ON SS. FELICISSIMUS AND SECUNDINUS, MARTYRS.
IN APULIA.
From the Hieronymian transcripts.
CommentaryFelicissimus, Martyr in Apulia (St.)
Secundinus, Martyr in Apulia (St.)
BY J. S.
The Hieronymian transcripts with great agreement attribute these martyrs today to Apulia, without expressing the city in which they suffered. Florentinius in the text has thus: In Apulia, the birthday of the holy Felicissimus and Secundinus. The Corbie codex agrees plainly, but adds Justinus. But the Epternach changes the names somewhat in this manner: In Apulia, of Felix, Secundus. The martyrologies published among us likewise announce these martyrs. And the Rheinau indeed and the Reichenau, in plainly the same words, in this manner: In Apulia, of Felicissimus and Secundus. But the Augsburg and the Labbean, without the place and mixed with other martyrs after their manner, exhibit Felicissimus and Secundinus; as also the Gellone in d'Achery exhibits Felicissimus, Secundinus being passed over. Thus Felicissimus alone is commemorated in some martyrologies in Martène, tom. 3 of the Anecdota and tom. 6 of the Amplissima Collectio, as also in the shorter Corbie among us. Receive its words, reader, that you may see that Secundinus is merely passed over: In Apulia, the birthday of the holy Felicissimus. The omission is clear from the word holy (in the plural). SS. Felicissimus and Secundinus are found also in the supplements of Usuard and Bede, announced in Apulia. But the Vatican codex 5949 has something singular, and seems to designate another Felicissimus, in these words: At Benevento, the birthday of St. Felicissimus the bishop, in Santa Sofia. I neither find Felicissimus among the bishops of Benevento, nor can I divine who that Felicissimus is, unknown to the remaining martyrologies, unless he be the same as the one whom we everywhere find joined with Secundinus — although the latter is nowhere else called bishop, nor announced at Benevento.