The 6th/7th c. recension of the Latin Martyrologium Hieronymianum, as transmitted in 8th c. manuscripts, records the feasts of a number of saints on 28 June.
Evidence ID
E04865
Type of Evidence
Liturgical texts - Calendars and martyrologies
Major author/Major anonymous work
Martyrologium Hieronymianum
The Martyrologium Hieronymianum is preserved in a number of early manuscripts which share much in common, but also diverge, making it impossible to reconstruct from them a single authoritative text. Below, we therefore offer separate English translations of each important early manuscript. By clicking 'Latin Text' (above), you can view these different versions in their original Latin, set side-by-side for ease of comparison, with also the editions and interpretations of the text suggested by the scholars Quentin and Delehaye. For a full discussion of the Martyrologium, click 'Discussion/Bibliography.'
The Martyrologium Hieronymianum commemorates on 28 June the following feasts:
*Ten martyrs of Egypt under Maximian, (S01765),
*Ploutarchos, Herakleides, Heron, Herais, Serenos, pupils of Origen and martyrs of Alexandria (S00940),
*Potamiaina, Markella, and Basileides, martyrs of Alexandria (S00945),
*Leonides, father of Origen and martyr of Alexandria, (S00939),
*Irenaeus, bishop and martyr of Lyon, (S00317),
The vigils for *Peter, the Apostle, (S00036) and *Paul (S00008),
*Other saints, on 28 June in the Martyrologium Hieronymianum: in Africa, Spain, and Alexandria (S03068).
BnF 10837:
'On the forth day before the Kalends of July, in Africa, [the feast of] Fabianus, Felix, Ario, Capitolinus, and Nicia, Elaphus, Venustus, Eunuchus, Crescens, Alaxander, Theo, Pleosus, Asthefus, Appollo, Ampamompis, Officus, Melous, Dionisus.
In Spain, [the feast of] Pheuicis, Benuerus, Panubrus, Dioscorus, Turbonus, Capitulus, Bicca, Gurdinus.
In the city Alexandria, [the feast of] Serenus, Tradorus, Postaphus, Tyrus, Dosinia, Pasimus, Sicidista, Ambenus, Ariusus, Dioscorus, Orio, Turbanus, Capitulinus, also, Orio, Gimirus, Plutarcus, Hireneus, Heraclus, Herotus, Potominus, Marcella, Basilidus, Leonidus, Panosus, Peca, Sidistus, Pambunus, Orosus, Panuberus, Tilininus.
In Nicea, [the feast of] Sinidus.
In Lyon in Gaul, [the feast of] bishop Hireneus, with seven others, Leonides, Plutarcus, Serenus, Potamia, Marcella.'
Bern 289:
'On the forth day before the Kalends of July, in Africa, [the feast of] Fabianus, Felix, Elaphus, Venustus, Eunichus, Criscentus, Alexander, Theonus, Ario, Pleo, Astefyus, Apollonus, Ampamon, Phisoficus, Melvius, Diunisus, Hynus, Pannus, Pheuicus, Dioscorus, Turbonus, Capitulinus, Nicaea, Gurdonus.
In Alexandria, [the feast of] Serenus, Theodora, Partafus, Titirus, Donisinnia, Passimus, Phesicus, Dista, Ambiniarus, Dioscorus, Orio, Turbanus, Capitulinus, also, Orio, Sirinus, Plutarcus, Hereneus, Heraclus, Herothus, Potaminus, Marcella, Basiledes, Leonidus, Pambonus, Oriosus, Panuberus, Tilinus, Nonnicia, Sinedus.
in Lyon in Gaul, [the feast of] bishop Hereneus, with six others, Leonedes, Plutarchus, Serenus, Potamiena, Marcella.
And the vigils for the Apostles Peter and Paul.'
Weissenburg 81:
'On the forth day before the Kalends of July, in Africa, [the feast of] Fabianus, Felix, Elaphus, Venustus, Eunucus, Crescentus, Alexander, Theonus, Orio, Ploesus, Astefyus, Physocus, Apollonus, Amfamon, Meluus, Dionisus, Hynus, Pannus, Phevicus, Dioscorus, Turbinus, Capitulinus, Nica, Gurdinus.
In Alexandria, the feast of Serenus, Theudorus, Pastafus, Titirus, Dionisima, Passimus, Phesicus, Dista, Ambemarus, Orio, Sinirus, Plutarcus, Hereneus, Heraclus, Herotus, Potaminus, Marcella, Baselidus, Leonus, Pambonus, Oriosus, Panuberus, Tilina, Nonnicia, Sinidus.
In Lyon, [the feast of] bishop Herenus with six others, Potamiema.'
Quentin follows the early manuscripts to a certain extent.
Delehaye reiterated only some saintly commemorations from the early manuscripts.
Translation and comments: M. Vukovic.
FestivalsSaint’s feast
Non Liturgical Activity
Saint’s feast
Commemoration of Synod
Non Liturgical ActivityVigils
Source
The Martyrologium Hieronymianum ('Martyrology of Jerome'), is the oldest extensive martyrology of the Latin West, listing the feast days of the saints for the entire calendar year, generally also specifying where their feasts are held (which is normally their place of burial). It derives its name from prefatory letters copied at the start of the martyrology, which attribute the text to the Church Father, Jerome of Stridon (ob. 420). These letters are present in all the earliest manuscripts, but it is uncertain when they were first attached to the text. The Hieronymianum is the primary source of all later martyrologies of the Latin world.It is universally accepted that the attribution to Jerome, intended to give the text greater authority, is false, and the predominant scholarly view is that the first version of the martyrology was compiled in northern Italy during the 5th century (probably in Aquileia), though no manuscript of this Aquileian redaction has survived. The text was then evidently revised and added to in Gaul, probably in Burgundy, around AD 600. The north Italian origin of the text, and its Gallic revision, are deduced from the presence in the martyrology of saints from northern Italy, and then of saints from Frankish Gaul. This Gallic version (sometimes referred to as the recensio gallica), just like its north Italian predecessor, does not survive in its original form in any manuscript (Lifshitz 2006, 14).
At some point in the 7th century, and no later than the early 8th, the Martyrologium reached Northumbria (in northern Britain), where it underwent some further revision and additions (Lapidge 2005, 45-46). From Northumbria, the text returned to the continent in the 8th century, and it is here that the earliest surviving manuscript copies were made, as listed below (Lapidge 2005, 73).
Some of the sources that were used by the compilers of the Martyrologium in northern Italy, and subsequently in Gaul, can be identified: the so-called Chronography of 354, a mid-4th-century list from Rome of saintly commemorations, primarily of local martyrs (E010151 and E01052); a lost Greek martyrology compiled at Nicomedia around 360 (drawn basically from Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History and Martyrs of Palestine), which was also a prime source for the Syriac Martyrology of 411 (E00465); the African Calendar of Carthage of 505/535 (E02195 - E02205); and early local calendars from Aquileia and Auxerre (Lifshitz 2006, 20).
The four earliest manuscripts of the Martyrologium Hieronymianum (three of them complete, one a fragment), on which all editions, including our own, are based, are all from eastern Francia and were copied in the eighth and early ninth centuries. They are as follows:
Ms Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF), lat. 10837
Written in the abbey of Echternach (in present-day Luxembourg) by a single scribe, Laurentius, between 703 and 710 (Lifshitz 2006, 32). The Catalogue of the BnF, which publishes BnF lat. 10837 on-line, also provides brief information about the dating: https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b6001113z/f22.image (click Information). The text of the Hieronymianum is at fol. 2r-32v.
Ms Wolfenbüttel, Herzog August Bibliothek, Weissenburg 81
From the abbey of Weissenburg in Alsace. Dated to around 800 by the Wolfenbüttel on-line catalogue: http://diglib.hab.de/?db=mss&list=ms&id=81-weiss&lang=en. Lifshitz argues that the manuscript dates from around 772, and was written in the Carolingian royal sphere, in or around Maastrict (Lifshitz 2006, 4). The text of the Hieronymianum is at fol. 7r-103r.
Ms Bern, Burgerbibliothek, Bongars 289
From the abbey of Saint-Avold, near Metz. De Rossi and Duchesne, in the introduction to their edition, argue that Bern 289 must have been written after 766. The text of the Hieronymianum is at fol. 53v-129v. This manuscript is not yet available on line, but we have been able to check it through a microfilm.
Ms Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Pal. lat. 238
From the abbey of Lorsch, near Worms. The manuscript contains only a fragment (five pages) of the Hieronymianum, covering 25 December to 3 January, and 27 January to 31 January, written in Lorsch in the first half of the 9th century: http://bibliotheca-laureshamensis-digital.de/bav/bav_pal_lat_238). The fragment is at fol. 74-75, 1-2.
The standard edition of 1894, by G. B. de Rossi and L. Duchesne, published these four manuscripts in parallel columns. In 1931, H. Quentin produced a new edition, with a commentary by H. Delehaye, which attempted to collate the different manuscript readings into a single text.
Even though all the early manuscripts are believed to descend from the same redaction, they are by no means identical. In particular, BnF lat. 10837, the earliest of all, often contains a text which differs markedly from Bern 289 and Weissenburg 81, which are much closer to each other. Because the text varies between manuscripts, in content as well as spelling, it is now universally agreed that it will never be possible to create an 'authoritative' single text of the Martyrologium Hieronymianum. De Rossi and Duchesne in 1894, facing the same problem, decided to print for each day of the year the text of all four early manuscripts, in four columns, and we have followed their lead. Our edition is essentially based on their edition, though we have checked their readings against the manuscripts, and corrected or removed some letters, words, diacritical marks, and comments introduced by the editors that do not exist in the manuscripts. We have then added three more columns: for Quentin’s text for the feast day, which sometimes comes in one version, sometimes in two, and for Delehaye’s reconstruction of much of the text, drawn from his Commentary. Delehaye's erudition was, and remains, unmatched, and we have leaned heavily on his commentary (which is in Latin), but it should be noted that his reconstructed text often departs markedly from the manuscripts. Using his extraordinary knowledge of the saints and their hagiography, he felt able to combine different parts of the Hieronymianum's text, and to correct garbled versions of names, to produce a more coherent 'original'. We consider each of his principal suggestions in our Discussion (below), and attempt a judgment as to how plausible they are. In Delehaye's extensive notes there are also other, more tentative, suggestions, which we have not discussed systematically.
The reason the Martyrologium Hieronymianum is such a difficult text is because it consists primarily of long lists of names (with no punctuation and no consistency in the use of capital letters), which were often unfamiliar to copyists and so easily garbled. Generally, we cannot get behind these garbled variants, but occasionally we can, allowing us to shed light on how the text evolved into its current, often confused, state. For instance, an entry for 9 March (E04711) probably originally read something like 'In Armenia minore Sebastia milit(um) XL', 'In Lesser Armenia, at Sebasteia, [the feast of] the Forty Soldiers' - in other words a commemoration of the 'Forty Martyrs of Sebaste' (S00103), prominent saints in the East, but less well-known in the Latin West. In one of our manuscripts (Weissenburg 81) this has become 'In arminia minore sabastiani et milia XL', 'In Lesser Armenia, [the feast of] Sebastianus and the forty-thousand'; somewhere in the process of transmission, the city of Sebasteia has become the martyr Sebastianus, and the 'soldiers' (militum) have become 'thousands' (milia).
Discussion
On 28 June, the early manuscripts of the Martyrologium Hieronymianum record first the number of commemorations in Africa of the following saints: Fabianus, Felix, Ario/Orio, Capitolinus, Nicia, Elaphus, Venustus, Eunuchus/Eunichus/Eunucus, Crescens/Criscentus/Crescentus, Alaxander/Alexander, Theo/Theonus, Pleosus/Pleo/Ploesus, Asthefus/Astefyus, Appollo/Apollonus, Ampamompis/Ampamon/Amfamon, Officus, Melous/Meluus, Dionisus/Diunisus, Phisoficus/Physocus, Melvius, Hynus, Pannus, Phevicus, Dioscorus, Turbonus/Turbinus, Capitulinus, Nicaea/Nica, Gurdonus/Gurdinus. A few of them appear among *Ten martyrs of Egypt under Maximian, (S01765). Their BHG text is marked as BHG 1194, and the Latin hagiography as BHL 5259b. The database records their Greek hagiography in the record E06915, and confirms their names to be Marcian, Nicander, Hyperechius, Apollonius, Leonidas, Arius, Gorgias, Pambo, Selenia and Eirene. Although Delehaye suggests this identification, we find only a few names that correspond to the list: Ario/Orio and Appollo/Apollonus. Possibly, Nicia could be identified as Nicander, and Ampamompis/Ampamon/Amfamon as Pambo. The rest of the names Delehaye ascribes to different dates and locations, claiming that some are not the names of the saints, but the names of places. We leave them unidentified.Further, manuscript BnF 10837 records the commemoration in Spain of the following saints: Pheuicis, Benuerus, Panubrus, Dioscorus, Turbonus, Capitulus, Bicca, and Gurdinus. Their names largely overlap with the names of the saints commemorated in Africa in two other manuscripts, which we mentioned above. These saints also stay unidentified.
Next, the three manuscripts commemorate a number of saints in Alexandria: Serenus, Tradorus/Theodora/Theudorus, Postaphus/Partafus/Pastafus, Tyrus/Titirus, Dosinia/Donisinnia/Dionisima, Pasimus/Passimus, Phesicus, Sicidista/Dista, Ambenus/Ambiniarus/Ambemarus, Ariusus, Dioscorus, Orio, Turbanus, Capitulinus, Gimirus, Sirinus/Sinirus, Plutarcus, Hireneus/Hereneus, Heraclus, Herotus/Herothus, Potominus/Potaminus, Marcella, Basilidus/Basiledes/Baselidus, Leonidus/Leonus, Panosus, Peca, Sidistus, Pambunus/Pambonus, Orosus/Oriosus, Panuberus, Tilininus/Tilinus/Tilina, Nonnicia, Sinedus/Sinidus. Some of the names from other places reappear here. Among these saints, some names could be identified to be *Ploutarchos, Herakleides, Heron, Herais, Serenos, (pupils of Origen and martyrs of Alexandria, S00940), which Delehaye also mentions. A few others could be identified as *Potamiaina, Markella, and Basileides, (martyrs of Alexandria, S00945), which are here written as Potominus/Potaminus, Marcella, and Basilidus/Basiledes/Baselidus. Also, the saint Leonidus/Leonus could be identified as *Leonides, (father of Origen and martyr of Alexandria, S00939), present in the record E01853, along with those above him. The other saints stay unidentified.
The manuscript BnF 10837 further records a saint Sinidus, commemorated in Nicaea. Delehaye suggests that this is not a saintly name. The entry records the commemoration of the Synod in Nicaea.
Further, the manuscripts record on this day the commemoration in Lyon of the following saints: Herenus/Hereneus, Potamiema/Potamiena, Leonedes, Plutarchus, Serenus, Marcella. Most of these names are identified in the entry for the day. The first of them could be rightly identified as *Irenaeus, (bishop and martyr of Lyon, S00317).
Finally, the manuscript Bern 289 records on this day the vigils for *Peter, (the Apostle, S00036) and *Paul (S00008).
Unidentified saints are listed by us among *Other saints, on 28 June in the Martyrologium Hieronymianum: in Africa, Spain, and Alexandria (S03068).
Bibliography
Editions:De Rossi, G. B., and Duchesne, L., Martyrologium Hieronymianum ad finem codicum adiectis prolegomenis. Acta Sanctorum Nov.II.1 (Brussels, 1894).
Quentin, H. and Delehaye, H., Acta Sanctorum Nov.II.2 (Brussels, 1931).
On the Martyrologium Hieronymianum:
Duchesne, L., "A propos du martyrologe hiéronymien," Analecta Bollandiana 17 (1898), 421-447.
Lapidge, M., The Roman Martyrs. Introduction, Translations, and Commentary (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018).
Lapidge, M., "Acca of Hexham and the Origin of the Old English Martyrology," Analecta Bollandiana 123 (2005), 29-78.
Lifshitz, F., The Name of the Saint. The Martyrology of Jerome and Access to the Sacred in Francia, 627-827 (Notre Dame, Indiana: University of Notre Dame Press, 2006).
Ó Riain, P., "A Northumbrian Phase in the Formation of the Hieronymian Martyrology. The Evidence of the Martyrology of Tallaght," Analecta Bollandiana 120 (2002), 311-363.
On the manuscripts of the Martyrologium Hieronymianum:
Butzmann, H., Die Weissenburger Handschriften (Frankfurt am Main: Klostermann, 1964), 242-243.
Muller, J. C., "Trois manuscrits liturgiques de l'abbaye d'Echternach à Paris," in Abteistadt Echternach, éd. P. Schritz, A. Hoffmann (Luxembourg, 1981), 202-206.
Ó Cróinín, D., "Rath Melsigi, Willibrord, and the Earliest Echternach Manuscripts," Peritia 3 (1984), 17-49.
Libaert, P., "Notice sur 43 manuscrits d'Echternach conservés à la bibliothèque nationale de Paris," Hémecht 1 (1985), 53-73.
McKitterick, R., Books, Scribes and Learning in the Frankish Kingdoms, Sixth-Ninth Centuries (Aldershot: Variorum, 1994).
On saints and calendars:
Farmer, D. H., Oxford Dictionary of Saints (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1978).
Nilles, N., Kalendarium Manuale utriusque Ecclesiae Orientalis et Occidentalis I-II (Farnborough: Gregg International Publishers Ltd, 1971).
Watkins, B., The Book of Saints: A Comprehensive Biographical Dictionary (London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2015).
Datum Table
| BnF 10837 | Bern 289 | Weissenburg 81 | BAV 238 | Other Mss | Quentin | Quentin | Delehaye |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IIII k iuł in af̃f̃ fabiani felicis arionis capitolini et niciae elaphi venusti eunuchi crescentis alaxandri theonis pleosi asthefi appollonis ampamompis offici meloi dionisi | IIII. KL. IUL. IN AFRICA. Fabiani. Felicis Elaphi. Uenusti. Eunichi. Criscenti. Alexandri. Theoni. Arionis. Pleonis. Astefyi. Apolloni. Ampamon. Phisofici. Meluii. Diunisi. Hynus. Pannus. Pheuicus. Dioscori. Turboni. Capitulini. Niceae. Gurdoni. | IIII KL. IUL.In africa fabiani felicis elaphi uenusti eunuci. crescenti. alexandri theoni orionis ploesi astefyi physoci apolloni Amfamon melui dionisi hynus pannus pheuicus dioscori turbini capitulini nicae gurdini | In Africa Fabiani Felicis Arionis Capitolini et Niciae Elaphi Venusti Eunuchi Crescentis Alexandri Theonis Pleosi Asthefi Appollonis Ampamompis Offici Meloi Dionisi. | In Africa Fabiani Felicis Elaphi Venusti Eunuchi Crescentis Alexandri Theonis Arionis Pleosi Asthefi Appollonis Ampamompis Offici Meloi Dionisi. Pannus Phevicis Dioscori Turboni Capituli Niceae Gurdini. | |||
| in spanis pheuicis benueri panubri dioscori turboni capituli biccae gurdini | in Spanis Phevicis Benveri Panubri Dioscori Turboni Capituli Biccae Gurdini. | ||||||
| alāx civĩ sereni tradori postaphi tyri dosiniae pasimi sicidistæ ambeni ariusi dioscori orionis turbani capitulini it̃ orionis gimiri plutarci hirenei heracli heroti potomini marcellae basilidi leonidi panosi pece sidisti pambuni orosi panuberi tilinini | IN ALEXANDR. Sc̃orū. Sereni. Theodorȩ. Partafi. Titiri. Donisinniȩ Passimi. Phesici. Distȩ Ambiniari. Dioscori. Orion. Turbani. Capitulini. It. orion. Sirini. Plutarci. Herenei. Heracli. Herothi. Potamini. Marcellȩ Basiledis. Leonidi. Pamboni. Oriosi. Panuberi. Tilini. Nonniciȩ. Sinedi. | In alexandria Nat̃ sc̃orū sereni theudori pastafi titiri. dionisimȩ. passimi phesici distae ambemari orion. siniri plutarci herenei heracli heroti potamini marcellȩ baselidi. leoni pamboni oriosi panuberi tilinae nonniciȩ sinidi | in Alexandria civitate sanctorum Sereni Tradori Postaphi Tyri Dosiniae Pasimi Sicidistae Ambeni Ariusi Dioscori Orionis Turbani Capitulini item Orionis Gimiri Plutarci Hirenei Heracli Heroti Potomini Marcellae Basilidi Leonidi Panosi Pecesidisti Pambuni Orosi Panuberi Tilinini in Nicea Sinidi. | in Alexandria civitate sanctorum Sereni Tradori Postaphi Tyri Dosiniae Pasimi Sicidistae Ambeni Ariusi Dioscori Orionis Turbani Capitulini item Orionis Gimiri Plutarci Hirenei Heracli Heroti Potomini Marcellae Basilidi Leonidi Pambuni Orosi Panuberi Tilinini Nonniciae Sinidi. | in Alexandria civitate sanctorum Sereni, Theodori ... Dionisiae, Ammonariae, Dioscori, Sereni, Plutarchi, Heraidis, Heraclidae, Heronis, Potamiaenae, Marcellae, Basilidis, Leonidis. | ||
| ln nicea sinidi | in Nicea sinodi. | ||||||
| lugduno gał hirenei ep̃i cum alĩs VII. leonidis plutarci sereni potamiae marcellae. | LUGDUNO GALL. Herenei ep̃i cũ aliis. UI. Leonedis. Plutarchi. Sereni. Potamienȩ. Marcellȩ. | lugduno. hereni ep̃i cum aliis UI potamiemȩ | Lugduno Galliae Hirenei episcopi cum aliis VII Leonidis Plutarci Sereni Potamiae Marcellae. | Lugduno Galliae Hirenei episcopi cum aliis VII Leonidis Plutarci Sereni Potamiae Marcellae. | Lugduno Galliae Hirenei episcopi. | ||
| et uigilia apostolorum. Petri. et Pauli. |
Record Created By
Marijana Vukovic
Date of Entry
05/06/2023
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00008 | Paul, the Apostle | Paulus | Certain | S00036 | Peter, the Apostle | Petrus | Certain | S00939 | Leonides, father of Origen and martyr of Alexandria | Leonidus/Leonus | Certain | S00940 | Ploutarchos, Herakleides, Heron, Herais, Serenos, pupils of Origen and martyrs of Alexandria | Plutarcus; Heraclus; Serenus; Herotus/Herothus | Certain | S00945 | Potamiaina, Markella, and Basileides martyrs of Alexandria | Potominus/Potaminus; Marcella; Basilidus/Basiledes/Baselidus | Certain | S01765 | Ten martyrs of Egypt under Maximian (Marcian, Nicander, Hyperechius, Apollonius, Leonidas, Arius, Gorgias, Pambo, Selenia and Eirene) | Ario/Orio; Appollo/Apollonus; Nicia; Ampamompis/Ampamon/Amfamon | Certain | S02832 | Irenaeus, bishop and martyr of Lyon | Herenus/Hereneus | Certain | S03068 | Other saints, on 28 June in the Martyrologium Hieronymianum: in Africa, Spain, and Alexandria | Fabianus; Felix; Capitolinus/Capitulinus/Capitulus; Elaphus; Venustus; Eunuchus/Eunichus/Eunucus; Crescens/Criscentus/Crescentus; Alaxander/Alexander; Theo/Theonus; Pleosus/Pleo/Ploesus; Asthefus/Astefyus;Officus; Melous/Meluus; Dionisus/Diunisus; Phisoficus/Physocus; Melvius; Hynus; Pannus; Phevicus/Pheuicis; Dioscorus; Turbonus/Turbinus/Turbanus; Nicaea/Nica/Bicca; Gurdonus/Gurdinus; Benuerus; Panubrus/Panuberus;Tradorus/Theodora/Theudorus; Postaphus/Partafus/Pastafus; Tyrus/Titirus; Dosinia/Donisinnia/Dionisima; Pasimus/Passimus; Phesicus; Sicidista/Dista; Ambenus/Ambiniarus/Ambemarus; Ariusus; Capitulinus; Gimirus; Sirinus/Sinirus; Panosus; Peca; Sidistus; Pambunus/Pambonus; Orosus/Oriosus; Tilininus/Tilinus/Tilina; Nonnicia; Sinedus/Sinidus | Certain |
|---|
Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Marijana Vukovic, Cult of Saints, E04865 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E04865