ON ST. STRATON, MARTYR.
From the Martyrologies.
CommentaryStraton martyr (S.)
J. S.
The Saint mentioned in the Calendars: This Martyr the printed Menæa and the Sirletian Menology announce on the same IX day of September. The Menæa: Τῇ αὐτῇ ἡμέρα ὁ ἅγιος μάρτυς Στράτων, ἐν δυσὺ κέδροις δεθεὶς καὶ διαμερισθεὶς τελειοῦται. On the same day the holy martyr Straton, bound to two cedars and torn apart, is consummated. Little verses presently follow, and express the same martyrdom in this manner:
> Κέδροις ὁ μάρτυς προσδεθεὶς Στράτων δύο, > Εἷς ὢν τὸ σῶμα, δείκνηται μέρη δύο. > > Straton the martyr, bound to two cedars, > Though he was one in body, is shown as two parts.
The Menology agrees with the aforesaid: On the same day the birthday of the blessed martyr Straton, who, bound to two cedars and cut into two parts for the confession of Christ, was joined with the heavenly ones. Baronius adopted these things; but for cedars substituted trees in general, writing thus in the Roman Martyrology: On the same day the passion of S. Straton, who, bound to two trees for Christ and torn apart, consummated his martyrdom.
[2] I have nothing more to record of Straton. But something must briefly be said of the Spanish Martyrology, both he and four others wrongly ascribed by some to Spain. in which today not only this Straton is announced, but also four others are subjoined, of whom we treat today, namely Rufus, Rufianus, Severus and Artemidorus. All these, announced without place and time, those fable-mongers found partly in the Roman Martyrology of Baronius, partly in Galesinius, who unhappily strove to fill the Spanish Calendars with foreign Saints. Wherefore they attributed them all to their own Spain, and in it presently found an ancient city called Bæte, in which they fable that the five Martyrs already named, whom they also make brothers, suffered. But the more learned and more prudent Spaniards now explode and detest these trifles. Among these Nicolás Antonio, in a manuscript Work communicated to us by his heir, framed a rather long dissertation about these five Saints, in which he shows that neither did these Saints suffer in Spain, nor was any city Bæte or Bætis ever known in Spain. For me it will be enough to have observed that the praised Saints have been claimed for Spain on no other ground than from fictitious Chronicles, of which there is no authority. And so, since they were of old announced by the Greeks alone, it is not credible that they were Spaniards.