ON SS. QUINTUS OR QUINCTIUS AND ARCONTIUS AND DONATUS, MARTYRS,
AT CAPUA.
From the Martyrologies.
Preliminary CommentaryQuintus or Quinctius, martyr at Capua (S.)
Arcontius, martyr at Capua (S.)
Donatus, martyr at Capua (S.)
J. S.
[Quintus, Arcontius and Donatus commemorated at Capua by a great consent of the Fasti:] By a great consent of the Fasti, both ancient and more recent, three Martyrs of Capua are announced today, Quintus, Arcontius and Donatus. The Hieronymian Martyrologies in Florentini have thus: And at Capua of Campania, the birthday of the holy Quintus, Arcontius and Donatus. The most ancient Antwerp codex agrees in the annotations: And at Capua, of Quintus, Areontius and Donatus. Ado and Usuard followed, using almost the same words. I subjoin the words of the latter: At Capua, of the holy martyrs Quintus, Arcontius and Donatus. The present Roman also agrees, except that it calls the first Quinctius in this manner: At Capua, of the holy martyrs Quinctius, Arcontius and Donatus. It appears strange that there is no memory of these Martyrs in any of the Fasti of Capua, as Michele Monaco confesses in the Sanctuarium Capuanum pag. 73, and Ferrarius in the Catalogue of the Saints of Italy at this day, where he observes that the time of the martyrdom and the name of the persecutor are likewise unknown. A twofold Quintus indeed, the one a martyr with Quartus, the other a confessor, the praised Monaco attributes to his own city, and whether rightly enough I do not here examine. But it is certain enough that this Quintus is the companion of Arcontius and Donatus, not of Quartus, and therefore distinct from him. Wherefore it must necessarily be said that the memory of these three Martyrs has remained obscure, and became known almost only to the martyrologists, unless they were at some time venerated at Capua, and that cult thereafter fell away.
[2] Further, some doubt may arise whether others are not to be joined to the foregoing, others wrongly joined to these by certain writers: because two are in fact added in the Corbie transcript, which in Florentini has thus: At Capua of Campania, the birthday of SS. Quintus, Arcontius, Donatus, Magnus, Januarius. A like doubt arises from Notker, who has thus: At Capua, of Quintus, Acontius and Donatus, Eutyches and Maro. But I answer that Magnus seems to have been wrongly carried hither from the preceding day, or perhaps from the following day, on which another Magnus is venerated; and Januarius similarly from the VII of September, on which he is announced in the Hieronymian Martyrologies. Of Notker Sollier has already said in the annotations to Usuard: I know not by what authority Notker added two Companions. Certainly these are found nowhere in any Hieronymian transcripts, nor is it probable that Notker had any Acts of these Martyrs from which he might join them, because then after his manner he would have woven some eulogy out of their deeds. And so I do not doubt that the memory of Maro and Eutyches has been wrongly transferred hither from the day XV of April, and that on occasion of Victorinus, who is announced today, with whom in that place they are more rightly commemorated.
[3] the former seem altogether to be attributed to Capua. Finally one might doubt whether Quintus, Arcontius and Donatus are really to be attributed to the city of Capua, not only because there is no memory of them at Capua, but still more because in Bucher's Fragment Acontus is today commemorated with three others at Portus Romanus. I confess that the difference of name between Acontus and Arcontus or Arcontius is so slight that it cannot suffice to remove the doubt. But since Acontus or Acontius in so ancient a monument as Bucher's has other companions at Portus Romanus, and the same are also announced at Portus Romanus in most of the Hieronymian Martyrologies; and since Arcontius too is by a great consent of the ancient Martyrologies attributed with other Companions to Capua, the diversity both of place and of Companions makes us believe that the Arcontius of Capua is distinct from the Acontius of Portus, and ascribe the former with his two Companions to Capua, although of the time and manner of the martyrdom nothing is established.