ON SS. THE MARTYRS OF MAURETANIA: NINUS, VICTORIA OR VICTOR, NOBILITANUS OR JUBILITANUS, MAURITANUS OR MARIANUS, LUCIUS, CITTINUS OR TINNUS, CRESCENTIAN, RUFFINIAN, DONATUS, DEFENSOR, RUSTICIAN, SERVILIAN, SOCRATUS OR SOCRATES, VENERIA OR VENERIUS, JANUARIUS, MUSTOLUS OR NEUSTULUS, QUINTASIUS, MEMMA OR MEMMIA, YZITIANUS OR ZIDIACUS, PRIMA, DONATA, SEVERA, VICTORIA, BASILLA, AND MAGNILIUS,
PERHAPS IN THE YEAR 304.
SYLLOGE.
The memory of the holy martyrs in the sacred calendars.
Ninus, martyr, in Mauretania. (S.)
Victoria or Victor, martyr, in Mauretania. (S.)
Nobilitanus or Jubilitanus, martyr, in Mauretania. (S.)
Mauritanus or Marianus, martyr, in Mauretania. (S.)
Lucius, martyr, in Mauretania. (S.)
Cittinus or Tinnus, martyr, in Mauretania. (S.)
Crescentian, martyr, in Mauretania. (S.)
Ruffinian, martyr, in Mauretania. (S.)
Donatus, martyr, in Mauretania. (S.)
Defensor, martyr, in Mauretania. (S.)
Rustician, martyr, in Mauretania. (S.)
Servilian, martyr, in Mauretania. (S.)
Socratus or Socrates, martyr, in Mauretania. (S.)
Veneria or Venerius, martyr, in Mauretania. (S.)
Januarius, martyr, in Mauretania. (S.)
Mustolus or Neustolus, martyr, in Mauretania. (S.)
Quintasius, martyr, in Mauretania. (S.)
Memma or Memmia, martyr, in Mauretania. (S.)
Yzitianus or Zidiacus, martyr, in Mauretania. (S.)
Prima, martyr, in Mauretania. (S.)
Donata, martyr, in Mauretania. (S.)
Severa, martyr, in Mauretania. (S.)
Victoria, martyr, in Mauretania. (S.)
Basilla, martyr, in Mauretania. (S.)
Magnilius, martyr, in Mauretania. (S.)
J. V. H.
The memory of the holy martyrs in the sacred calendars; The handful of saints whose memory exists today in the Hieronymian lists, and from there has flowed down into the Martyrologies and Auctaria of some others, has left no other monument of itself than the arena of its contest, Mauretania, the bare names of the champions, and the example of unconquered fortitude. But the codices vary in recording both the number and the names of the martyrs. Rabanus, and Notker, who here for the most part copies him [Heinrich Canisius, Antiquae Lectiones, volume II, part II, p. 344, and part III, p. 181.], report only seven names, namely: "Of Ninus, Victurius, Nobilitanus, Maurianus (Notker: Marianus), Lucius, Mittinus and Crescentianus." The Rosweyde Auctarium of Usuard in Sollerius has: "In Mauretania, of Marianus and Maximus with 23 others." Greven in his Usuard has the same beginning, adding however after Maximus: "Ninus, Lucius, Sacratus, Venerus, Prima, Donatus, Victoria, Basilla, and others." Fiorentini mentions only Ruffinian. In the Auctarium of Wandalbert In d'Achery, Spicilegium, volume II, p. 54, new edition. is read: "In Mauretania, the birthday of the saints
Donatus and Des…" (perhaps Defensor). In the Auctaria of Bede Acta Sanctorum, volume II of March, p. XXXV. there come, partly in these, partly in those: Donatus, Nobilitanus (otherwise Nenilucius), Crescentian, Defensor, Rustician, Socratus, Venerius, Prima, Donata, Victoria, Basilla. There is also no small diversity in Fiorentini's most ancient Hieronymian copy, which the praised writer judges more accurate than the rest among present-day calendars. It will suffice for us to compare that copy with the Corbie Martyrology of St. Jerome edited by Luc d'Achery Spicilegium, volume II, p. 20, Paris edition 1723.. I take the text from Fiorentini, and subjoin to the individual names the variant readings from the Corbie codex. "In Mauretania, of Ninus, Victoria (Corbie: Victuria), Nobilitana (Corbie: Nobilitanus), Marianus (Corbie: Mauritanus), Lucius, Cittinus (Corbie: Citinus; Rabanus and Notker: Mittinus), Crescentianus (Corbie: Criscentianus), Rufinianus (Corbie: Rufianus), Donatus, Defensor, Rusticianus, Servilianus, Socratus (Corbie: Sacratus), Venerius (Corbie: Veneria), Januarius, Mustolus (Corbie: Mustula), Quintasius, Memma, Yzitianus (Corbie: lacking), Prima, Donata, Severa, Victoria (Corbie: Victuria), Basilla (Corbie adds Magnilius)." In the Auctaria of Usuard the reader will have noticed Maximus added (unless perhaps he is in place of Magnilius); but I do not see from what source he flowed.
[2] their names and the time of their passion. In the title we have followed this rule, to bring out all the names which occur in Fiorentini's most ancient copy; and since Fiorentini, and after him Morcelli Martyrologium Africanum in Africa Christiana, volume II, p. 373., judged from other codices that some names should be changed, we have put these changes in the second place, with the particle "or" added. We have assigned these holy martyrs perhaps to the year 304, since Morcelli Ibid., volume cited, p. 192., first from the testimony of Eusebius Ecclesiastical History, book III, chapter VI., then from several examples adduced, shows that at that time there was a huge number of martyrs in Africa and especially in Mauretania. For the rest, on the persecution raging at the beginning of the 4th century let the common ecclesiastical histories be consulted, but above all the Africa Christiana of Morcelli.