ON SS. SOSTHENES AND VICTOR, MARTYRS,
AT CHALCEDON IN BITHYNIA
Under Diocletian.
SYLLOGE.
Their memory in the Calendars: the time, place, and manner of their martyrdom.
Sosthenes, M., at Chalcedon in Bithynia (St.)
Victor, M., at Chalcedon in Bithynia (St.)
J. S.
Although these Martyrs suffered at Chalcedon in Bithynia together with St. Euphemia, who is very well known among the Greeks, The memory of the Martyrs in the sacred Calendars, in which I do not see that their memory was inserted in the Greek Calendars. The first to celebrate them was the author of the Martyrology published by Rosweyde, in these few words: At Chalcedon, of Sosthenes and Victor. Wandelbert adorns the same men with two verses in this manner:
Sosthenes and Victor are commemorated on the fourth *, having obtained the same crown for the kingdom and the praise of Christ.
Ado touches on the deeds of the Martyrs in a somewhat longer elogium. But I have not yet found from what Acts of St. Euphemia he drew his materials; for not all these things are read in the published Acts. I append his words: On the same day at Chalcedon, the birthday of the holy Sosthenes and Victor: who, when blessed Euphemia was contending for the name of Christ under the consul Priscus, had their eyes opened by divine power and saw about her the guard of angels and a choir of holy virgins; and at this sight, being converted to Christ, they were thrust into prison for their unconquerable confession of the faith, and thence brought forth and bound to stakes. And when bears, and afterwards a most ferocious lion, were let loose upon them and did them no harm at all, the proconsul sent for a cask to be brought in which he might burn them both together. But they meanwhile, intent upon prayer, were called from heaven, and having given one another the kiss of peace, gave up the ghost. In exactly the same way Notker relates the martyrdom of Sosthenes and Victor, but a little more briefly, and omitting the occasion of their conversion.
[2] But Usuard has it thus: On the same day at Chalcedon, and their martyrdom is briefly set out thus, of the holy Sosthenes and Victor, who for the confession of the faith, under the consul Priscus, overcoming prison, chains and beasts, at length while at prayer were called from heaven and gave up the ghost. The elogium with which they are celebrated in the present Roman Martyrology is drawn almost in an abridgement from Ado, and runs thus: At Chalcedon, of the holy martyrs Sosthenes and Victor, who in the persecution of Diocletian, under Priscus proconsul of Asia, after overcoming chains and beasts, were ordered to be burned; but they, greeting one another with a holy kiss and set in prayer, gave up the ghost. These things do not altogether agree with the Acts of St. Euphemia that I have seen hitherto. For in five or six copies, Latin or Greek, which are ascribed to Metaphrastes or agree nearly with what was written by him, Sosthenes and Victor, while they were being ordered to prepare St. Euphemia for the fire, are said to have been converted by a divine vision, so that they refused the office. Thereupon they were led to prison, and afterwards brought back from there to the governor; and when they steadfastly professed the faith, they are said to have been exposed to beasts, and by these, while they were praying, to have been so killed that they were nevertheless not devoured. There is added also a voice sent down from heaven, by which their prayers are said to have been heard; and at last their bodies were buried by the Christians, according to Metaphrastes.
[3] so that all the circumstances do not seem sufficiently certain. Peter de Natalibus, book 8, chap. 61, composed an elogium out of the Acts of St. Euphemia, as he affirms. But he adds nothing to what has already been given, except the day
of the martyrdom, which he says fell on the IV Ides of September, and these words concerning the wild beasts venerating the Saints: But when they (the Saints) had been in no way harmed by them, but rather the beasts, laying aside all ferocity, licked the feet of the Saints, etc. I can scarcely believe that these things were found in the Acts. Nevertheless, since the Acts of St. Euphemia are to be elucidated at the XVI of September, and since I hope that by that time we shall have other Acts hitherto unpublished, I would rather refer the studious reader to those Acts, that each point may there be examined more accurately, than hurry a judgment. There too will be the place for examining the censures with which Tillemont attacked the Acts of St. Euphemia, and for explaining further the deeds of these Martyrs, if it should seem necessary.
Annotata* i.e. on the fourth of the Ides