African Martyrs

10 September · commentary

ON THE HOLY AFRICAN MARTYRS: DOLETATULUS OR CATULUS AND TUSCUS AND VALENTINUS AND PERHAPS MAGARUS, MARTYRS,

From the Hieronymian copies.

Commentary

Doletatulus or Catulus, M. (St.)

Tuscus, M. (St.)

Valentinus, M. (St.)

Megarus, M. (St.)

J. S.

The diversity which reigns in the Hieronymian copies is seen in these Martyrs also. For the codices of Florentinius, together with the Echternach copy, exhibit three Martyrs; while the Corbie copy adds a fourth. And of the names I find none which is expressed in the same way in all. The text of Florentinius has it thus: In Africa, of the holy Doletatulus, Tuscus, Valentinus. The Echternach: In Africa, of Catulus, Tuscus, Valentiana. The Corbie, as it was published by d'Achery, has it thus: In Africa, the birthday of the holy martyrs Doletatulus, Tuscia, Magarus, Valentinus. In the abridged codices of Reichenau and Labbe, Tuscus and Valentinus alone are reckoned in Africa, and the same are named, mingled with others, in the Augsburg and Gellone copies. In the first Martyrology of those which Martène published, tom. 3 of the Anecdota, Tuscus alone is found. From these things let the studious reader gather that among these Martyrs were Tuscus and Valentinus, whose names seem to be rightly so expressed on account of some measure of agreement among several codices. Of Doletatulus, or Doletatula, as it stands in the Blume codex in Florentinius, p. 1068, the name is more doubtful, since in the most ancient Echternach copy Catulus is read, and since he is omitted in all the abridged copies. Of Megarus likewise it is doubted whether he ought to be reckoned with the rest, because he is found in one codex only.

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