Diodorus and Diomedes and Didymus

ON SS. DIODORUS AND DIOMEDES AND DIDYMUS, MARTYRS AT LAODICEA IN SYRIA,

FROM THE GREEK FASTI AND THE ROMAN MARTYROLOGY.

Diodorus, M., at Laodicea in Syria (S.)

Diomedes, M., at Laodicea in Syria (S.)

Didymus, M., at Laodicea in Syria (S.)

J. S.

These three Martyrs mentioned in some Fasti, From the Greek Fasti Baronius thus briefly announces three Martyrs in the Roman Martyrology: At Laodicea in Syria, the passion of the holy Diodorus, Diomedes and Didimus. The Menology rendered into Latin by Sirleto, which Baronius had before his eyes, mentions the same thus: Likewise of the holy martyrs Diodorus, Diomedes and Didymus of Laodicea of Syria, who, being seized by the governor and freely preaching the faith of Christ, being beaten with scourges, received the end of their life. With these agree the printed Greek Menæa, in which the same three Martyrs are announced at this day, and are adorned with a brief and quite similar eulogy; and all these things Maximus Margunius, bishop of Cythera, also adopted in his Lives of the Saints written in Greek. Nevertheless in the Menæa two little verses are added, which I transfer hither with the Latin rendering.

Διόδωρος

μάστιξι

σὺν

τῷ

Διδύμῳ

Τὴν

σάρκα

δόντες,

μαστιγοῦσι

τὴν

πλάνην

Diodorus and Didymus, giving their flesh To the scourges, scourge error.

[2] On these little verses I observe only this, that in them no mention is made of Diomedes. [in others Diomedes is omitted: nor is the cause of the omission well enough known:] And that omission of Diomedes is here the more notable, in that in several other places the same man is passed over. For in some manuscript Menæa Diodorus and Didymus are announced without Diomedes at this or the preceding day, as I find in our Collection of manuscript Menæa. Moreover in the Sirletian Menology itself Diodorus and Didymus are mentioned without Diomedes at the X day thus: On the same day, the contest of the holy martyrs Diodorus and Didymus, who, from the city of Syria Laodicea , when they were preaching the Christian faith, being accused before the governor of Laodicea, being questioned, and confessing themselves to be Christians, being condemned by an unjust judge, received in torments the end of their mortal life, giving thanks to God down to their last breath.* The eulogy in the manuscript Menæa of the Ambrosian library at the same X day of September sets forth these very things about Diodorus and Didymus in somewhat more words, and agrees fully with the Basilian Menology, which I shall presently praise, and in which also no mention is made of Diomedes. For these causes it can be doubted whether Diomedes was the Companion of the other two in martyrdom. For he could have suffered alone, and have been joined to the others because he belonged to the same place and day, or perhaps to the following day. He could have been one of those whom Diodorus and Didymus had converted. Yet his name could also have been omitted from mere error in the praised Fasti: nor does that omission furnish a certain argument for separating him from the others.

[3] the eulogy of the two from the Basilian Menology. Whatever was the cause of that omission, since I find no more about these Martyrs, I subjoin the eulogy which is woven for Diodorus and Didymus in the Basilian Menology, as it has been rendered into Latin in the most recent edition. It has thus at the XI of September: Diodorus and Didymus, martyrs of Christ, were from the city of Syria Laodicea. And since they were Christians, they taught all men in the name of the Lord our God, who made heaven and earth, and all things that are in them; and converting many of the unbelievers, they baptized them. Being denounced therefore by the impious Greeks to the governor of Laodicea, they are brought before his tribunal: and being questioned, when they professed themselves Christians, they were sharply beaten: and, being long tortured, when they not only did not deny Christ, but also steadfastly reproved the imposture of the idols, and held up the governor to shame as impious and unjust, and spat in his face, because, forsaking the true God, he was a worshipper of false idols; in the very torments, giving thanks and praying to Christ, they died. The same things, as I have already noted, are read in the manuscript Menæa of the Ambrosian library. For the rest, on that eulogy I observe that those words and spat in his face* are not to be understood properly of spittle cast into the governor's face; but allegorically of a clear and manifest contempt of him, as that phrase is frequently used among the Greeks, and is even now used among various nations, and namely in our Belgic speech.

* read: Laodicea

* i.e. the gentiles

ON SS. SYRUS AND SERAPION, MARTYRS AT ALEXANDRIA,

FROM THE HIERONYMIAN TRANSCRIPTS.

Syrus, M., at Alexandria (S.)

Serapion, M., at Alexandria (S.)

J. S.

Two Alexandrian Martyrs, about whom I long doubted, because others of the same name occur on these days, I believed at last must be altogether distinguished from the others, and assigned to Alexandria, on account of the agreement of the chief Hieronymian codices. Florentini published thus: At Alexandria, the birthday of the holy Syrus and Serapion. There the Epternach codex in the Annotations has thus: In the city of Alexandria, the birthday of Sirus and Serapion. Then the Corbie: At Alexandria, the birthday of the holy Syrus and Serapion. With these agrees the Reichenau codex among us, which has these words: And at Alexandria, of Syrus and Serapion. Florentini observes that this Serapion seems to be distinguished from others of the same name, because he has Syrus for a Companion. The same, all things considered, seems to me; even though on the day next following a certain Serapion is announced at Alexandria in the Roman Martyrology: for he has other companions.