ON SS. PRISCUS AND CRESCENS AND EVAGRIUS AND COMPANIONS: MARTYRS PRISCUS, CRESCENS OR CRESCENTIUS, AND EVAGRIUS, TO WHOM ARE PROBABLY TO BE ADDED DENEGOTHIA OR DEMERGOTIA, FAUSTINUS, MARTIALIS, JANUARIUS, ALEXANDER, EUPROBUS OR EOPROBUS OR EUTROPIUS, DIGNA OR PIGRA, GOTHIA OR COTIA, SATURNINA OR SATURNINUS, SPES OR SPEUS, CASTUS, PRIMUS, DONATUS, PASSICUS OR PAFFICUS, PROPUS OR PREPUS, AND PERHAPS ANOTHER DIGNA,
AT TOMIS IN LOWER MOESIA.
From the Martyrologies.
CommentaryPriscus, martyr, at Tomis in Lower Moesia. (S.)
Crescens or Crescentius, martyr, at Tomis in Lower Moesia. (S.)
Evagrius, martyr, at Tomis in Lower Moesia. (S.)
Denegothia or Demergotia, martyr, at Tomis in Lower Moesia. (S.)
Faustinus, martyr, at Tomis in Lower Moesia. (S.)
Martialis, martyr, at Tomis in Lower Moesia. (S.)
Januarius, martyr, at Tomis in Lower Moesia. (S.)
Alexander, martyr, at Tomis in Lower Moesia. (S.)
Euprobus or Eoprobus, martyr, at Tomis in Lower Moesia. (S.)
Digna or Pigra, martyr, at Tomis in Lower Moesia. (S.)
Gothia or Cotia, martyr, at Tomis in Lower Moesia. (S.)
Saturnina or Saturninus, martyr, at Tomis in Lower Moesia. (S.)
Spes or Speus, martyr, at Tomis in Lower Moesia. (S.)
Castus, martyr, at Tomis in Lower Moesia. (S.)
Primus, martyr, at Tomis in Lower Moesia. (S.)
Donatus, martyr, at Tomis in Lower Moesia. (S.)
Passicus or Pafficus, martyr, at Tomis in Lower Moesia. (S.)
Propus or Prepus, martyr, at Tomis in Lower Moesia. (S.)
Digna, another, martyr, at Tomis in Lower Moesia. (S.)
BY J. S.
Three of these Martyrs in the Roman Martyrology, An ample class of Martyrs, as I shall prove below, the Hieronymian Apographs announce today. Of these, however, the author of the old or little Roman Martyrology selected only the first three, and from there these three passed into other Martyrologies of the middle age, and from these into the present Roman one. Baronius mentions them thus: At Tomis in Pontus, of the holy martyrs Priscus, Crescens and Evagrius. In the Annotations he assigns Bede, whose pure Martyrology does not have these Martyrs, but an interpolated one; and rightly Usuard and Ado, and others, namely more recent writers; and the old manuscripts, he says, agree, understand Martyrologies, not Acts, which have not hitherto become known, if perhaps any were written. The old or little Roman has it thus: In the city of Tomis, of Priscus, Crescentius and Evagrius. The same to the letter Ado and Notker, the word of the Saints being added, however, before the names of the Martyrs, which Usuard likewise added, and in place of Crescentius wrote Crescens, which passed into the Roman. Bede, Rabanus and Wandelbert omitted those Martyrs altogether.
[2] all in the Hieronymian apographs, The names of all whom I have put in the title are had from four principal codices, namely from the text of Fiorentini, from the Blum codex, which he collated at the end of his Work, from that of Echternach and from that of Corbie, which he recited throughout in the Annotations. The text contains all, except the other Digna, whom the Blum codex, agreeing for the rest, adds, that of Echternach also favouring it. Two of the last are omitted in the Echternach codex, more in that of Corbie: which is by no means to be wondered at in codices everywhere faulty. I subjoin the text of Fiorentini: In the city of Thumis, of the saints Priscus. Criscentius. Evagrius. Denegothia. Faustinus. Martialis. Januarius… Alexander. Euprobus. Digna. Gothia. Saturnina. Spes. Castus. Primus. Donatus. Passicus. Propus. Then at page 1069 Fiorentini observes that before the last two, that is, before Passicus, there is added in the Blum codex: Likewise of Digna, and other things about the translation of certain persons, and that only then do the last two follow. That of Echternach in the same author has it thus: In the city of Tomis, the birthday of Priscus, and Evagrius… Crescentius, Demergotia, Faustinus, Martialis, Januarius, Alexander, Eutropius, Pigra, Cotia, Saturninus, Spes, Castus, Primus, Donatus, likewise Digne. The last name perhaps has been badly printed for Dignae or Digne. In that of Corbie, the name of the city being omitted, it reads thus: Of Priscus, Faustinus the martyr (the word martyr has probably crept in for Martialis) Alexander, Eopropus, Saturninus, Spes, Primus, Donatus. Likewise of Digna, Pafficus, Praepus.
[3] Now it must be proved that all these Martyrs, even if in some codices they have been disjoined after an interpolation made later, and, although in some apographs they have been drawn apart by interpolations, seem to belong to the same class. First, that more suffered together than the first three, whom the Roman Martyrology with the martyrologists of the middle age alone exhibits, is clear from the text of Fiorentini, in which after those three four others are placed in the same manner without interruption. Several are likewise placed without interruption in the Corbie codex, and in some abridged ones to be recited below. Secondly, that not only the first seven, which are placed consecutively in Fiorentini, but also all the rest which follow after the announced dedication of the church of SS. Servatius and Lambert, belong to the same class, is gathered from all the other apographs, especially since it is clear that that dedication was thrown into the middle of the throng of Martyrs in the VIII century, in which St. Lambert died, or even later, and it is found in only one codex. For in the Blum codex all the Martyrs listed are placed consecutively, except the last two, which follow after another interpolation of that codex. All, moreover, are placed in the Corbie codex without any interpolation or interruption, but some are omitted, and indeed two of the first three.
[4] In the Echternach codex that throng of Martyrs is again split, all seem to belong to that class. but in another place: for after two there is interposed the translation of St. Remigius and St. Germanus, and then the rest follow. Of these translations
the same must be judged as of the aforesaid dedication. For the translations are indeed read in other apographs also, but in another place, and in none other among those Martyrs. Wherefore it is clear that through the unskilfulness of the copyist, who perhaps found it in the margin, it was inserted among the Martyrs. Further, the praised Martyrs are read also in the abridged codices, but with some omitted. In that of Reichenau these are had: In the city of Thomis: of Priscus, Evagrius, Januarius and Alexander. In that of Augsburg without place: Of Priscus, Crescentianus (for Crescentius) Evagrius, Faustus (for Faustinus) Digna. In Labbe's: Of Priscus, Crescentianus, Evagrius, Faustus, Castus, Digna. These same the Gellone one has. In the abridged Corbie one: At Thaniae, of Priscus, Evagrius. These two also are alone in two Martyrologies published by Martène in volume 3 of the Anecdota. From these, therefore, it is confirmed that not only the first three, nor again the first seven, but all nineteen seem to have suffered together; since in those Apographs in which fewer are listed, some of the earlier ones are omitted just as of the later; and in the abridged Martyrologies themselves some of the later ones are also expressed. Fiorentini in the Annotations is plainly of the same opinion, and judges that the whole passage of the Martyrology should be restored in this manner: In the city of Thomis or Tomis, of SS. Priscus, Crescentius, Egrus (read Evagrius) Denegothia, Faustinus, Martialis, Januarius, Alexander, Euproprus, Digna, Gothia, Saturnina, Spes, Castus, Primus, Donatus, likewise Digna, Passicus, Propus. Most of the names I should believe are rightly expressed here; some, however, are doubtful.
[5] The Saints seem to have suffered at Tomis About the city in which the Martyrs suffered Fiorentini also raises a doubt, because it is written sometimes Thumis, sometimes Thomis. It can be added from what I have added that it is read elsewhere also Thomis and Thaniae. In so great a variety it seems one must recur to the martyrologists of the middle age: for they had Hieronymian codices less faulty than we have at this time. The author of the Little Roman, who is older than the rest, as also Ado and Notker, have Tomis without aspiration; Usuard alone added the aspiration and wrote Thomis. By these things the suspicion of Fiorentini about Thmuis, a city of Egypt, is already sufficiently refuted, as if Thumuis had been written for Thmuis: for no codex has this, and each would have been faulty, since Thmui would have had to be written, if they had suffered in that city. Fiorentini with Ortelius also assigns Thomum, a city of Egypt; but that is little known among the ancient geographers, and at least it is not expressed in the plural number, so that Thomi or in Thomo would have had to be written, which no codex has. Wherefore it does not seem to be doubted that our Martyrs suffered in the very well known city of Lower Moesia, which is commonly called Tomi in the plural number, and had many other Martyrs. For both in the oldest of all, that of Echternach, Tomis is read, and so the Martyrologies of the middle age have it, except Usuard, who must be judged not to have noticed that that city is written without aspiration.
[6] in the Pontus of Lower Moesia. Baronius also adds in Pontus, which the old martyrologists do not have; but he knew that Tomi was situated in Pontus, because the poet Ovid was an exile in that city and in Pontus, and frequently mentions Tomi. Cellarius, in the Ancient Geography, page 373, also recites the inscription of a certain coin of Caracalla, by which it is called Metropolis of Pontus. Nevertheless the city of Tomi is not to be sought in Pontus, the very well known province of Asia Minor; but in that part of Lower Moesia which is situated between the Danube and the Euxine Sea, and which now constitutes the extreme part of present-day Bulgaria towards the Euxine Sea. Hence, to avoid the error of many who would readily seek Tomi in Asia Minor, one can say: at Tomis in Lower Moesia, or in the Pontus of Lower Moesia.
[7] The body of St. Evagrius, perhaps one of these, preserved in Spain Juan Tamayo Salazar, in the Spanish Martyrology, writes the following at this day: In the monastery of St. Basil of Cuéllar, of the diocese of Segovia, the deposition of St. Evagrius, martyr, who with others completed his martyrdom at Tomis in Pontus. Whose sacred remains, brought to the Spains and laid up in the same monastery, rest there honourably and are venerated. In the Annotations he says in confirmation: M. Gil González Dávila, royal chronicler, in the Ecclesiastical Theatre of Castile, volume 1, folio 519, asserts that the sacred pledges of this holy Martyr are kept in the diocese of Segovia, in the monastery of the brothers of St. Basil the Great in the town of Cuéllar, where they are honourably venerated. The praised writer does in fact testify that in the said Basilian monastery the body of St. Evagrius, martyr, is kept, and that his feast is celebrated there on the first day of October. From this day of the cult it is in some way hinted that that body is held for the body of today's St. Evagrius: this, however, Dávila does not add. The Spanish martyrologist subjoins another testimony, continuing thus: Which we also have obtained from the report of the most reverend and never sufficiently praised prince of preachers and preacher of princes, Fr. Diego Nisseno, our friend. I altogether believe that the body of some St. Evagrius is kept there. But whence they know that it is today's, is not evident to me.