ON SS. EVAGRIUS AND PROSIRIA AND BURRUS AND DONATUS, MARTYRS IN SYRIA (PROSIRIA ALSO CALLED PROSERIA; DONATUS OR DONATA),
From the Hieronymian copies and other sacred Fasti.
AGE UNCERTAIN
CommentaryEvagrius, M., in Syria (Saint)
Prosiria or Proseria, M., in Syria (S.)
Burrus, M., in Syria (S.)
Donatus or Donata, M., in Syria (S.)
BY C. B.
[The Saints, confused today in the Hieronymian tables, Châtelain, dividing them into three classes,] In the Lucca Hieronymian copy published by Fiorentini the following announcements are read today: In the province of Syria, of Saints Evacrus and Prosinus. In Egypt, of Eustasius the presbyter. In the city of Campana, the birthday of Saints Eucaristus, Fortunatus, Priscianus. From this Hieronymian copy another Hieronymian copy, namely the Corbie one, which is extant in the same Fiorentini and likewise in d'Achery, differs almost only in this, that, giving the names of some Saints a little differently from the former, it moreover, in Campania, the word city being omitted, commemorates Eucharistus and Fortunatus or Fortunata alone, without Priscianus; but from the two Hieronymian copies already mentioned the very ancient Antwerp or Echternach Hieronymian copy, which is likewise extant in the praised Fiorentini, differs very greatly; for it has thus: In Syria, of Eustatius the presbyter, and of Eucaristus, Burrus, Donata. And in Campania, in the city of Patra, of Fortunata, Euagrus and Proseria, Fortunatus, Priscianus. Whoever compares these two announcements with the announcements which the two other Hieronymian copies just praised, namely the Corbie and the Lucca, supply, will certainly perceive that the Hieronymian tables are today in very great confusion. Châtelain, in order to distinguish the Saints confused in them, divides those of today in his Universal Martyrology, with a note added in the margin, into three different classes. And to the first of these, which he places in Syria, he assigns SS. Evagrius and Proseria, MM.; to the second, which he places in Egypt, St. Eustatius or Eustachius the presbyter; and finally to the third, which he places in Campania, SS. Eucharistus or Evaristus and Fortunatus or Fortunata, MM. But has that martyrologist attained what he wished in this way with sufficient success?
[2] Although SS. Carponius and Priscianus must be added to SS. Evaristus and Fortunata, as what is to be said at the 14th day of this month, at which these are to be treated, will show, nevertheless rightly, as will also become clear from what is to be alleged there, in the last of these, Evaristus or Eucharistus and Fortunatus or Fortunata, does Châtelain set down these two last Saints in Campania, as having been translated thither from the arena of their martyrdom. In Palestine indeed, which is held by geographers as part of Syria, Evaristus and Fortunata suffered with Priscianus; but from this it cannot be argued that they certainly belong to the same class of Martyrs to which Evagrius and Proseria, who suffered in Syria, belong; for whether they shed their blood for Christ in Syria together with these, or not, is very doubtful. The Echternach Hieronymian copy praised above does indeed number Eucaristus or Evaristus among the Martyrs who suffered in Syria; but it also sets down in Campania Evagrius and Proseria, whom nevertheless no one will say either suffered there or, a translation of their relics to that region having been made, rest there. Moreover, since it strays from the truth also in attributing to Rome Hedistus, who, from what is to be said, suffered at Ravenna, it likewise deserves no credit when it commemorates Evaristus as slain for the faith together with the Martyrs whom it places in Syria.
[3] [in the second he rightly places Eustachius or Eustathius, in the first Evagrius and Proseria;] Now then, since this is so, there is certainly reason why we should judge with Châtelain that Evaristus and Fortunata belong to another class of Martyrs than that to which Evagrius and Proseria belong. As for Eustachius or Eustatius, that he too does not belong to this class, that is, is not to be set down in Syria but in Egypt, the studious reader will understand from what is to be alleged below about him this day, as about a Saint of a particular class. Now I turn my discourse more especially to the Saints proposed above in the title. Evagrius and Proseria Châtelain, in the place cited above, rightly places in Syria; for the Hieronymian copies praised above set them down there, if you except the one Echternach copy, in which, from what has been said, they are wrongly attributed to Campania; nor can I be moved, so as to give credence to the present Roman Martyrology, which sets down Evagrius and Priscianus and, as it says, their companions at Rome, by the manuscripts praised by Galesini, since these are of plainly uncertain age and credit. But although from what has been said Châtelain rightly assigns SS. Evagrius and Proseria to Syria, I do not know whether he rightly affirms that no companions in martyrdom were joined to them.
[4] For the Echternach Hieronymian copy in Fiorentini, but he does not rightly, as appears, deny them companions in martyrdom. which, while the common Martyrologies commemorate one or another Martyr, often also enumerates their companions not expressed by name in those, as Bolland observed in his general Preface prefixed to tome 1 of January, page XLVI, col. 2, sets down Burrus and Donata today in Syria, and Rabanus too does the same in his Martyrology, though he writes Donatus for Donata. Nor do I find anything anywhere which ought certainly to prevent Burrus and Donatus or Donata from being believed to have undergone martyrdom in Syria together with SS. Evagrius and Proseria. Rabanus, it is true, as well as the Hieronymian copy just praised, wrongly, from what is to be said below, assigns Eustathius or Eustachius to Syria; but the reason for which Eustachius does not appear to have undergone martyrdom in Syria does not prove that Burrus and Donatus or Donata did not suffer there too. The matter will become clear from what will be said below this day about Eustachius or Eustathius. For the rest, since not only in the Corbie Hieronymian copy but also in the Appendix to Ado Prosyria or Prosiria is written, Fiorentini, in his Notes on the Hieronymian codices, is of opinion that by this name a female Saint is indicated, and not a male Saint who had the name Prosinus (one may add, or Prosyrus or Syrus); and since he does not seem to be opposed in this matter, and nothing besides occurs by which either a fuller knowledge of SS. Evagrius, Prosiria, Burrus and Donata or Donatus might be supplied, or the time at which they suffered might be in any way determined, it is not at all necessary to make a longer discourse about them.