ON SS. AMMONIUS AND COMPANIONS: AMMONIUS AND VIGILANTIUS, MARTYRS IN MACEDONIA; FELIX, DONATUS, AND TWENTY-NINE OTHER MARTYRS OF NOVIODUNUM; RUSTICIAN, AGAPITUS, AND EIGHT COMPANIONS, AND OTHER MARTYRS OF THE HIERONYMIAN MARTYROLOGY,
SYLLOGE FROM THE SACRED CALENDARS
Ammonius, martyr of Macedonia (S.)
Vigilantius, martyr of Macedonia (S.)
Felix, martyr of Noviodunum in Pannonia (S.)
Donatus, martyr of Noviodunum in Pannonia (S.)
And twenty-nine other martyrs of Noviodunum in Pannonia (SS.)
Rustician, Hieronymian martyr (S.)
Agapitus, Hieronymian martyr (S.)
Eight companions, Hieronymian martyrs (SS.)
And other Hieronymian martyrs (SS.)
BY V. D. B.
In the Hieronymian lists of this day The Hieronymian martyrologies are today entangled in a wonderful manner. That they may be the more easily disentangled, I have copied out opposite the memorials of the Echternach and Lucca codices, adding the mentions in the Reichenau and Augsburg codices, which are called the abridged Hieronymian. For, as you may wonder, if you add the one to the other, a notable part of the Echternach list results.
[2] [there are distinguished first of all SS. Rogatian and Felicissimus, African martyrs;] In the martyrology which is contained in the Bern codex of the eighth century (see above, p. XXV), some variants are worthy of note. The mention of St. Vincent has been transposed, and hence Rogatian, who is elsewhere a presbyter, is here called a deacon: In Africa, of Rogatianus the deacon, Julianus, Furtunatus, Silvanus, Vincentius the deacon. In place of Sallicae (line 10), Gallice is read, Agapie for Agapini (line 11), Felicissime for Felicissimi (line 12), XXXIX for XXIX (line 18), Vigelanti for Angilanti (line 27); finally there is added: the vigil of St. Benignus. In order now to disentangle all this, one must recall what we said on the day immediately preceding, under SS. Calendio and Theophilus, about the Hieronymian Italian or earlier compilation, about the two Excerpts, and about the Gallican compilation, which was formed out of those three. Now the memorial in Africa of Rogatian the presbyter and Felicissimus, which is read in part in lines 1, 2 and 12, is none other than that of SS. Rogatian the presbyter and Felicissimus, who suffered in the persecution of Valerian and Gallienus, and who were entered first in the Little Roman Martyrology, and from there in that of Ado, of Usuard and in the Roman of Baronius at October 26.
[3] then St. Vincent, either of Ávila or of Saragossa; He who is read in lines 2 and 3 as Vincent the deacon, in line 6 as Dogonus, Daconus, in the greater Corbie codex as Clacovius, in the lesser Corbie codex as Claconius, and in lines 19 and 20 as Vincent in Spain, is the same, probably announced in the Italian Compilation in these words: In Spain, Vincent the deacon; then twisted in the Excerpts after their custom, and divided into three by the Gallic compiler. He seems no different from St. Vincent, martyr of Ávila in Spain, who is entered in some calendars at the 27th, in others at the 28th of October, with SS. Sabina and Christeta. This man indeed was not a deacon; but the Italian compiler may have mixed him up with St. Vincent, deacon of Saragossa: his writing swarms with errors of this kind. Do not object that in many martyrologies on October 27 the translation of the martyr of Saragossa is recorded: this took place in the year 855, long after the age of the Italian compiler.
[4] SS. Calendio and Theophilus, St. Quintinus, SS. Ammonius and Vigilantius; Let us strike out other names too, undeservedly listed on this day or to be illustrated in a separate commentary. Those who come in line 8 as Calendio and in lines 28 and 29 as Philip (rather Theophilus) of Nicomedia and Calendio have already appeared and been explained on the previous day. St. Quintinus of Vermand, wrongly located in the Lucca codex in Italy for Gaul and called Quirinus, needs no explanation. It had first been written, as is evident from the Reichenau codex: In Gaul, at Augusta of the Veromandui, the passion of St. Quintinus the martyr; whence the word Gallia was carried over to line 10 and changed into Sallicae or Gallici or Gallicae. On another more difficult place light is shed by the Ottoboni Martyrology, where this occurs at the present day: In Macedonia the feast of Saints Ammarus and Vigilantius. In line 21 is read in Macedonia, in lines 15 and 16 Mimi or Mimmi, Augelafi or Angelasi; but originally Vigilantii was written, which appears from the parallel place of the greater Corbie, Labbe and Gellone codices, and of the Echternach codex at the following day; in which Vigilantius is read before Nundini. Lower down in lines
25 and 27 the same memorial returns distorted: Masiacoti, Marcoti (or Mar … in the greater Corbie codex); Mammani or Mammari, Saturnini, Angelanti, and in the Bern martyrology Saturnini, Vigelanti, Nundini. Masiacoti and Marcoti for Macedonia can be disregarded; and likewise Augelafus, Angelasus, Angelantus for Vigilantius. Saturninus, bishop of Toulouse, has been inserted from yesterday. On the following day, however, or November 1, this memorial is corrupted in no less wonderful a manner: namely in the Lucca codex: Of Peter, Mammerus, Saturninus. In Macedonia of James… And at Caesarea of Cappadocia the feast of St. Macedonius; in the Echternach codex: In Assia the feast of Macedo… Of Peter, Mammerus, Saturninus. In Macedonia of Vigilantius, Nundinus… At Caesarea of Cappadocia of Macedonius; in the greater Corbie codex: Of Peter, Mammerus, Saturninus, Magnus… In Macedonia of Basilis… At Caesarea the feast of St. Macedonius. But Ammarus, Mimus or Mimmus, Mammanus or Mammarus, and Mammerus, what is that? No form pleases. Ammon or Ammonius is rather to be read, unless perhaps Marcian, a companion of St. Silvanus, of whom we shall speak below.
[5] SS. Felix, Donatus and twenty-nine others, of Noviodunum in Moesia; Lines 17 and 18 show this: Of Nividinis or Nundini of Felix, Donatus and twenty-nine others (in the Bern codex thirty-nine); and in line 27 Nundini recurs, which in other codices is called Nuncini; likewise Donatus in line 13. Noviodunum is understood not in Gaul, but in Pannonia, or rather in Lower Moesia. For in those parts there were two Noviodunums, one in Upper Pannonia, near the river Corcora (Gurk) [Cf. Corpus inscript. latin. published under the auspices of the Prussian Academy, vol. III, part I, p. 496 and 498, Berlin 1873], the other, much more famous, in Moesia; which in the Peutinger tables and the Itinerary of Antoninus is called Noviodunum, by Ptolemy Νουιόδουνον, by Ammianus Marcellinus Novidunum, in the Theodosian codex Nebiodunum or Nobiodunum Cf. Cellarius, Notitia Orbis antiqui, vol. I, p. 468, ed. of 1773, and in the Syriac martyrology of Wright, Budiduna and Bubidunia, where at May 25 is announced Flavian the confessor, and at June 4 Philip. Many other martyrs of Noviodunum have been received into the Hieronymian Martyrology, and from there into our Acta Sanctorum: so that the persecution of the Christians at Nevedunum or Nividunum, as it is usually written there, seems to have raged fiercely.
[6] SS. Rustician, Agapitus, and many others, Rustician; Agapita, or rather Agapitus, who is also Agapinus and Agapius; Victoria, or rather Victorius, and eight others; all of whom are praised in lines 3, 4, 5, 11, 13 and 23, seem to form one band. But where they lived, at what time they suffered, is signified by no indication at all. Victoria or Victorius may easily have been St. Victor of Xanten, of whom we spoke on the preceding day in the Sylloge on the African martyrs and at October 10 in the Commentary on St. Gereon and companions. Fortunatus and Silvanus, who are doubled in lines 7, 8, 14, 15, seem to be retained: but is not St. Silvanus the martyr of Antioch, celebrated with St. Marcian in the Syriac Martyrology of Wright at October 26? On which martyrology see the Sylloge on the Asian martyrs at October 27. Julian, Januarius, Vitalis, Peter, Crescens, Alternus, or rather the other Victorinus, and Saturninus, celebrated in lines 7, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 26, belong to November 1; unless rather they were in part carried over here with St. Victor, martyr of Xanten, from October 10. But it is notable that in the auctarium of Bede nothing else is contained today but what is read in lines 21, 22 and 23, namely: In Macedonia of SS. Vitalis, Peter, Crescentius, Alternus; so yesterday this alone occurred there: And elsewhere the passion of St. Felician with his companions; which the Hieronymian martyrology also has word for word: so that this auctarium seems to be the other Italian Excerpts.
[7] taken for the most part from other days. There remain Boniface or Bonifacia, Castus or Casta, Secundus or Secunda, Romanus and Valerius, who, since their names are not repeated and are wholly omitted in the auctaria of Bede, seem to have been added by the Gallic compiler according to I know not what calendars. Yet I rather think St. Secundus may have followed St. Victor from October 10. Valerius is probably none other than St. Valeria, wife of St. Vitalis and mother of SS. Gervase and Protase, as I pointed out at October 30. If that does not please, there remains St. Valerius, archdeacon of Langres, illustrated at October 22, and perhaps brought here because St. Benignus, most honored among the Lingones, is celebrated on November 1. Boniface is doubtless the same as the archbishop of Mainz, the dedication of whose church and the translation of whose relics are recorded on the next day, November 1, in the Fulda Martyrology of George. Is Casta or Castus the same as Cassia, who also occurs on that day in the Hieronymian martyrologies? I for my part suspect that it is St. Cassius the martyr, who came to this day with St. Victor. Romanus in the Usuardine auctaria of Greven is called a presbyter; but since those seem to be excerpted from the Hieronymian, I fear this title has been carried over from St. Rogatian to St. Romanus.