ON SS. BERONICUS, PELAGIA, VIRGIN, AND FORTY-NINE OTHER MARTYRS OF ANTIOCH,
IN THE I, II OR III CENTURY.
SYLLOGE.
Their passion from the Martyrologies. Who the St. Pelagia is who is celebrated on this day.
Beronicus, martyr at Antioch in Syria. (S.)
Pelagia, martyr at Antioch in Syria. (S.)
Forty-nine other martyrs at Antioch in Syria. (SS.)
B. B.
The Acts are lacking The memory of these holy Martyrs occurs on this day in almost all the Martyrologies, whether ancient or more recent. But besides this nothing is found anywhere which pertains to their acts. Nothing else, therefore, is incumbent on us here except to present what is had in the Martyrologies, together with the notes which learned men, vexed by the lack of suitable documents, have added here and there by way of Commentary.
[2] The Roman Martyrology, with a less correct Note of Baronius. The Roman puts it thus: "At Antioch, of the holy Martyrs Beronicus, Pelagia, Virgin, and forty-nine others." Baronius notes: "Of these likewise Bede, Usuard, Ado and others, although Bede, treating here of Pelagia, confuses her with that penitent of whom above, on the 8th day of this month (October)." Properly speaking, Bede is blank on this day. But in the Auctaria commonly (but not rightly, as Sollerius shows in the Preface to the Martyrology of Usuard) ascribed to Florus is had: "And at Antioch of Syria (this word is lacking in certain codices) the passion of Saints Pelagius and Beronica" (elsewhere Beronicus). Baronius therefore slips; since neither Bede nor his augmenter makes mention of Pelagia. Whence the most eminent cardinal drew his note no one will easily conjecture; perhaps from certain manuscript copies. This is generally established, that in his notes to the Roman Martyrology he not seldom abstained from going to the genuine sources.
[3] Other Martyrologies. The more ancient Martyrology of the western church, attributed to St. Jerome by Cassiodorus, Bede, Walafrid, Notker and other writers, and edited by Fiorentini Lucca, the year 1768., partly agrees with the Auctarium of Bede, but adds other things as well: "At Antioch of Syria the birthday of Saints Pelagius, Beronicus, Pelagia and forty-eight others." The Old Roman or Little Roman, brought to light by our Rosweyde, differs from both: "At Antioch, of Beronicus, Pelagia and forty-nine others." Ado omits Pelagius: "At Antioch of Syria the birthday of Saints Beronicus," etc. With Ado Usuard agrees. Wandelbert sings the same:
On the twice-seventh Beronius shines, and Pelagia, Whom forty and nine likewise accompany.
Likewise among the more recent, Pietro de' Natali, Bellino of Padua, Maurolico and Galesini, "who all add forty-nine anonymous companions," says Fiorentini Ibid., p. 927., "except Notker, with whom only fifty-nine" (it is evident that the word "only" slipped imprudently from Fiorentini) "are set forth... All are silent about Pelagius, although he is the standard-bearer of all, both in our books and in the Corbie and Antwerp manuscripts."
[4] In some our Pelagia is confused with the Penitent of the same name; but wrongly. Rightly, therefore, does our Sollerius observe that Usuard copied the whole announcement itself of the Antiochenes from Ado, who had transferred it here from the Little Roman Martyrology of Usuard, p. 611.. Then he adds the following: "The memory of this Antiochene band is also in the Hieronymian codices" (it is known that Sollerius Preface to the Martyrology of Usuard, chapter I, article I, p. V and following calls into doubt whether St. Jerome is really the author of the Martyrology which is attributed to him; for that reason he deliberately says Hieronymian codices, namely because they are commonly attributed to the holy doctor; and not "Codices or Martyrologies of St. Jerome," because it is not sufficiently established about their genuine author) "on this day, with the name of Pelagius prefixed as of a leader or first centurion... Further, who today's Pelagia is will have to be more laboriously investigated in its own time; that she is not the penitent, whom Rabanus and Notker here importunately thrust upon us, I think certain." It is helpful to set down here the words of both. Notker indeed announces thus [Martyrology in Heinrich Canisius, Thesaurus Monumentorum, volume II, part III, p. 182. Amsterdam edition, 1735.]: "At Antioch of Syria the birthday of St. Beronicus, Pelagia and fifty-nine others" (Notker alone, as we have already intimated, puts the companions at LIX; all the others have XLIX. It is probable that an error crept into the codices of Notker); "which Pelagia was at first
a harlot under the rite of heathenism, afterwards through the grace of God and the doctrine of Nonnus, the holy bishop of God, converted to the faith and baptized, she distributed all her goods to the poor, and, leaving Antioch, built for herself a little cell on the mount of Olives, in the place where the Lord ascended into heaven, and under a man's habit and in monastic conversation ended the present life." Rabanus, in the same Canisius Thesaurus Monumentorum, volume II, part II, p. 344., repeats almost word for word what Notker has about St. Pelagia; in this he differs both from Notker and from the others, that, omitting the rest, he makes memory of Pelagia alone. For the rest, we too with Sollerius think it certain that the Pelagia of whom mention recurs on this day is altogether different from that most celebrated Penitent of Antioch. Of this opinion also is our Cornelius De Bye, who, at the eighth of October Acta Sanctorum, volume III of October, p. 248 and following, illustrating the acts of the latter, begins his Preliminary Commentary by distinguishing the Saint from the two Pelagias already given (at the 4th of May and the 9th of June), and from a third still to be given, who is ours. "For Pelagia," he says, "inserted in very many sacred calendars at the 19th of October, ended this mortal life crowned with martyrdom, which cannot be said of our Pelagia (the penitent), inasmuch as the things to be said will show that she rested in peace. We add that the latter is commemorated in the Roman Martyrology and others at Jerusalem, the former at Antioch."
[5] [Again, and with no better reason, Beronicus is confused with Berinna or Berenice,] The same Cornelius De Bye had already before observed, at the 4th day of October, in the life of SS. Domnina, Berinna and Prosdoce, MM. Ibid., volume II of October, p. 398.: "Further, in some Hieronymian copies at the 19th of October is announced Domna or Domnina, Virgin; Prosducus or Prosdocia is announced; and there is announced also the Birthday of SS. Pelagius, Beronicus, Pelagia and forty-nine others. Hence some think that our Domnina and her holy daughters Berenice and Prosdoce are celebrated here again, either by reason of some translation or for another similar cause. But as concerns the birthday of SS. Beronicus and Pelagia, which also occurs at the aforesaid day of October in the ancient Martyrologies in Fiorentini, it is indeed placed at Antioch in Syria, but a greater number of martyrs is assigned than would suit our Berenice; and accordingly Beronicus is most probably distinguished from her; who moreover is inserted with a masculine, not a feminine, termination in absolutely all the ancient Martyrologies in Fiorentini." Thus De Bye.
[6] and with Veronica of Jerusalem, Our Henschen notes something similar Acta Sanctorum, volume I of February, p. 451, no. 8. in the life of St. Veronica, matron of Jerusalem. Namely, in the Chronicle published under the name of Julian Peter, Archpriest of St. Justa, from the Library of Olivares, at the year XC is read: "About this time... at Rome that cloth was in great esteem ... which the most pious woman Beronice, whom others corruptly call Veronica, left to Clement the first, Roman Pontiff; who, a granddaughter ... of the great Herod ..., lived sometimes in the city of Caesarea of Palestine, but sometimes at Jerusalem... Some would have it that she suffered martyrdom at Antioch with fifty others, as Bede relates." But this Berenice is altogether other than St. Veronica, as Henschen proves in the place cited. Where he then adds Ibid., 4th of February, volume I, p. 451, no. 9.: "She who above, Berenice from Judaea, and perhaps dead before Christ was born, was feigned to be St. Veronica, a pious and Christian matron, now, the sex being changed, in the same Chronicle of Julian, out of St. Beronicus is feigned St. Veronica, Martyr. He it is who, with fifty others who suffered at Antioch, is venerated on the 19th of October in almost all the martyrologies, even in the manuscript copies of Bede: in the printed copy of which Baronius also, in the same place in the Annotations, remarks that there is confusion." Compare no. 2 of the present Commentary, where we censured Baronius. It must be noted also that Henschen prepared his edition of the Martyrology of Bede after the published acts of February.
[7] So too the Pelagia who is venerated on the 9th of June is another. Our Janning, at the 9th of June, where he treats of St. Pelagia, Virgin and Martyr at Antioch in Syria, inquires in the second paragraph of the historical Commentary Ibid., volume II of June, p. 156. "From whom of the same name that Pelagia is distinct, from whom not distinct," and says Ibid., p. 157.: "There is one who suspects that the mother and sisters of St. Pelagia are treated by Chrysostom under the names of Domnina, Berenice and Prosdoce, in homily LI in Fronton, book III. There is again one who thinks it possible that the Roman Martyrology at the 19th of October, where it notes the passion at Antioch of the holy Martyrs Beronicus, Pelagia, Virgin, and forty-nine others, ought to be understood of our Pelagia and her mother and sisters. But the Oration of Chrysostom on Pelagia, and the other on Domnina and her Daughters, express places and circumstances too disparate from each other. And the Martyrology assigns a greater number than would suit our Pelagia. Wherefore it is no concern to treat of these now; it will perhaps be of concern at the 19th of October." Thus far Janning. To which, as a kind of crowning touch, we add what Sollerius has in the already cited Observations at the 19th of October, treating of Pelagia, of whom on this day mention occurs among other martyrs who suffered at Antioch: "Whether she be," he says Martyrology of Usuard, p. 611., "that celebrated Antiochene Virgin and Martyr praised by Ambrose, of whom in our Acts at the 9th of June, will have to be seen from the characters excellently delineated in the Preliminary Commentary by our colleague Janning, volume II, page 154 and following. There, meanwhile, at page 157, you will find all but refuted in advance Chastelain's little note about Domnina, the mother, as he would have it, of Pelagia, and her sisters Bernice and Prosdoce; how the praised Chastelain hammers out the names of the first and last of whom from today's Hieronymian tables, and joins them with these Antiochenes, I confess that I at least have not so far sufficiently perceived." Nor do we perceive it more clearly today. For the rest, Chastelain, who is here censured, has thus at this 19th day of October: "At Antioch, of the holy Martyrs Beronica, Pelagia, Virgin, and forty-nine others." And he notes in the margin: "This is St. Bernice from the 14th of April, and St. Pelagia (whom St. Ambrose calls her sister) brought here from the 9th of June, as is clearly seen from the Hieronymian codices, where St. Prodoce, the other sister, and St. Domnina, their mother, are commemorated together on this day."
[8] What of Pelagius. As regards Pelagius, he is indeed found in the Hieronymian copies presented by Fiorentini; but since he is reported neither by Ado nor by Usuard, it is right to believe that they did not find him in the ancient codices which they used. Perhaps he crept into some from this, that that name is not constantly produced in the same way everywhere: for it is established even from Henschen's Bede that she was called Pelagia who by others is named Pelagius. The copyists, therefore, and even the writers themselves, could have suspected that both Pelagius and Pelagia were to be admitted. Singular in this matter is what the Hieronymian Martyrology in d'Achery has Spicilegium, volume II, p. 20. Folio edition, Paris, 1723.: "At Antioch of Syria, the birthday of Saints Pelagius, Beronus, Pelagia and forty-eight other Martyrs," while others commonly, even those who put Pelagius together with Pelagia, number forty-nine companions. Perhaps the copyist or someone else thought that, while adding one named, another must be taken away from the unnamed. With what right he did so, let him see to it. The d'Acheryan reading is followed by the Martyrology of Évreux.
[9] Our holy Martyrs most probably belong to the earlier centuries. From all which I think it sufficiently established that the holy martyrs whose memory is celebrated on this day are different from the other namesakes who are announced on various days in the Martyrologies. For the rest, as we warned at the beginning, nothing which pertains to their acts is found anywhere, not even among the Legendaries themselves, on the witness of Pietro de' Natali, who relegated mention of them to the last chapter of the eleventh book, to which he prefaces thus: "There exist many saints beyond those placed above, about whose life or deeds I could find nothing at all, except only their names and the days of their festivities, and nothing beyond, except of a few, of whom I also found written the places in which they suffered, or departed without Martyrdom, namely from the Martyrology of Jerome, Usuard or Ado. And therefore, that nothing of the things which I could find about the saints may be omitted, at the end of the present work, in this single chapter, I have taken care to gather together the things which are written about the names and festival days of the said Saints in the aforesaid little book. Reserving, however, to myself and to posterity the power of writing their deeds and passions more distinctly, if it should ever happen to find them in the future. I shall, however, subjoin the foregoing to the letter as I found them." Then he has these words: "Beronicus and Pelagia and forty-nine others suffered at Antioch of Syria on the 14th day before the Kalends of November." And that lack of documents was perhaps the cause which led many Martyrologists into that confusion of names of which we have spoken. Nothing, therefore, is had either about the manner or about the nature of the Martyrdom, or about the time at which it took place. Since, however, their memory is found in every most ancient Martyrology, it cannot be doubted that they suffered in the earlier centuries of the church. Moreover, this very memory is an argument that their cult is likewise most ancient.