ON ST. RHAÏS OR HERAÏS, VIRGIN AND MARTYR,
NEAR ALEXANDRIA IN EGYPT.
About the year CCCVIII.
Preliminary CommentaryRhaïs or Heraïs, virgin M. near Alexandria in Egypt (S.)
BY J. S.
[1] In the Sirletian Menology and in the Menæa, both printed and manuscript, Rhaïs the martyr is announced today, Rhaïs, or rather Heraïs, commemorated in the Fasti, yet with some diversity. The words of the Menology are these: On the same day, the birthday of the blessed martyr Rhaïs, who was consummated by fire. The printed Menæa have thus, rendered into Latin: The holy martyr Rhaïs is slain with the sword. Then these verses are subjoined:
Ποθοῦσα κάλλος Ἡραΐς Θεοῦ βλέπειν, Σαρκὸς τὸ κάλλος ἐκδίδωσι τῷ ξίφει.
Desiring to behold the beauty of God, Heraïs Delivers the beauty of her flesh to the sword.
It is to be noted first that in the verses the name is somewhat different, and that she is called Heraïs rather than Rhaïs, and that this is the true name we shall presently see. Secondly, there is a notable difference between the Menology and the Menæa, because in the latter she is said to have been slain with the sword, in the former burned. But from the eulogy to be given, death inflicted by the sword, not by fire, will be confirmed. And this eulogy is read in the manuscript Synaxary of our college at Paris, which now bears the name of Louis the Great.
[2] A twofold Heraïs has already been given in this Work with other Martyrs, who seems different from the two given before in this Work: the one at the IV of March with three companions, but without any note of time or place; the other at the XXVIII of June, where Raïs or Heraïs occurs with many martyrs who suffered at Alexandria in Egypt under the emperor Alexander Severus. But this one suffered indeed at Alexandria, but under the president Culcianus, who administered the prefecture of Egypt under the emperor Maximinus II, and most bitterly persecuted the Christians at that time, as Eusebius testifies book 9 chap. XI. For which cause this Heraïs must be distinguished from the second of the two former, since she suffered a whole century later. Probably she is also distinguished from the first, because there is no reason why we should believe her the same, except the name alone, which cannot suffice for believing both to be the same, especially since they are announced in the same Fasti on different days. These things having been observed, I shall subjoin in Greek the eulogy, which is put together elegantly enough, from the praised Synaxary, and then render it in Latin. There is prefixed an announcement which I thus express in Latin: The contest of the holy martyr Heraïs, and of her Companions. Then follows this eulogy.
[3] Αὕτη θυγάτηρ ἦν τινος ἱερέως· ἐτῶν δὲ οὖσα δώδεκα τὸν μονήρη βίον ἠσπάσατο· κατά τινα δὲ πάροδον ἰδοῦσα σὺν ἀνδράσι καὶ γυναῖκας συλλαβομένας καὶ δεσμουμένας, her eulogy from the Synaxary, καὶ πλησιάσασα αὐταῖς, καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν ἐπερωτήσασα, δι᾽ ἣν δέδενται, καὶ μαθοῦσα διὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτὰς Χριστιανὰς, παραυτίκα κατ᾽ ἐνώπιον τῶν συλλαβόντων ἐξεβόησε· κἀγὼ χριστιανή εἰμι, καὶ τὰ εἴδωλα διαπτύω. Διὸ καὶ συλληφθεῖσα εἰς ἐξέτασιν κατέστη Χουλκιανῷ ἐπάρχῳ Ἀλεξανδρίας· ὅθεν μετὰ πολλὰς τὰς ἐρωτήσεις τὴν διὰ ξίφους ἀπόφασιν δέχεται, καὶ τελειοῦται σὺν ταῖς λοιπαῖς γυναιξί. I subjoin the Latin interpretation: She was the daughter of a certain priest. And when she was twelve years old she embraced the monastic life. But when in a certain passage she had seen women also, together with men, seized and bound; and drawing near had asked the cause for which they were bound; and had learned that it was done because they were Christians; at once, before those who were arresting them, she cried out: I too am a Christian, and I despise the idols. Being seized therefore, she was led to Culcianus the president of Alexandria, to be interrogated. For which cause, after many interrogations, she is condemned to undergo death by the sword, and is slain with the other women.
[4] another from the Menæa, somewhat different, The same Saint is again commemorated in the Menæa at the XXIII of September, and there in the printed Menæa the eulogy is nearly such as I have already given from the manuscript Synaxary. In this Synaxary too the memory of this holy Martyr is repeated on the same day, but briefly, and with these words added in Greek, which I render into Latin: She is the same who is found in various Synaxaries both on the V day of this month (September) and on the XXIII. Further, since it seems worth while that I should transfer hither the whole eulogy from the printed Menæa, I shall here render it in Latin, since it has already been printed in Greek. This commemoration is prefixed: On the same day, the memory of the holy martyr Hieraïs the virgin. Then such a eulogy is subjoined: She was born in Egypt in the place called Tamma, the daughter of a certain presbyter named Peter. She was clothed in the monastic habit, being about twelve years old. But having gone out with other virgins to draw water, and seeing many virgins, and a multitude of men, presbyters, deacons and monks, whom Lucian the commander held bound in a ship that was passing by; and having learned that they were bound for Christ, taking a manly spirit she mingled herself with them, when she had asked this of the registrar. But when he warned her rather to choose the safer part, and not to wish to die with the captives, after she refused to change her purpose she was brought to the commander, and derided his gods, and spat in the face of him as he mocked the Christian rites. At last, after many torments, she was slain with the sword.
[5] which nevertheless can somehow be reconciled with the preceding. Nothing indeed is read in this eulogy which is plainly contrary to the preceding one; yet various things are added, as the reader comparing both will easily see. What is said about the commander's face being spat upon is read in the Menæa alone, and is not sufficiently probable. Besides, in the former eulogy the Saint is said to have appeared before Culcianus, the prefect of Alexandria or of Egypt; in the other she is said to have been led to Lucian the commander, which so far does not conflict with the preceding assertion; but of Culcianus there is complete silence, as though the sentence of death also had been passed by Lucian. But Lucian is not clearly said to have condemned the Saint, and by the words, She was brought to the commander,
it can be signified that she was led to Culcianus, to whom Lucian probably was leading all the captives. Whatever, however, be the ambiguous mind of the author, from the former eulogy, in which Culcianus president of Alexandria is clearly expressed, it is more probable that the Saint suffered under him, and therefore I have fixed her martyrdom about 308, in which year there was a grave persecution in Egypt. But the day of the martyrdom is clearly asserted in the Synaxary at the XXIII to have been the fifth of September.