Zenas

ON ST. ZENAS, ALSO CALLED ZENO, DISCIPLE OF ST. PAUL,

Cent. I, after the year LXIII.

Zenas, otherwise called Zeno, disciple of St. Paul. (S.)

BY J. S.

Saint Paul the Apostle, in the Epistle to Titus, then dwelling in the island of Crete, chapter 3 ℣ 12 and 13, writes these things: St. Zenas, commemorated by the Apostle, When I shall send to thee Artemas or Tychicus, make haste to come unto me to Nicopolis: for there I have determined to winter. Send forward Zenas the lawyer and Apollo with care, that nothing be wanting to them. In this passage alone of the sacred Writings is St. Zenas commemorated. And from the words alleged it is gathered that Zenas was a disciple and helper of the Apostle, such as Apollo was, who has become better known. Secondly, since the Epistle of St. Paul is believed to have been written in the year 64 of the Christian era, or at any rate about that year, we understand that Zenas at that time was occupied with Apostolic labours in Crete together with St. Titus. Thirdly, the Apostle wished Zenas and Apollo to come to Nicopolis before Titus, in all likelihood because he wished to send them to other labours. Which Nicopolis is designated, interpreters do not altogether agree. St. Chrysostom on the words alleged says: Now Nicopolis is in Thrace. But the opinion of St. Jerome pleases us more, who judges that the maritime city of Epirus is designated, writing on the passage of the Epistle alleged as follows: Nicopolis is that city which received its name on account of the victory of Augustus, in that he there overcame Antony and Cleopatra. This city was certainly already called Nicopolis in the Apostle's time: which I have not yet been able to find of the other Nicopolis of Thrace.

[2] That more has not become known on certain monuments concerning St. Zenas and an apostolic man; he certainly died after the year 63. the said Jerome declares, writing thus: But of Zenas the doctor of the law, who he was, we cannot say from another passage of Scripture, save only this, that he too was an Apostolic Man, and had that work which Apollo exercised, of building up the church of Christ. But that he is called legisperitus, in Greek νομικὸς, Chrysostom refers to skill in the Jewish law, and thinks he was called by the Apostle that he might be further instructed in the Christian law together with Apollo. To these, he says, churches had not yet been entrusted, but they were with Paul… If therefore he (Zenas) was a lawyer, it was not fitting, you will say, that he should be nourished by others. But here he calls him a lawyer as being skilled in the Jewish laws. He might indeed have been called for the sake of instruction: yet I rather believe that he was called that Paul might use his Apostolic labours, especially since he was called together with Apollo and set before him: for Apollo had already for many years before that Epistle of Paul's spent himself in the preachings of the Gospel. How long St. Zenas afterwards survived we do not find, and for that reason I have fixed his death broadly in the 1st century after the year 63.

[3] By some he is said to have been of the Seventy Pseudo-Dorotheus, as the little Work was edited by Du Cange after the Paschal Chronicle, page 430, commemorates Zenas among the seventy Disciples, and writes of him as follows: Zenas the notary (in Greek νομικὸς) of whom also the Apostle makes mention, who was also bishop of Diospolis. From this muddy fountain in all likelihood the collector of the Greek Menæa drew, who on this day announces Zenas — naming him, however, Zeno — together with John Mark and Aristarchus, who in the catalogue of Pseudo-Dorotheus precede among the Seventy. It will be enough to transfer hither the Latin words of the Sirletian Menology, since they agree exactly with the Greek of the Menæa: On the same day the commemoration of the holy Apostles Mark, Aristarchus and Zeno. Then, after brief elogia of the others, it has this of Zeno, or rather Zenas: And this Zeno is he of whom the apostle Paul made mention in the Epistle which he wrote to the Romans (nay, to Titus). He was bishop of Diospolis, who, having been a habitation of the holy Spirit in preaching the Gospel, passed to the Lord.

[4] and bishop of Diospolis: The same three are announced together at the XXVII of April in the Menæa, as was observed by us in the Prætermissi of that day. There these two little verses are added:

Ζήνων νομικὼν [\*], Αρίσταρχος καὶ Μάρκος Ζωήν ἀρίστην καὶ μακαρίαν εὗρον.

*Zeno the lawyer, Aristarchus and Mark Found the best and blessed Life.*

The elogium differs in a few things. First, all are said to be of the Seventy Disciples. Then of Zenas by name it has this: This Zeno is he whom Paul the apostle calls νομικόν, writing to the Romans (to Titus). Who, when he had been appointed by blessed Peter the first bishop in Diospolis, taught, preaching that Christ is true God. It adds of all three: These therefore, having suffered many hardships from the unbelievers for the building up of the churches and the overthrow of idols, and having been workers of many miracles and healings, passed to Christ the Lord.

[5] but these things are uncertain, as are some others, Lequien in the Oriens Christianus tom. 3 col. 581 reckons up the bishops of Lydda or Diospolis (as the city of Lydda in Palestine was afterwards called), and sets St. Zenas first, acknowledging rightly, however, that his episcopate is uncertain, as being asserted from monuments of weak credit. No more certain is what is asserted in the Menæa, cited by us in tom. 1 of January page 163, and by Peter de Natalibus in the same place page 164, namely that he wrote the Life of St. Titus. It is equally uncertain whether he was of the Seventy Disciples, among whom Peter de Natalibus also, book 6 chapter 100, numbers Zenas. Lastly it seems to me uncertain whether he was anywhere honoured with the ecclesiastical Office which is performed for other Saints on those days on which Zenas is set down in the Menæa. But in the more ancient Fasti of the Greeks I do not find his memory: nor in the Latin Fasti.

\*. νομικὸς