Syrus

ON ST. SYRUS, MARTYR,

MORE PROBABLY IN PAMPHYLIA.

Syrus, M., more probably in Pamphylia (St.)

J. S.

St. Syrus announced as a martyr in the ancient martyrologies, A certain St. Syrus the martyr becomes sufficiently known today from the martyrologies and ancient presses, but not without faults and errors. The Hieronymian calendars in Florentinius have in the first place: In Pamphylia, the birthday of St. Syrus. The Epternach codex there in the notes: In Pampilonia, of Syrus. Just as here the name of the place has probably been corrupted, so in martyrologies also very ancient — the Rheinau and the Reichenau, published by us in tom. VII of June — the saint's name has been dislocated. For in the first is had: In Pamphylia, of Siria; in the other: In Pamphylia, of Syria. In four other martyrologies the name of Syrus is written without the place, as frequently happens in them, namely in the Augsburg and the Labbean among us, in the Gellone codex in d'Achery, and in the first in Martène, tom. 3 of the Anecdota. Rabanus has thus: And in Pampalia, the birthday of Syrus. Wandelbert, the place being omitted, commemorates the martyr thus: The martyr Syrus, on the day before, seeks the lofty heaven. These things seem to suffice for us to believe that Syrus was today crowned with martyrdom; but the place we can assign less certainly.

[2] The author of the old Roman Martyrology which Rosweyde published, [and different from St. Syrus of Pavia, and probably having suffered in Pamphylia.] and Ado, Usuard, and Notker, who are wont to follow him, passing over Syrus the martyr, announced St. Syrus, bishop of Ticinum. Hence a suspicion may arise for someone that in the Hieronymian calendars the place was expressed by the words In Papia, and consequently that today's Syrus is none other than St. Syrus, bishop of Ticinum, who after the praised martyrologists was afterward celebrated by many others on this day together with Juventius, likewise of Ticinum, as was said among the things passed over. But against this suspicion stands, first, that today's Syrus is celebrated as a martyr, whereas Syrus of Ticinum is everywhere announced by all as a confessor. Secondly, the alleged words from the Hieronymian calendars were probably written before the city of Ticinum was called Papia, or Flavia Papia; for everywhere Syrus is reckoned in the first place. Thirdly, in no codex at all have I found it written In Papia, and the names of the places Pamphilia, Pampilonia, and Pampalia, by which the wrestling-ground of Syrus is indicated, differ more from the word Papia than that we could believe this word to have been so corrupted in all the codices. Wherefore the said conjecture is improbable, and it must be said that today's St. Syrus was more probably crowned with martyrdom in Pamphylia, a province of Asia Minor.