ON SS. THRASEAS AND COMPANIONS: THRASEAS, BISHOP, POLYCARP, CAIUS OR GAIUS, ALEXANDER, NEON, DIODORUS, METROBIUS, AND FOUR OTHERS, MARTYRS AT EUMENEIA IN PHRYGIA,
ABOUT THE YEAR 171.
CRITICAL AND HISTORICAL SYLLOGE
The saints' homeland, names, places of contest, and time of martyrdom.
Thraseas, bishop, martyr at Eumeneia in Phrygia. (S.)
Polycarp, martyr at Eumeneia in Phrygia. (S.)
Caius or, Gaius, martyr at Eumeneia in Phrygia. (S.)
Alexander, martyr at Eumeneia in Phrygia. (S.)
Neon, martyr at Eumeneia in Phrygia. (S.)
Diodorus, martyr at Eumeneia in Phrygia. (S.)
Metrobius, martyr at Eumeneia in Phrygia. (S.)
Four others, martyrs at Eumeneia in Phrygia. (SS.)
BY V. D. B.
If you go up the Maeander, commonly the Meinder or rather Mendere, a very well-known river of Asia Minor, against its current, At Eumeneia in Phrygia, now Ishekli, when you have come to about the 30th degree of London longitude, you will be not far distant from the town of Ishekli or Ichekli [Compare the maps of Arrowsmith, in Hamilton; of Leake; of Arundell; and of Texier.]; that this town represents the former Eumeneia, founded by Eumenes, king of Pergamum, upon the Cludrus, which flows into the Maeander, and one of the principal cities of Greater Phrygia, Leake and Arundell [A visit to the seven churches of Asia, page 237 and following and 329; plate X and following. Compare Lebas, voyage archeol. en Grece et en Asie-Mineure, part V, page 224.] have demonstrated, reporting several inscriptions and titles from that place; after Pococke Voyages en Orient etc. volume V, page 150, French translation 1772. and, twice, Hamilton Reisen in Kleinasien, volume II, pages 157 and 353, German edition of C. Ritter. had earlier visited the same place without arriving at its ancient name. This city was divided into fixed tribes; it had a senate and assemblies of the people; it celebrated Augustan games on the birthday of Augustus, with the proconsul of Asia presiding; and in its temples it worshipped Diana, Aesculapius and the mother of the gods Agdistis Leake, Journal of a tour in Asia Minor, pages 156 and 157.. Marcus Aurelius greatly increased its splendour with public works Compare Texier, Asie Mineure, page 425.; but, what is chief, no differently from many other places of Phrygia, it came to know early, from St. Philip the apostle or his ministers, the faith of Christ [Eusebius in the Chronicle at the 4th year of the 207th Olympiad. Compare Tertullian, Against the Jews, chapter 7.], which at least eleven martyrs sealed with their blood.
[2] [they were formerly venerated, as appears from the Syriac Martyrology and the Hieronymian Fasti] For recently W. Wright, in the Journal of Sacred Literature and Biblical Records The Journal of sacred Literature and Biblical Records for January, 1866. and also separately An ancient Syrian Martyrology, London, 1866., edited an old Syriac Martyrology of the highest value, in which at the present day the following is read: In the city of Eumeneia in Phrygia, Thraseas, Polycarp, Gaius and eight others. By these words some light is shed on the Hieronymian lists, which are most confused on this day. And since in this place the Corbie copy, which d'Achery edited Spicilegium, volume II, page 20, edition of 1724., excels the rest, let it lead the column: In Phrygia, of Tarsus, Polycarp, Gaius, Eumenus, Nocominus, Longus, Diodorus, Metrobus, Eumina, Tutus. The Lucca copy of Fiorentini has this form Vetustius Martyr. Occid. page 936.: In Phrygia, of Tarsus, Polycarp, Gagus, Eumenus, Noconus, Longus, Diodorus, Metrobus, Euminia. The Antwerp or Echternach copy of St. Willibrord distinguishes, as it were, two bands, in this way Ibid. at the page cited.: And in Phrygia of Eomenus, Canon, Diodorus and Metrosus. Likewise in Phrygia, of Tarsus, Polycarp, Gagus, Nocorus, Logus. In the Reichenau copy, however, edited by Sollerius at the end of June in these our Acta, the following is read: In Phrygia of Eumenius, Diodorus and Metropus. In the Augsburg copy of St. Ulrich, likewise brought to light there by Sollerius: of Polycarp, Neonius, Euminius, Marianus, Tarsus, Gagus, Diodorus, Metropus, and, after two other names inserted, Longus. In that of Labbe, moreover, for the edition of which we are also indebted to the care of Sollerius: of Polycarp, Nicomus, Euminus, Marianus, Tarsigogus, Diodorus, Metrobus and, after two other names, Longus. Likewise in the Gellone copy, which d'Achery Spicilegium, volume II, page 35. also made public: of Polycarp, Niconus, Euminus, Marianus, Tarsus, Gagus, Diodorus, Metrobus, and again after two names Longus. Also in the Wissembourg copy, which Francesco Maria de Aste, archbishop of Otranto, saw In the Roman Martyrology, dissertation, page 485.: Of Tarreus, Commirus. In the Ottoboni copy, which Giorgi appended to the Martyrology of Ado: In Phrygia, the birthday of the saints Tarsus, Polycarp, Gagus, Eumenius and Metrobrus. In the shorter ones, edited by Martène, that of St. Germain of Auxerre Thesaurus anecdotorum, volume III, column 1561.: of Polycarp, Cuminus, Metrobus; and in that of Murbach Ibid. column 1570.: of Eumenius, Marianus, Tarsus; in the Barberini additions to the Martyrology of Bede Acta SS. volume II of March, page XXXVI.: In Phrygia of SS. Tarsus, Polycarp, Gagius, Metrobus, Eumenia; in the Martyrology of Rabanus In Basnage, Monumenta Canisii, volume II, part II, page 345.: In Phrygia of Eumenus, and Conon, Diodorus and Metrovius; and finally in the Lübeck-Cologne edition of Usuard at the 28th day of October: In Phrygia, of the saints Tharsus, Polycarp, Gaius, Eminius. Moreover in some lists the same names are doubled, so that there then come in the second place Tarreus or Taricus, Cominius, Cominia or Comuinia. But these duplications Compare de Rossi, Roma sotterranea, volume I, page 114., such as occur elsewhere too in these Fasti, have seemed fit to be disregarded.
[3] [and it is established from other sources that they are SS. Thraseas, Polycarp, Caius, Alexander, Neon, Diodorus, Metrobius and four anonymous saints.] If we now compare these with one another, it will be possible to cleanse most of the names of the rust with which they are overlaid. First of all, the name of Thraseas is beyond controversy, known (as we shall see) from elsewhere, which was everywhere changed into Tarsus, but also here and there into Tarreus and Taricus. Polycarp is too well known to be distorted. Gaius or Caius lies hidden under the masks of Gaius, Gagus and Gogus; which forms depend on the dialects of copyists of Germanic stock. Neon is in the worst state, since they changed him into Nocominus, Noconus, Nocorus, Canon and Nicomus. Diodorus is evident, as is also Metrobius, in Greek Μητροβιος, wrongly called Metropius, Metrosius and Metrobrius. To these Alexander must be added, whom we know from elsewhere. Euminus, Cuminus, Cominius, Cominia, Comuina, Cominus, Commirus, Eominus, Euminius, Eumenius and Eumenia must be struck out; since they are nothing other than the very name of the city of Eumeneia, for the most part shifted from its place, yet keeping its proper seat in the Antwerp, Reichenau and Murbach copies. Marianus has been taken from the Roman band, which is also celebrated on this day, and confused with the Eumeneian one by a transposition of words. Longus or, with the n suppressed, Logus vexes me: in the first place the name is Latin and, although the orientals did not altogether reject Latin names, yet the word Longus or Λογγου is not found at all in the new Lexicon of Greek of Henri Estienne and in Pape's Lexicon of Greek proper names Wörterbuch der griechischen Eigennamen, 1842.; and then in the Augsburg, Labbe, Gellone and Ottoboni copies, which seem to have had the same origin, Longus is separated from the Eumeneian martyrs, with the names interposed of Protus, martyr of Porto Torres, and Florentius, a Gallic martyr, who are at any rate wholly foreign to them. Tutus is the same as Titus, both of which forms of the same name occur also at the 26th day of October, where he is listed among the companions of SS. Lucian and Marcian, martyrs of Nicomedia. Tutus therefore is no other than
one of this Nicomedian crown, moved from his proper seat by one day, an error of almost daily occurrence. Thus the names of Thraseas, Polycarp, Gaius, Neon, Diodorus, Metrobius and Alexander are clear: but the remaining four lie hidden so far.
[4] [Of these St. Thraseas was a bishop and martyr about the year 171, buried at Smyrna;] Of these Thraseas is the very one of whom Polycrates, bishop of Ephesus, about the year 196, in his letter to Pope St. Victor I, in which he defended the Asian custom of celebrating Easter on the 14th day of the moon, spoke in these words In Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, book V, chapter 21.: Καὶ Θρασέας, καὶ ἐπίσκοπος, καὶ μάρτυς ἀπὸ Εὐμενίας, ὁς ἐν Σμύρνῃ κεκοίμηται; that is, that Thraseas also, bishop of Eumeneia and martyr, who rested at Smyrna, was among the great lights of Asia now extinguished. Nor was he any other than the Thraseas of whom Eusebius Ibid. book V, chapter 18., in reviewing the refutation of the Montanists or Cataphrygians which Apollonius published about the year 211, wrote these few words: Καὶ Θρασέα δὲ τινος τῶν τότε μαρτύρων μνημονεύει; and of Thraseas also, one of the martyrs of that time, Apollonius makes mention. Mention of him is also made in the Acts of St. Polycarp and St. Bucolus, bishops of Smyrna, in these words: And carrying out the body of Bl. Bucolus to the cemetery of the basilica called the Ephesian, situated near Smyrna, they laid it to rest there; where a myrtle now grows, after the translation of the body of St. Thraseas the martyr. Tillemont Mémoires ecclésiastiques, volume II, pages 440 and 441. and our Byeus Acta SS. volume II of September, page 12. hold that he was crowned with martyrdom in the reign of Marcus Aurelius, about the year 171, certainly after the rise of the heresy of the Montanists about this year 171, and some time before Polycrates wrote his letter. The feast of this St. Thraseas is inscribed in the western martyrologies at the 5th day of September; at which day he has been treated very subtly in our work. Le Quien Oriens christianus, volume I, column 807. touched on him only very lightly.
[5] [SS. Caius and Alexander, natives of Eumeneia, who shunned the communion of the Montanist martyrs, were slain about the year 171 at Apamea on the Maeander near Dinair. St. Polycarp is different from the bishop of Smyrna.] Caius too, and with him Alexander, we have come to know from Eusebius, or rather from St. Apollinaris, bishop of Hierapolis, whose writings Eusebius has in part preserved for us. For disputing against the Montanists or Cataphrygians, the prelate of Hierapolis shows that their martyrs are not true martyrs, and that communion with them was anxiously avoided by the genuine and catholic martyrs: And that this is true, he says In Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, book V, chapter 16., is evident from what was done in our own age in the city of Apamea, which is situated on the Maeander, by the martyrs Caius and Alexander, natives of Eumeneia. Now Hierapolis, Apamea on the Maeander and Eumeneia are not far distant from one another, and St. Apollinaris wrote about the year 171; so that we could not desire a better witness. The memory of these martyrs is announced in the western martyrologies on the 10th day of March; at which day our predecessors spoke of them in these Acta. Let no one, however, suppose that the Polycarp who is announced on this day in the Syriac Martyrology is the same as St. Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna; it is not so. For the latter has nothing in common with Eumeneia; and then St. Polycarp of Smyrna has his own day in that Syriac Martyrology, namely the 23rd of February.
[6] [All these martyrs seem to have been slain by the proconsul of Asia as he went about his province, some in some cities and on some days, others in others.] Since therefore St. Thraseas died at Smyrna, and SS. Caius and Alexander at Apamea, it is manifest that those eleven martyrs did not receive the heavenly laurel at one and the same time. And indeed in that Syriac Martyrology, which consists in great part of martyrs of Asia Minor, the Eumeneian athletes are announced on no other day; so that all seem to have been gathered into one day. It is nevertheless most likely that they were all slain within the one persecution of Marcus Aurelius: for this blazed through the whole of Asia, as is evident from the remains of Melito Ibid. book IV, chapter 26., and it raged indeed most in Phrygia, as appears from the boasting of the Montanists; who (as St. Apollinaris of Hierapolis reports Ibid. book V, chapter 16. and Apollonius Ibid. chapter 18.) greatly vaunted that they too, and not only the catholics, had martyrs. But, as these memorials are altogether certain, so nothing in them is set out in detail. If, however, my suspicions are worth anything, I think that the eleven martyrs were seized by the proconsul as he traversed his province and were led around with him, and that on the journey some were slain in one place, others in another Compare Acta SS. volume X of October, page 12 and following.. Of such leading about the Acts of the holy martyrs are full. And if I have reviewed once more, quite contrary to custom, the names of SS. Thraseas, Caius and Alexander, already treated in this work, and have even written them at the beginning of this Sylloge, this was done because otherwise it was quite impossible to speak of their companions.
[7] The compiler of the Hieronymian Martyrology seems to have used Syriac calendars. It must finally be noted that the letters with which the name of St. Thraseas is written in Syriac in the annotations of W. Wright to that Calendar of his are rather to be read Tarsis than Thraseas, since the word ends in iud and semcath. For the Syrians, especially the more recent, are accustomed to end names which in Greek end in as with the letters wau and semcath, as appears in the word Andreas, as it is read everywhere in the Syriac New Testament; and indeed the same alteration of the name is detected in Arabic writings Compare Assemani, Biblioth. Orient. volume III, page 609.. But if they wrote St. Thraseas without the letter vau, but with iud and semcath, they will in their fashion rather have read Tarsis than Thraseas. Since therefore the compiler of the Hieronymian Martyrology wrote Tarsus in place of Thraseas (for in Tarsus the most diverse manuscripts agree), this thought necessarily comes to mind, that a Syriac calendar or menology lit the way for that man (whoever he may finally have been). But not on this day only, but on many others, the Syriac calendar of Wright is most useful for dispelling the darkness in which the Hieronymian Martyrology is wrapped. These things we had understood long since: that it was put together from many calendars, Roman, African, Asian and Illyrian; and that hence it comes about that the same saints are repeated on different days, and also sometimes on the same days, with their names for the most part corrupted; and then that no saints or almost none are celebrated in it who are taken from the Fasti of Constantinople. But with the help of Wright's calendar, which is as it were a key, and also of other calendars, Syriac, Armenian, Egyptian and Carthaginian, it will perhaps one day be possible to unlock almost all the secrets of that Martyrology. And should that happen, martyrs by the hundred will become better and more certainly known, and the origins of very many churches and their glorious contests against the impiety of the pagans will now at length come to light, as it were for the first time. God grant that strength and time may not be wanting.