ON SS. MARCIAN OR MARIAN AND COMPANIONS: MARCIAN OR MARIAN, LUCIUS, AND VICTUS, MARTYRS AT ROME,
PROBABLY AT THE END OF THE 3RD CENTURY.
CRITICAL SYLLOGE
Three holy martyrs known only from the Hieronymian lists.
Marianus or Marcianus, martyr at Rome. (S.)
Lucius, martyr at Rome. (S.)
Victus, martyr at Rome. (S.)
V. D. B.
How difficult the Hieronymian lists are today was evident above in SS. Thraseas and his companions, martyrs of Eumeneia in Phrygia. The same difficulties persist in the Roman martyrs, In the Hieronymian Fasti, under much confused forms, as will become manifest from what follows. In the Corbie copy of d'Achery Spicilegium, volume II, page 20, edition of 1723. is read: At Rome, of Marianus, Lucius, Vivetus; in the Antwerp or Echternach copy of St. Willibrord In Fiorentini, Vet. Martyr. Occid. page 936.: At Rome, of Marcianus, Lucus, Vietus; in the Lucca copy Ibid. at the page cited.: At Rome, of Marianus, Lucus, Vietus; in the Ottoboni copy In Giorgi, Martyrologium Adonis, page 686.: At Rome, of Marianus, Lucus and Victus; in the Reichenau copy In Sollerius, Martyrologia Hieronymiana, page 13.: At Rome, of Marianus, Lucius, and afterwards again of Marianus, provost to SS. Chrysanthus and Daria; in the Augsburg copy Ibid. page 22., in that of Labbe Ibid. page 29., in the Gellone copy In d'Achery, Spicilegium, volume II, page 35. and that of Murbach Martène, Anecdota, volume III, column 1570. the name of Marianus alone is mixed in with the Eumeneian martyrs; and the name of Marianus alone also appears in the Trier Martyrology of Bede Martène, Amplissima collectio, volume VI, column 647.; in the Vatican Auctaria of Bede Acta SS. volume II of March, page XXXVI., however, these occur: At Rome, of Marcianus, Lucianus, Florianus, Lucius, in that of St. Cyriacus Ibid. at the page cited.: At Rome, of Martianus, Lucius, Florentius; in the Barberini one Ibid. at the page cited.: The birthday of SS. Marinianus, Lucius, Victus; and this Victus occurs in the codices of Arras, Liessies and Tournai Ibid. at the page cited., as also in the Usuard of Greven, where he is added to St. Protus of Porto Torres.
[2] there are announced on this day SS. Marianus or Marcianus, Lucius and Victus. Among these Florianus or Florentius must first be struck out, since he is a Gallic martyr, having nothing in common with the Roman athletes. Marianus, Marcianus and Marinianus are different forms of the name of one martyr; of which the third is less probable and met with in inferior copies. But which of the two is preferable, Marianus or Marcianus, I would not dare to determine: Marianus is commoner; but Marcianus is supported by the authority of the Echternach codex and of some Auctaria of Bede. Lucius and Lucianus are one Lucius, who is read in all the best books. Vivetus, Vietus, Victus are much more difficult forms; but the form Vivetus must be struck out, since it is not a Latin word. If you should say Vivatus, neither can this form of the name be defended, since it is poetic for vegetus, and therefore outside common use. Vietus, shrivelled, soft, was no longer in use; so that the grammarians explain its meaning, just as that of the word Vivatus Facciolati, Lexicon latinum, under Vivatus and Vietus.. There remains Victus, certainly a rare name, but yet not unheard of among Christians; since in the Hieronymian Fasti of Lucca and Echternach St. Victus
martyr of Africa is read at the 21st day of May. This name indeed is not one of good omen (as the Romans loved); but this rule the Christians did not follow, being content even with less honourable names [Cancellieri, Dissert. sopra due iscriz. delle martiri Simplicia ed Orsa, page 6 and following.]. What vexes me rather is the fear that that African Victus may have been fashioned by the copyists from Poly-euctus: that this fear is not idle will easily be seen by anyone who casts his eyes on the Hieronymian tables at the 21st day of May. Thus Victus, if he is admitted, I would not dare to say is not a singular example; yet no more surprising than Ambustus Ibid. page 7., and given from an event. For he could have been called Victus because he had once succumbed in the gladiatorial school. As to the time nothing can be determined, except that most martyrs inscribed in the Hieronymian Fasti seem to have come to the prize in the times of Diocletian.