ON THE HOLY MARTYRS OF DAMASCUS: PAUL AND TATTA HIS WIFE AND THEIR SONS SABINIAN AND MAXIMUS AND RUFUS AND EUGENIUS, MARTYRS,
AT DAMASCUS IN SYRIA.
From the Martyrologies.
CommentaryPaul, M., at Damascus in Syria (S.)
Tatta, his wife, M., at Damascus in Syria (S.)
Sabinian, their son, M., at Damascus in Syria (S.)
Maximus, their son, M., at Damascus in Syria (S.)
Rufus, their son, M., at Damascus in Syria (S.)
BY J. S.
These Martyrs of Damascus, Six martyrs of Damascus, received from the Calendars of the Greeks through Galesinius, Baronius today commemorated thus in the Roman Martyrology: At Damascus, of the holy martyrs Paul, and Tatta his wife, and Sabinian, Maximus, Rufus and Eugenius their sons, who, accused of the Christian religion, tortured with stripes and other punishments, rendered their souls to God. Galesinius seems to assign another place of martyrdom, writing thus: In Greece, of the blessed martyrs Paul and Tatta his wife, and their sons Sabinian, Maximus, Rufus and Eugenius, who, accused of the Christian religion, bound to a wooden frame with iron chains, and horribly afflicted with stripes, then variously tortured with other torments, after many and exceptional confessions of our faith and religion, in the very punishments which they had endured, exquisite as they were, rendered their souls to God. These things Galesinius took from the Menæa or from the Sirletian Menology (for in both the same things are asserted). But he placed their wrestling-place in Greece in general, not at Damascus, because they are not clearly said to have suffered in the city of Damascus, but to have drawn their origin from Damascus, or to have been born in the city of Damascus. So I conjecture Galesinius reasoned, since no other reason could have moved him to place them in Greece. But not even that seems suitable: for it is not likely that they suffered in Greece, from which Damascus is very far distant. If perchance by Greece he wished to designate the whole Eastern empire, he spoke in an improper manner, and one so to be explained by few. More rightly therefore did Baronius say that these Martyrs were crowned at Damascus: for since they are said to have been born there, and no other place of martyrdom is assigned, it is sufficiently hinted that they were crowned with martyrdom at Damascus also.
[2] But other difficulties arise from the manuscript Constantinopolitan Synaxarion of Sirmond, and six close kinsfolk, and from the little verses which are added in the Menæa. For the Synaxarion enumerates only three Martyrs, and calls them full brothers, reviewing them in this order — Sabinian, Paul and Tatta — and adding that they are from the city of Damascus. The same three are reviewed in the same order in two little verses of the Menæa, which I subjoin with an interpretation.
Σαβηνιανὸς τέμνεται πρὸ τῷ Παυλῷ. Μεθ᾽ ὧν σεαυτὴν Τάττα τάττης ἐμφρόνως.
Sabinian is cut down before Paul (or in Paul's presence): With whom thou, Tatta, dost wisely rank thyself.
Perhaps it was written πρὸ τοῦ Παυλου, but this will make no difference for the Latin interpretation. In the little verses nothing is said about their kinship. These things indeed could cast some doubt about the number of the Martyrs and about their kinship. Yet if we weigh each point rightly, we shall stand by the elogium of the Menæa, with which the announcement prefixed agrees, which I render into Latin word for word: The commemoration of the holy martyrs Paul and Tatta, and of their Sons. For as regards the little verses of the Menæa, it could easily have happened that the earlier verses fell out, and only the later ones were printed. But the Synaxarion cannot have much authority here, since it lacks an elogium of those Martyrs, contrary to custom, and from this it is clear that the collector of the Synaxarion was not well informed about them.
[3] died under torments. Wherefore what is read of these Martyrs in the elogium of the Menæa is to be preferred to the rest, as certainly more probable; which I accurately render into Latin and subjoin. These saints Paul and Tatta, and their sons Sabinian, Maximus, Rufus and Eugenius, drew their origin from the city of Damascus, and, being denounced as Christians, were bound to a wooden frame and fettered with chains. And being questioned again, they were vehemently beaten. And, tortured by the hands of the impious, they rendered their souls to God. The words given insinuate that they were so grievously tortured that they met death in the midst of the torments, as has happened at other times to martyrs. What is insinuated in the verse given about the cutting of Sabinian might cast a suspicion of a head cut off: but since this is not clearly said, and since the sides or other parts of martyrs' bodies were also not rarely cut in the course of torture, we must stand by the elogium given, in which they are said to have expired amid heaped-up torments.