ON THE HOLY MARTYRS OF ALEXANDRIA IN EGYPT: AMMONIUS AND FAUSTUS AND SERAPION AND PIUS AND THEOPHILUS AND NEOTHERIUS, TOGETHER WITH A SECOND PIUS AND WITH MANY ANONYMOUS COMPANIONS: LIKEWISE ON NEMESUS, ARION, AMMON: LIKEWISE ON PETER, SABINUS, DEMETRIUS WITH FORTY OTHERS: LIKEWISE ON DIDYMUS, MITISORUS, PANETUS, ACHILLES, ISIDORE, SERAPION, MAGITA, OROSEUS, SILVANUS, ARAPION WITH VERY MANY ANONYMOUS: LIKEWISE ON DEMETRIUS, SEVERUS, WITH ELEVEN OR TWELVE OTHERS: LIKEWISE ON SEVERUS WITH FORTY OTHERS.
AT ALEXANDRIA IN EGYPT.
CRITICAL SYLLOGE.
Ammonius, M., at Alexandria in Egypt (S.)
Faustus, M., at Alexandria in Egypt (S.)
Serapion, M., at Alexandria in Egypt (S.)
Pius, M., at Alexandria in Egypt (S.)
Pius, a second of the name, M., at Alexandria in Egypt (S.)
Theophilus, M., at Alexandria in Egypt (S.)
Neotherius, M., at Alexandria in Egypt (S.)
Nemesus, M., at Alexandria in Egypt (S.)
Arion, M., at Alexandria in Egypt (S.)
Ammon, M., at Alexandria in Egypt (S.)
Peter, M., at Alexandria in Egypt (S.)
Sabinus, M., at Alexandria in Egypt (S.)
Demetrius, M., at Alexandria in Egypt (S.)
Didymus, M., at Alexandria in Egypt (S.)
Mitisorus, M., at Alexandria in Egypt (S.)
Panetus, M., at Alexandria in Egypt (S.)
Achilles, M., at Alexandria in Egypt (S.)
Isidore, M., at Alexandria in Egypt (S.)
Serapion, M., at Alexandria in Egypt (S.)
Magita, M., at Alexandria in Egypt (S.)
Oroseus, M., at Alexandria in Egypt (S.)
Silvanus, M., at Alexandria in Egypt (S.)
Arapion, M., at Alexandria in Egypt (S.)
Demetrius, M., at Alexandria in Egypt (S.)
Severus, M., at Alexandria in Egypt (S.)
Severus, perhaps a second of the name, M., at Alexandria in Egypt (S.)
Many anonymous MM., at Alexandria in Egypt
BY J. S.
[The martyrs supplied by the Fasti are not those whom Eusebius has in book 6, chapter 41.] A vast number of Alexandrian Martyrs, partly named and partly anonymous, is set out today by the Hieronymian copies, from which Usuard has listed three by name together with twenty-two anonymous ones. The words of Usuard are these: At Alexandria, of the holy Ammon, Theophilus, Neotherius, and twenty-two others. These were afterwards transferred into the Roman Martyrology, with only the word martyrs added. Baronius believed, in his Annotations, that these were those Alexandrian martyrs about whom Dionysius of Alexandria writes in Eusebius, book 6, chapter 34 — that is, of the Latin version in the old edition; in the edition of Valesius, book 6, chapter 41. But that opinion, which does not appear probable, has already been refuted by Florentinius in his Annotations on the Hieronymian Martyrology at this day. Indeed Baronius himself seems afterwards to have withdrawn from that conjecture, for the five soldier-martyrs treated of in the place assigned in Eusebius, among whom the first is Ammon and the last Theophilus, he inserted into the Roman Martyrology at the XX of December. That those who are set down on this day are different persons is suggested by the diversity of the names, of which only two agree, and those the ones most commonly met with among the Egyptians, namely Ammon and Theophilus. Besides, those five martyrs in Eusebius, of whom the first is Ammon, are all named, nor are they said to have been more numerous; whereas here in the Hieronymian copies more are listed by name, and very many anonymous ones are added, so that it does not seem open to doubt that these are distinct from those.
[2] Florentinius, having refuted the conjecture of Baronius, himself brings forward another, at least more probable than the preceding, nor are they those whom he mentions in book 8, chapter 13; but not even so does it seem to me sufficiently likely. Rather, from the names of Ammon, he says, of Faustus, and of Didus or Dimus, and of Peter, who are produced here among several others, I should suppose that these may be from among those bishops and presbyters whom Eusebius reports to have been crowned at Alexandria and throughout all Egypt and the Thebaid, in book VIII, chapter XIII of the more recent edition. Certainly, since Eusebius numbers among them presidents of churches who declared by their shed blood the sincerity of the religion which they preached, and since it is not then his purpose either to add companions or to narrate their contests, nothing would forbid that the assembled choir of Alexandrian Martyrs should have been made up of the disciples and companions of those same prelates and presbyters — just as it is certain that two distinct Alexandrian Ammonii are numbered by the same Eusebius. The martyrs whom Florentinius suspects to be the same as those commemorated today are listed in the Roman Martyrology at the XXVI of November. But the single reason that tells in favor of that opinion is drawn from three or four names, of which three are plainly the same and the fourth similar. Yet more of them are different, so that the agreement of a few names does not furnish a sufficient foundation for such a conjecture, especially since those names are common and shared by many. There may be added against the opinion of Florentinius that St. Peter of Alexandria has been inserted into the Hieronymian Martyrology at the XXVI of November. Wherefore I think it more probable that the Martyrs listed today are distinct from both classes of martyrs already mentioned.
[3] They are recorded in the Hieronymian Martyrologies which Florentinius edited or cited in his Annotations. they all seem to be divided into six bands: the first troop of them, In the more abridged Hieronymian copies, such as those published by us after volume VII of June, to which is added the Gellone copy in volume 2 of the reissued Spicilegium, not all are listed, but only some out of many. These briefer texts, therefore, I shall pass over, because they cannot help toward removing, in any degree, the confusion which is apparent in the more prolix ones. Florentinius divides this whole multitude of Martyrs into six troops. The first troop is expressed in his text thus: At Alexandria, the birthday of the holy Ammonius. Faustus. Serapion. Pius. Likewise Pius. Theophilus. Neotherius. and eighteen others. The Corbie copy does not depart far from these; yet for Faustus it substitutes Justus, and it increases the number of the anonymous, running thus: At Alexandria, the birthday of the holy Ammoinus, Justus, Serapion, Pius. Likewise Pius, Theophilus, Neoterus, and twenty-two others. The Echternach copy, everywhere called by Florentinius the most ancient, increases the number of the anonymous still more, and expresses the first seven in this manner: At Alexandria, of Ammonius, and thirty others. Of Faustus, Serapion, Pius, likewise Pius, Theophilus, Neotherius, and twenty-three others. Who now is to divine where the number of the anonymous has been correctly given? This one thing seems to me to be said: that the seven named are to be admitted, as I have set them out in the title, together with an indefinite number of anonymous ones; and that Justus is not to be counted among those seven, since he is found in one copy only, but rather Faustus, who is found also in several of the more abridged copies.
[4] the second and third, The second troop of Florentinius is this in his text: Nemesus. Arion. Ammon. The same follow in the Corbie and in the Echternach copies, but for Ammoni the Corbie reads Ammon; for Arioni the Echternach reads Arionis. There follows in Florentinius the third troop, whose leader he suspects to be St. Peter, bishop of Alexandria, but with less probability, as I have already noted. Take his words: The passion of the holy Peter. Savinus. Demetrius. with forty others. The Corbie copy nearly agrees, running thus: The passion of holy Peter, Sabinus, Demetricus, with forty others. The Echternach copy joins these to the preceding, omitting the word Passion, and expresses the names in this manner: Of Petrinus, Severus, Demetrius, and forty others. The studious reader will see that the number of Martyrs is everywhere the same here, but the names expressed in different ways: for Peter is elsewhere written Petrinus; he who is called Demetrus in two places is in one called Demetricus, and probably was named Demetrius; while Sabinus or Savinus is in one place written, with a name more markedly different, Severus.
[5] the fourth troop, The fourth troop is expressed thus in Florentinius: Of Didymus. Nitisorus. Panetus. Achilles. Hysidorus. Serapion. Magita. Oroseus. Silvanus. Serapion \, and five hundred and twenty-two others. Serapionis occurs twice, but Florentinius notes in the text that once it is to be read Arapionis, which, on account of the other copies, I should think is to be understood of the last word, although the line assigned by him suggests the contrary. The Corbie copy has it thus: Of Didymus, Mitisorus, Panetus, Achilles, Isidore, Serapion, Migita, Oroseus, Silvanus, Arepion, and seven hundred and four others. The Echternach: Of Dudinus, Mitosorus, Panemotus, Achilas, Sidorus, Serapion, Migilia, Oroseus, Silvinus, Orobion, and one hundred and twenty-two others. Here ten Martyrs are expressed in the same order, but the names do not altogether agree, because in one place or another they are corrupted. Besides, the number of the anonymous is here extremely various; nor shall I easily divine where it has been more correctly set forth. In the Blume codex, in Florentinius at page 1068, is read, And seven hundred and twenty-three others.* One thing here seems certain: that the anonymous were many.
[6] the fifth and sixth: the number of the anonymous in the Fasti is very various. The fifth troop of these Martyrs is expressed thus, in few words, in Florentinius: Of Demetrius. Severus, with eleven others. In the Corbie: Likewise of Denetrius, Severus, with eleven others. A greater alteration of the first word occurs in the Echternach, where also one anonymous is added, in this manner: Of Metrus, Severus, with twelve others. The sixth troop, finally, is listed in the two former Martyrologies: but in the Echternach
is not read. The text of Florentinius runs thus: Likewise of Severus with forty others. The same words are in the Corbie copy, in which these are added: On that day, a gathering of the bodies of many martyrs. These words suggest that many were crowned with martyrdom on that day, and this is abundantly clear from all that has been said: for twenty-six are expressed by name in two copies; and out of these only one, Severus, is passed over in the Echternach. The anonymous are enumerated in the text of Florentinius as six hundred and thirty-one; in the Corbie copy eight hundred and seventeen are listed; but in the Echternach only two hundred and twenty-seven. So great a difference in the number of the anonymous, and the dislocation of certain names, arises from the mere negligence of those who copied the codices; and from that same cause Severus with his forty anonymous companions seems to have been omitted in the Echternach — unless he has been wrongly repeated in the others, of which there can be some suspicion.
[7] Florentinius in his Annotations doubts whether all the Martyrs enumerated suffered at Alexandria; these Martyrs do not seem to be assigned to various places of Egypt, indeed it seems to him more probable, from the order of the little list, that the Martyrs cited suffered in Egypt generally. This would altogether seem to me also to be the thing to say, if it were established that these Martyrs are from among those concerning whom Eusebius, book 8, chapter 13, has the following: Further, of those who at Alexandria and throughout all Egypt and the Thebaid underwent a noble martyrdom, first of all to be named is Peter, bishop of the Church of Alexandria, an outstanding teacher of the Christian religion; and among his presbyters Faustus, Djus, and Ammonius, perfect martyrs of Christ; besides these Phileas and Hesychius, Pachumius and Theodorus, bishops of various churches in Egypt; and finally six hundred others by no means obscure, who are celebrated with much praise throughout the churches established in those places and regions. To commemorate accurately all the contests of all these, accomplished throughout the whole world for the true worship of God, and all that befell each one of them, is not our office, but rather that of those who beheld the deeds with their own eyes. If, I say, it were established that these are the persons now treated of in the Martyrologies, I should also judge that so many different troops of Martyrs are commemorated one after another because they suffered in different places of Egypt. But since only a few names, and those common ones, agree, and since not one of the Egyptian bishops named by Eusebius is listed, I more probably believe that they are not treated of in this place; or at any rate, if perchance those Alexandrians named by Eusebius are meant, then the rest also, whom the Martyrologies have set out, suffered at Alexandria; for it is customary in the Hieronymian Martyrology for the place of martyrdom to be expressed, and for the rest of Egypt to be distinguished from Alexandria.
[8] Wherefore I rather judge that all these Martyrs suffered at Alexandria. [but at Alexandria alone: where perhaps they suffered in various quarters of the city:] Yet since persecutions were frequent there, partly stirred up by the edicts of emperors, partly begun by the fickleness of the Alexandrian heathen, I should prefer to confess that I find nothing in the History of Eusebius which can be set forth with sufficient certainty concerning these Martyrs, and that accordingly both the time and the manner of their martyrdom are unknown. The manner in which they are listed in the Martyrologies, by troops as it were distinct, can indeed suggest some suspicion of a death inflicted upon them through some riot of the heathen, who in different parts of the city may have killed certain bands of Christians. But nothing certain can be said: for they could have been commemorated in that manner for other reasons as well. For the rest, not a few of these seem to be announced again at the X of September. Certainly the place assigned there also is Alexandria; and most of the names, although they are fewer there, agree with the names of today's Martyrs, so that I am wholly persuaded that some of these are repeated there — either because they were in fact crowned on that day, or, more probably, because through the negligence of the copyists the entries of the little tablet were moved out of their place, and thence by mere error the same persons were reproduced in that place, as not seldom happens in the Hieronymian copies.
[9] many, listed at 10 September in the Hieronymian copies, Whatever the case may be, I have determined to insert them at the X of September only briefly among the Passed Over, and therefore I shall here show in a few words, concerning each, that they are probably the same as today's. Thus the text runs in Florentinius: At Alexandria, the birthday of the holy Nemesus. Ammonius. Orion. Herosus. (in the Echternach, Orosus.) and eight hundred and six others. Didymus. (in the same, Dudinus.) Mererorus. (in the Corbie and Echternach, Meresorus) Panaepsus (in the Corbie, Panepsus; in the Echternach, Panopia) Achilleus \. Nicetus. Likewise Ammonius. Herosus. (elsewhere Orosus and Arosus) Silvanus. Oroponus. (elsewhere Oropion and Aroponus) Nimisinus, in the Echternach Nemisinus, and eight others. Panemodus. (in the Echternach Panemotus) Nicentus (in others Nicetus) Silvinus. Thus far the Martyrologies. But now take the reasons on account of which I think them the same as today's. First, out of that whole number the martyrologists of the Middle Ages commemorated none on that day, as they often do elsewhere, especially Usuard. Second, the similarity of the names persuades that the same persons are commemorated in both places. For the first three, namely Nemesus or Nemesius, Ammon or Ammonius, and Orion, are joined together today also, with only one letter changed in the name of Orion, for which is read Arionis or Arioni*. He who is fourth, Herosus or Orosus, may be Oroseus, who is among today's. The fifth, Didymus or Dudinus, is found today with the same variation of name; while the sixth, Mererorus or Meresorus, is today written Mitisorus or Mitosorus.
[10] they plainly appear to be the same as today's. As for the corrupted name which follows in the seventh place, Panepsus, Panepsus, or Panopia, I suspect it to have been thus deformed out of the word passio, or out of some Martyr's name — perhaps out of the name Panetus, or out of two words joined together. The eighth name, Achilleus, is clearly expressed today also. There follows Niceti, in place of which today there is the perhaps corrupted form Magita or Migita. In the tenth place is said, Likewise Ammonius and then Herosus, who may easily be the same as those mentioned before, and have already been assigned. There follows Silvanus, commemorated among today's also. Then Oroponus, elsewhere Oropion or Aroponus, who seems to be the Arapion or Arepion known among today's, and there also written Orobion. Finally, the four last names have perhaps only been repeated with a further variation: for the name Nimisinus or Nemisinus agrees with Nemesus; so Panemodus or Panemotus accords well enough with the name Panetus, for in one copy on this day Panemoti is read for Paneti; and as for the names Nicentus or Nicetus and Silvinus, it is clear that they nearly accord with Nicetus and Silvanus. And so, since some Saints in the Hieronymian copies are from time to time repeated two or three times, I plainly judge that of today's troops the second and fourth were for the greater part reproduced at the X of September, and that some were there repeated twice.
Annotations\* Arapionis
\* in the Echternach, Cellei