Nivalis and Companions

ON SS. NIVALIS AND COMPANIONS: MATRONA AND SALVIUS, MARTYRS IN AFRICA,

IN THE FOURTH CENTURY, AS IT SEEMS.

Nivalis, martyr in Africa. (S.)

Matrona, martyr in Africa. (S.)

Salvius, martyr in Africa. (S.)

BY H. D.

[1] The twin inscription of the saints, Near Aïn-Regada, which is a recently founded village between Calama and Cirta, 30 kilometres distant from Thibilis C. I. L., VIII, p. 549., there were found two inscriptions giving the names of martyrs entirely unknown, among the ruins of a sacred building, which, if you look at the condition of the place, you would judge to have been nothing else than a chapel dedicated to them De Rossi, Bullettino di archeologia cristiana, 1875, pp. 167–71.. On two stones they are carved in rather rude lettering in this way C. I. L., VIII, 5664, 5665.:

NOMI

NA MAR

TVRVM

NIVALIS

MATRONE

SALVI NA

TALIS NONV IDVS

NOVEMBRES

Θ NOMINA Θ

MARTV

ROV NIVALIS

MATRONE

SALVI

Θ FORTVNATV Θ

QVOT PROMISIT

FECIT

[2] the natal day uncertain. The word MARTVRORVM raises no difficulty, for although it is unskilfully pronounced, it is not without example De Rossi, l. c., p. 168.. On the other hand, that the natal day of the saints should be called NONV IDVS NOVEMBRIS is entirely unheard of. De Rossi suspected that nonum idus novembres was an improper mode of speaking by which the fifth day of November was designated, which is the ninth before the ides. But it is not probable that in similar formulas, which were worn by daily use, the propriety of the words was not preserved. Wherefore it is more pleasing to heal the fault of the stone in some other way. Nor does a better occur at present than to suppose that the particle ET was omitted by an error of the stonecutter, who was in any case most unskilled, so that the natal day of the saints is said to be celebrated on the NONES AND IDES OF NOVEMBER, some, namely, having been killed for the faith on the fifth day, another on the thirteenth of the same month. The emendation is not certain, but until another is found it seems not to be disapproved.

[3] The martyrologies are silent. The ancient martyrologies are so silent about SS. Nivalis, Matrona and Salvius that, if you find one or another of their names here and there, nowhere can a trace be detected of the whole band or of the same divided into two groups. Africa, and especially Numidia, had not a few other martyrs under the persecution of Diocletian known only from inscriptions and inscribed in no fasti De Rossi, l. c., p. 169..

[4] The more probable opinion about the time. De Rossi judged that these martyrs of ours too should be referred to the age of Diocletian, relying on arguments not weak L. c., pp. 169–70.. For although at first sight the inelegant and rude writing of the inscriptions seems to indicate the times of the Vandals, yet, since they were cut by an unskilled hand, and the symbols carved on the stones suit the 5th or 6th century badly, they are rather to be referred to the 4th. For a simple monogram of Christ is set before each inscription, to which in Africa from the middle of the 4th century there usually succeeds the monogram placed between Α and Ω. Hence it is more probable that the stones were set up at the beginning of the 4th century for martyrs of the Diocletianic persecution.

[5] Sepulchral inscriptions. It remains for us to say a few things, with the aforesaid De Rossi L. c., pp. 170–71., about the last words of the second inscription, FORTVNATVS QVOD PROMISIT FECIT. It is more probable that those stones are not votive, as they say, but are rather to be referred to sepulchral inscriptions, since they present only the names of the martyrs and their natal day besides the promise of Fortunatus. What was that promise? Fortunatus attended the holy martyrs Matrona, Nivalis and Salvius with pious services before they were crowned, and pledged to them that he would see to their burial. Moreover, he did what he promised and, when peace had been restored to the church, set up an epitaph to the saints, and with pregnant words narrated the matter to posterity.

[6] What "nomina martyrum" means. Of the words NOMINA MARTVRVM, with which several sacred inscriptions of the Africans begin, there has been dispute more than once, some understanding them in the obvious sense, others in a transferred sense of the relics of the martyrs [P. Monceaux, in Bulletin de la Société des Antiquaires de France, 1905, pp. 208–9. Cf. Analecta Bollandiana, vol. XXV, pp. 350–51.]. We think it enough to touch the matter only in passing, lest we seem to omit anything that could contribute to explaining our double inscription. But indeed, whatever you think of the matter, our ignorance of the history and ecclesiastical cult of the holy martyrs is the same.