachus and Dionysius. John Grevenus the Carthusian of Cologne in the Martyrology of Usuard, augmented by many additions of his own and printed at Cologne in the years MDXV and MDXXI, thus indicates some torments inflicted on him: In the city of Muthone, of S. Barbarus the Martyr: whom Julian the Emperor caused to be hung up, and his belly to be scraped with a sword, until his inward parts flowed out. Then, cured by an Angel, he ordered him, bound to a wheel, to be led around, fire being placed beneath and oil poured over. But when neither so was he injured, stretched he is beaten with bull-sinews: then, the furnace of fire and the bronze ox being overcome, by the cutting off of the head he completed his martyrdom. Thus far there. Several other things are edited in the German Martyrology of Peter Canisius often reprinted: in which also are said, Bacchus and two soldiers Callimachus and Dionysius converted to the faith of Christ and beheaded.

[2] The Acts of the martyrdom in Peter de Natalibus. Before these Martyrologists lived Peter de Natalibus, who at Venice, Plebanus of the Church of the holy Apostles, wrote a Catalogue of the Saints, and finished it in the year MCCCLXXI, afterward there in the island of Equilia, now destroyed, created Bishop. He could best attain the things which in the basilica of S. Lawrence concerning S. Barbarus and other Martyrs were preserved as monuments, and edited them in book 4 chapter 170. But these Acts can be esteemed apocryphal and unworthy of faith, not only on account of the manifold miracles, through which the holy one amid such various torments is narrated to have been unharmed or soon healed: but chiefly because in the more ancient writers or Martyrologists no mention of these is found, and because neither the place nor the manner of the passion agrees with the more certain history of Julian. These things being premised, the Acts themselves from the said Catalogue we give: and we add, that the church of S. Lawrence is now possessed by nuns: to whom, asked to go, R. P. Daniel Simonetti, by whose most useful labor, in S. Athanasius and others I profess myself aided, answered: That they were diligently asked by him, that whatever concerning the translation of the sacred body to themselves they either have in writing or received from their elders retain by memory, they would communicate; but that they promised indeed all things at length, yet sent nothing, as they had promised; and that this was for him a certain indication, that after much inquiry on that matter they could find nothing. Concerning various Relics of the Saints, brought from the East to Venice, we have often treated: concerning the cult also of S. Mark at Venice on account of his body translated thither, can be seen what we gave on the XXV of April, page 352 and the following. There is venerated also on the XXIX of April S. Leo the Bishop, whose body from the island of Samos was carried to Venice: where we indicated, that other bodies of the Saints also were translated to Venice.

THE APOCRYPHAL ACTS.

From the catalogue of Peter de Natalibus.

Barbarus, Martyr, translated from Methone to Venice (S.)

BHL Number: 0000

He is said to be a strenuous Soldier against the Franks, Barbarus the Martyr suffered in the city of Muthone, under Julian the Emperor. Who when he had gone into the region of the Franks against the enemies of the Empire, having as Duke of the army one by name Baccho, and he the victory had obtained; in that very war Barbarus the Martyr was a Christian soldier, who strenuously and manfully bore himself: which the Emperor hearing, made him a Count. After these things, while the Franks sought single combat, Baccho the Duke sent Barbarus against the athlete of the Franks, who, an Angel protecting him, in Christ's name slew the adversary in the duel: and thus the Franks, put to flight by Baccho and the army of the Romans, are vanquished. because he professed himself a Christian, But when Baccho invited Barbarus, on account of the triumph obtained, to the sacrifices of the gods, and he asserted himself a Christian; Baccho announced these things to the Emperor. Who, Barbarus being detained, and refusing to sacrifice, and saying himself by B. Cyriacus to have been baptized, by no reasoning able to adore the gods of the Gentiles; Julian caused him to be hung up, and his belly with a sword to be scraped so long, until all the inward parts flowed out. after various torments But the holy one praying, by the Angel Gabriel appearing to him, his inward parts visibly gathered, were placed again in his belly, and the cleft of him consolidated, and he, taken down, remained unharmed. Which miracle being seen, Baccho with two soldiers, namely Callimachus and Dionysius, were converted, and in the confession of Christ, Julian commanding, were beheaded. Then the holy Martyr he caused, bound to an iron wheel, to be led around, fire being placed beneath and oil poured over. But the Martyr praying remained unburned: the flame also bursting forth slew two of the Gentiles. After these things Barbarus is cast into prison: but, the Lord appearing to him, he is strengthened. borne without harm before Julian the Emperor. But in the morning being led forth, on four pieces of wood he is stretched, and with bull-sinews before and behind he is beaten. Then a furnace for three days is kindled, that into it he might be cast: in which the Martyr of Christ for seven days entirely unburnt remained, and from it as from a pleasant bath leaped forth. He was sent afterward into prison, scorpions and serpents being cast in there: which all, untouched by them, by the sign of the Cross he put to flight. Thence in a bronze ox set on fire the Emperor caused him to be enclosed: but he himself from all burning remained immune. But the ox, as if alive, at last cut at the head. when it felt the heat, began to bellow and to walk. At which miracle many were converted. But last of all, Julian commanding, he was cut at the head: whose body by the Bishop Felicius in the city of Muthone was buried, on the day before the Ides of May.

CENSURE.

The Franks, by the occasion of whom the virtue of Barbarus is here said to have shone forth, were dwelling beyond the Rhine, and, Zosimus witnessing in book 3, together with the Alamanni and Saxons had taken and devastated forty cities situated on the Rhine, but Julian, fighting against the Franks, was still a Christian in the year of Christ CCCLV, in which Julian by Constantius Augustus was created Caesar, and set over the Gauls; but in the following year CCCLVI, when with Constantius he was made Consul, he recovered Cologne, taken by the Franks ten months before; and in the following years he made peace with the Kings of the Franks, as he himself glories, declaiming to the Senate and people of Athens: and similar things to these have Ammianus in books 16 and 17, and Libanius in Oration 10. But all that time Julian bore himself as a Christian, therefore here first occurs the greatest confusion of places and times. But perhaps after the death of Constantius, in the year CCCLXII, when Julian for the first five months was almost at Constantinople; somewhere in Thrace, as Galesinius wrote, S. Barbarus suffered torments; and his body, withdrawn from the slaughter, was brought to Methone and buried. If you say this, you expunge the whole first part of this Legend, transferring the Martyrdom of Barbarus from the Gauls into Thrace. But can at least the second part subsist? Nor indeed this. For it is established that Julian never openly raged against the Christians: but what he did secretly at Antioch and elsewhere, and afterward openly raged against no one for the faith. were hidden in the darkness of sacrilegious mysteries. Wherefore here are to be referred the things which, concerning the equally fictitious Martyrdom of S. Cyriacus Bishop of Jerusalem, we said on the I day of May; and altogether it is to be held, that if under Julian for the faith Barbarus underwent death, this was done in an altogether other manner than is here described. Let us say therefore, that concerning S. Barbarus nothing is held proved by verisimilar writing or reasoning, except the title of martyrdom, under which by the people of Methone he was held in veneration, when there landed those by whom the body was translated to Venice: the rest is mere dream of some idle brain, such as from time to time it is expedient to set forth to be looked upon even in this work, that contrary things placed next to each other may shine forth more; and more clearly may appear, what are those things which from time to time we reject, not wishing to be the first in dragging into the light fables, which until now have well lain hidden, when it is enough to have marked them with an index of censure for caution, if anyone perhaps imprudently stumble upon them.

ON S. CLAUDIUS THE MARTYR

TRANSLATED FROM ROME TO ANTWERP.

Claudius, Martyr, translated from Rome to Antwerp (S.)

D. P.

The body with the body of S. Pontianus the Martyr The temple of our Society at Antwerp, in the year MDCLV, was augmented with notable splendor; the walls surrounding it, in the part where, from the cabinet-maker's work above the confessionals, they were bare up to the first paneling, being clothed with white and black marble; which, at certain intervals receding inward, displays fourteen thrones, destined to receive as many bodies of Saints. On the day therefore the XXV of July a solemn procession through the city was instituted, which from the Cathedral temple into ours brought thirteen reliquaries, to be described elsewhere more opportunely. There was still vacant the fourteenth place; which observing, R. P. William de Wael, before twice Provost of this Flanders-Belgian Province, from whom we had not so long before received the body of S. Pontianus the Roman Martyr, wished to complete his benefit, and to adjoin to the rest the body of S. Claudius which in the year MDCL likewise he had received from Rome. extracted in the year 1650 from the Cemetery of Calepodius Both had been sent by the Procurator of the German Assistancy, P. Lawrence Koler, obtained from the most Illustrious Vicegerent of Innocent X the Roman Pontiff, Alexander Bishop of Aletrium, who testified that he had extracted them from the Cemetery of Calepodius, by letters signed the IX of September. These when again the most Illustrious Bishop of Antwerp Fr. Ambrose Capello had seen, just as on the XXX day of April of the said year MDCLV he had judged the sacred bones of S. Pontianus to be of a true Martyr, and so by all to be venerated; as will be said on the XIX of July; so in the following year, on the day

XXIII of June he approved those things which, under the name of S. Claudius, translated in 1656. duly sealed, had been exhibited to him; decreeing that his Translation should be observed among us yearly on the IV Sunday after Easter; and proposing forty days' Indulgences to all, who on such a day, visiting the said church, should pray in it. But since the aforesaid Sunday, in the very year in which we received that treasure, MDCLVI, had fallen on this XIV of May, it pleased to affix the memory of this translation in our domestic Heortologium to such a day, by which the Priests might be admonished, to recur to one of the immediately preceding or following Sundays for celebrating the feast of this Martyr.