ON SS. MARK AND COMPANIONS: THE ASIAN MARTYRS MARK, SOTERICHUS, AND VALENTINA, VENERATED ON THE ISLAND OF THASOS,
AT AN UNCERTAIN TIME.
SYLLOGE.
Mark, Asian martyr, venerated on the island of Thasos. (S.)
Soterichus, Asian martyr, venerated on the island of Thasos. (S.)
Valentina, Asian martyr, venerated on the island of Thasos. (S.)
BY V. D. B.
§ Single. Their memory in the Menology of Basil and in the Slavonic Fasti. The manner of their martyrdom. The translation of the relics to the island of Thasos.
If anyone should wish to compare the Greco-Slavic ecclesiastical Year of our Martinov, [In the Menology of Basil and in the Slavonic Fasti, but in no other Greek ones, there is celebrated at the 26th or 27th day of October the memory] which we published at the beginning of the preceding volume and which was collected from hundreds of synaxaries, menologies, menaea and other books of that kind, Slavonic and Greek, with the Hieronymian Martyrology or with the Syriac Martyrology of Wright, he will easily discover that from the books which in whatever way owe their origin to the church of Constantinople more than half the names are absent of the saints who were once venerated in the patriarchate of Constantinople or are still venerated. Nor in eight centuries has the number of saints inscribed in the Menaea of the Greeks much grown, but it has rather been diminished, as is manifest from a comparison of the Menology of Basil with the same Menaea. Among those, however, whose cult has ceased in the church of Constantinople are to be listed the three holy Asian martyrs whose bodies were carried to the island of Thasos. For their deeds are celebrated in the Menology of Basil, which was written at the end of the 10th century, but are plainly omitted in the printed Menaea and also in the Sirmond Menology and in the others which are accustomed to be alleged in these our Acta. But the Slavs were more faithful; who, having once used the Menology of Basil or some other similar book, transferred into their sacred codices the memory of the three holy martyrs and have kept it to this day. Whence it comes about that we find the names of SS. Mark, Soterichus and Valentina, martyrs, written only in these books: in the Menology of Basil at the 26th day of October, and in the Calendar of the monastery of Sisatovac, written in the year 1324, in the Moscow Prologue both of the orthodox and of the Old Believers, in the Moscow Menology of Demetrius of Rostov and finally in the Moscow Calendar of the year 1818 at the present day, the 27th of October. We have found nothing in other books.
[2] of SS. Mark, Soterichus and Valentina, dragged to death by the raging populace, Receive now the Contest of the holy martyrs Mark, Soterichus and Valentina, which is read in the Menology of Basil: These holy martyrs had previously led their lives in every kind of piety; they announced Christ to all; and many of the unbelievers, converted to the Lord, they baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. For which reason, seized by the impious Greeks and tortured with many torments, pierced in the body with long nails, they were thus dragged and hurried hither and thither without mercy by men, women and children upon the ground and trodden under foot, until they gave up their holy and blessed souls to God. But a certain Christian, a pious man, faithful and fearing God, who had been accustomed to add courage to the martyrs while living for undergoing martyrdom, and to show love and honour to them when dead, translated their precious relics from Asia to the island of Thasos and honourably laid them there; where they pour out cures on the faithful to this day. The man who translated their remains was named Terentianus.
[3] [without the intervention of a magistrate, and at an uncertain time and place, but on the western shore of Asia.] From this narrative it is clear that the three champions of Christ were not condemned to death according to the forms of the court and the laws of the emperors, but perished in a popular tumult stirred up against the Christians. Very many saints killed by this most cruel torture are listed by Gallonio Cruciatus SS. Martyrum, pages 192 and 193. and after him by Sagittarius De Martyrum cruciatibus, page 229 and following, edition of 1696.; and from the examples they set out it appears that this kind of martyrdom was in use, even when no edicts of persecution had been set out by the emperors. It was enough that some priest of the idols, magician, soothsayer or other crafty man should stir up the rabble. This then, rushing upon the Christians, could not be placated unless its monstrous savagery was sated at the sight of the bloodied limbs of the faithful of Christ. And indeed it was exasperated against SS. Mark, Soterichus and Valentina because they were bringing over many gentiles to the Christian rites by preaching the divine word. But since no governor or other magistrate intervened in this martyrdom, hence it perhaps came about that no indication of the time is present. But why at least is the place not indicated? This one thing has been discovered, that the holy martyrs were dragged to death in Asia, Minor of course, and indeed on the western shore, since Terentianus translated their bodies to Thasos. Nor may anything more certain about the time and place of the martyrdom be gathered from the Slavonic books. For the Prologue of the orthodox and of the Old Believers closely follows the Menology of Basil; in the printed Menaea only a brief commemoration is made, and that in smaller letters; nor are Versinskius and the Moscow Calendar more eloquent.
[4] [The relics, translated to the island of Thasos, are probably still preserved there.] The island of Thasos or Thassus, to which the bodies of the saints were brought, lies in the northern part of the Aegean sea or Archipelago, lying near the coast of Thrace between the mouths of the rivers Nestus and Strymon, facing Samothrace to the east and to the south-west Mount Athos or the Holy Mountain. It was diligently visited thirty years ago by Prokesch von Osten, Austrian envoy in Greece, who chiefly investigated profane antiquities and topography [Dell' isola di Taso, in Dissert. della pontificia Academia romana di archeologia, volume VI, page 182 and following; Denkwürdigkeiten und Erinnerungen aus Orient, volume III, page 611 and following.], and in the year 1839 by A. Grisebach Reise durch Rumelien und nach Brussa, volume I, page 210 and following., especially attentive to natural things, and they found there 1020 houses and about 6000 inhabitants, all Greeks, divided into 12 villages. But they did not allow themselves to be detained little or at all by inquiry into ecclesiastical matters. Since this island has suffered almost the least of all from the Turks, however, it is very probable that there are still preserved there the relics of the holy martyrs and perhaps also their Passion. It must be admitted, however, that to Francis Braconnier, presbyter of our Society, who at the beginning of the 18th century went to the same island and travelled through the principal places, nothing was shown about them, although he was excellently received by the people and clergy [Lettres édifiantes et curieuses, Mémoires du Levant, volume II, page 308 and following.]. Nor is there any mention of them in Louis Lacroix Iles de la Grece, page 572 and following., who more recently collected what has become known about that island.