ON SS. TERENTIUS AND COMPANIONS: TERENTIUS AND NEONILLA AND THEIR CHILDREN NITAS, SARBILUS, HIERAX, THEODULUS, PHOTIUS, BELE, AND EUNICE, MARTYRS,
COLLECTION.
Terentius, husband, martyr (S.)
Neonilla, wife, martyr (S.)
Sarbilus, their son, martyr (S.)
Nitas, their son, martyr (S.)
Hierax, their son, martyr (S.)
Theodulus, their son, martyr (S.)
Photius, their son, martyr (S.)
Bele, their daughter, martyr (S.)
Eunice, their daughter, martyr (S.)
BY R. D. B.
Sole §. The cult and passion of SS. Terentius and Neonilla, and of their children Nitas, Sarbilus, Hierax, Theodulus, Photius, Bele and Eunice.
[Although the cult of SS. Terentius and his companions was very widespread, little has become known of them.] The memory of SS. Terentius, his wife Neonilla and their children is inscribed in many Greek and Slavic calendars or even menaea at the 28th day of October. For in the menologies of the ninth century of Jerusalem and of Gallipoli, published by Scholz at Bonn in the year 1823, and in the menaea of Grottaferrata of the year 1112 Tasconi, Ad typtica Græcorum observationes, page 80., SS. Terentius, Neonilla and their children are listed, no otherwise than in the calendars of Zographou Slavic ecclesiastical Year, page 344. of the twelfth – thirteenth century, and of the Bulgarians of Tirnovo Ibid. page 338. of the year 1272. Then they are read in the typica of St. Sabas and of Chilandar Ibid. page 347. of the year 1331, or also in the calendar of Ostrog Ibid. page 349. of the year 1581, in the Menology of Sirleto In Canisius, in the Thesaurus Monumentorum, volume III, page 483, edit. Basnage. and in the tables both Papebrochian Acta SS. volume I of May, page XLIX. of the year 1628, and Capponian Slavic ecclesiastical Year, page 354. of about the year 1660. But in the Menaea of the Greeks, published in the years 1592 and 1843, in the Synaxary of Margunius, as also in the Horologion of Pochaiv Ibidem, page 262., printed for the use of the Ruthenians at the beginning of the nineteenth century, there are praised Terentius and Neonilla with their children Nitas, Sarbilus, Hierax, Theodulus, Photius *, Bele and Eunice: among whom Bele and Eunice have the names of women. Besides these calendars Martinov enumerates some others, which of SS. Terentius and Neonilla
and perhaps of their children make mention. Among these come the Slavic calendars of Paris Ibidem, page 336. of the twelfth – thirteenth century, of Mstislav Ibid. page 353. written before the year 1147, as well as the calendars of the Vienna library, that of Constantinople of the twelfth or the fourteenth century, and the Possevinian Apparatus sacer, volume II, page 365. in use among the Russians in the sixteenth century, in which St. Terentius alone or his companions as well are announced. Nor were these martyrs altogether unknown to the Latins. For Molanus in the auctaria of Usuard celebrated today Terentius and Neonilla with their sons; which example Ferrarius followed in the General Catalogue of the Saints.
[2] They do not seem to have been Africans by origin, but Syrians. But care must be taken lest anyone suppose that St. Terentius, husband of St. Neonilla, is not different from the St. Terentius who suffered in Africa, who is also read today in some calendars and of whom there has been brief speech among those passed over at this day, the 28th of October. In very truth in the printed Menaea and in the Greek ms. codex of Paris (Bibl. suppl. num. 19) he is said to have suffered with his companions in Africa, under the emperor Decius and the governor Fortunatus, but the author of that martyrology took our St. Terentius for another Terentius, namely the one who with SS. Maximus, Pompey, Africanus and XXXIII or XXXVI other companions, under the emperor Decius and the governor Fortunatus, obtained the palm of martyrdom in Africa. The Acts of these indeed our predecessors illustrated at the 10th day of April Acta SS. volume I of April, page 860.. Moreover the very names of today's troop betray another origin; which, partly Latin, partly Greek, partly Oriental, seem to be referred to Syria, where various peoples lived mingled, and communicated their words to one another. I would not wish to discourse on each; Bele and Sarbilus seem above all to be Oriental names, of which the former approaches the appellation of Bel, and the latter is the appellation of a certain martyr of Edessa Menology of Basil at 30 January.. Nitas seems to be a syncope of Nicetas, as Neonilla is a diminutive of the name Νεων. There is added that their names are not read in the Basilian Menology; and so their memory came to the Byzantines from Syria, most likely through the Typicon of St. Sabas. Certainly while there was still deep silence concerning them at Constantinople, the names of SS. Terentius and Neonilla were inscribed at this day in the Menology of Jerusalem, and also in that of Gallipoli Scholz, de Menologiis duorum codic. græc. biblioth. Parisiensis, pages 4 and 8., whose origin is almost the same.
[3] Their manifold and most bitter torments. What torments St. Terentius, his wife and their sons suffered is declared in this manner in the Greek Menaea, most likely according to more ancient Syriac documents: On the same day (the 28th of October) the memorial of the holy martyrs Terentius and Neonilla and their sons Nitas, Sarbilus, Hierax, Theodulus, Phocas, Bele and Eunice. All these saints, living in one house, always worshipped God secretly. Being denounced to the tribunal, they stood firm and confessed Christ, and hissed off the idols. And so they were hung up and torn with iron; and most sharp vinegar was poured into their wounds, and a pyre was kindled beneath. They, praying among themselves, silently consoled one another, whose prayers God did not despise. For Angels, though invisible, loosed their bonds, and cured their wounds. And terror and dread seized the impious. The saints were held in chains: and being brought forth again they are bruised with clubs. Afterwards, bound to a wheel, they are cut with scourges, but as it were in appearance; for suffering nothing, they are thrown as prey to wild beasts. But preserved unharmed from all punishments, they are thrown into a cauldron boiling with pitch. But that hissing of the boiling pitch was turned into water. When then the impious saw that the saints could be harmed by nothing, they subjected the heads of all to the sword. And these things are from the version of Matthew Rader, a copy of which, formerly procured for themselves by our predecessors, is preserved to this day in the Royal Library of Brussels.
Annotations* Phocas in the Menaea of the year 1843