ON SS. ZENO AND CHARITO, MARTYRS,
The cult from the Calendars and the Roman Martyrology.
Zeno, M. (St.)
Charito, M. (St.)
J. P.
These two Champions of Christ the Sirletian
Menology reports
on this day indeed, The Menology of Sirletus treats of them; add the Menaea, but with a twofold
announcement. For it sets St. Zeno first
in these words: On the same
day (III of September) the commemoration
of St. Zeno, who, cast into a cauldron full of boiling
lead, burning with the love of God,
was translated to Christ the Lord, for whose confession
he had suffered. Then, two other Martyrs
being interposed, it goes on thus: Likewise of St.
Charito, who, cast into a pit full of burning fire,
was granted martyrdom. On this day too
they are recorded with two announcements in the great
printed Menaea. The first is marked thus: St.
Zeno, cast into a cauldron boiling with molten lead,
is consummated. But the second
is subjoined there after others interposed: St.
Charito, cast into an ever-burning pit,
perished.
[2] To the first are sung there these two little verses:
Ζήνων
ὁ
θεῖος
τῷ
Θεοῦ
πόθῳ
ζέων in which there are little verses about them.,
Χαίρων
ὑπῆλθε
τοῦ
μολίβδου
τὸ
ζέον.
That is:
Divine Zeno, while thou dost boil with the fire of God,
thou goest beneath a vessel seething with bubbling lead.
The poet alludes to the proper name Zeno, and to
the participle ζέων and ζέον, from the verb ζέω, which in Latin
is effervescere, to boil up. Of St. Charito these things are said:
Εἰσδὺς
Χαρίτων
εἰς
τὸν
ἀσβέστου
βόθρον,
Ἄσβεστον
εὗρε
φῶς
ἀκηράτου
τόπου.
That is:
Charito, entering into the unquenched fire of the pyre,
obtains without end a shining light in heaven.
In the name ἄσβεστον there is an allusion to the unquenched pit or
chasm into which the Martyr was cast,
and to the eternal or unquenched light in
heaven which he obtained.
[3] The Roman Martyrology announces them in another way. The Roman Martyrology places the two Athletes
of this day under this single announcement: Of the holy
martyrs Zeno and Charito, of whom
the one was cast into a cauldron of molten lead,
the other put into a furnace of fire. Into the Roman
Calendars they were transcribed, as Baronius indicates
in his notes, from the Monology, namely the Sirletian,
from which he introduced very many other Saints into the same
Calendars. But why are they reported separately among the Greeks?
Baronius in the same place hints that they did this
as though indicating that they suffered not together in one place,
but in different places on the same day. Now on day
2 of September there was given by us a Zeno of the same name,
a martyr, of whom we said it was doubtful
whether he differs from the one of this day. See what is had at day 2 of September,
p. 361, num. 4. But because we cannot
affirm as certain that the one
is not distinguished from the other, therefore with the Roman
Martyrology, the Greek Calendars leading the way, we have judged that St. Zeno
of this day too should be given.