The Latin Martyrdom of *Marciana (virgin and martyr of Caesarea of Mauretania, S02739), recounts how she destroyed a statue of Diana, had her virginity miraculously protected, and was martyred by being thrown to the beasts, all in Caesarea (Mauretania Caesariensis, western North Africa). Written, presumably in Caesarea, possibly in the 5th c.
Evidence ID
E08210
Type of Evidence
Literary - Hagiographical - Accounts of martyrdom
The martyrdom of the virgin Marciana, in the city of Caesarea, on the 3rd day before the Nones of November [3 November]. (BHL 5256)
The martyrdom of the virgin Marciana, under Budeus the Jew, on the 5th day before the Ides of July [11 July]. (BHL 5257-59)
Short summary:
The virgin Marciana saw in Caesarea the statue of Diana, and she destroyed it. She was first condemned by the governor [provincie rector in BHL 5256; iudex in BHL 5257-9] to be raped by gladiators, but a miraculous wall protected her. Then she was sent to the beasts. A lion did not want to attack her. The Jews, present at the occasion, demanded that she was given to a bull, and then to a leopard, which finally killed her.
Text: Sabine Fialon
Summary: Stanisław Adamiak
MiraclesMiracle with animals and plants
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesWomen
Miracle with animals and plants
Miracle at martyrdom and death
Miracles experienced by the saint
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesWomen
Torturers/Executioners
Jews and Samaritans
Animals
Source
There are two redactions of the text: BHL 5257-9 (the shorter one, 16 manuscripts, from the 11th to the 18th centuries) and BHL 5256 (the longer one, only two manuscripts, from the 10th/11th and 14th centuries). It is difficult to date the text, but the 5th century, possibly its first half, is the most probable option.The Martyrdom of Marciana had never been reedited since its publication by the Bollandists in the 17th century (Januarii, t. 1, pp. 569-571) until both versions were edited and translated by Sabine Fialon in her PhD thesis in 2012. I am particularly grateful to her for sharing it with me. The edition of the shorter redaction was published by Sabine Fialon in Sacris erudiri in 2014.
Discussion
There is no hint of the period in which this story is set.There is no other evidence from Late Antiquity of the cult of Marciana, neither archaeological, nor in the calendars, apart from an entry in the Martyrologium Hieronimianum for 11 July, recording commemoration in Caesarea of Mauretania of a male Marcianus, who is presumably our Marciana, given the place of commemoration and similarity of name (E04878). The great majority of later calendars and martyrologies date her martyrdom to 9 January (Fialon 2018, 234-235). Her cult grew more popular in medieval and modern times.
Certain similarities with the Martyrdom of Salsa (E07852) suggest it may have been written by the same author. There are, however, also many differences: among them, the anti-Jewish character of the Martyrdom of Marciana (whereas in the Martyrdom of Salsa it is Arians who are cast in an evil light).
Bibliography
Edition:Fialon, S., "La Passio sanctae Marcianae (BHL 5256): editio princeps," Sacris erudiri 53 (2014), 15-67.
Fialon, S., Mens immobilis. Recherches sur le corpus latin des actes et des passions d'Afrique romaine (IIe-VIe siècles) (PhD dissertation; Université Paul-Valery, Montpellier III, 2012), 71-111.
Further reading:
Fialon, S., Mens immobilis. Recherches sur le corpus latin des actes et des passions d'Afrique romaine (IIe-VIe siècles) (Collection des Études Augustiniennes. Série Antiquité 203; Paris: Institut d'Études Augustiniennes, 2018), 210-238.
Lanéry, C., "Note d'hagiographie africaine: les Passions de Salsa de Tipasa et de Marcienne de Césarée," in: S. Fialon, J. Meyers (eds.), La Passio Sanctae Salsae. Recherches sur une passion tardive d'Afrique du Nord. Avec une nouvelle édition critique de A.M. Piredda et une traduction annotée du G.R.A.A. (Bordeaux, 2015), 109-131.
Record Created By
Stanisław Adamiak
Date of Entry
09/09/2021
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S02739 | Marciana, virgin and martyr of Caesarea of Mauretania | Marciana | Certain |
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