Latin inscription marking the presence under an altar table of relics of the *Martyrs of Massa Candida (S00904), 'Hesidorus' (probably *Isidoros, soldier and martyr of Chios, S00425), the *Three Hebrew Youths (of the Old Testament Book of Daniel, S01198), *Martinus (probably the ascetic and bishop of Tours, ob. 397, S00050) and *Romanus (probably the deacon martyred at Antioch, S00120). Found in Calama (Numidia, central North Africa). Probably 6th/7th c.
Evidence ID
E08257
Type of Evidence
Inscriptions - Formal inscriptions (stone, mosaic, etc.)
+ Sub hec sacro
s(an)c(t)o belamine alta-
ris sunt memoriae
s(an)c(t)or(um) Massae Candi-
dae, s(an)c(t)i Hesidori,
s(an)c(t)or(um) Triu(m) Pueroru(m),
s(an)c(t)i Martini, s(an)c(t)i Romani +
'Under the holy veil of the altar there are relics (memoriae) of the saints of Massa Candida, of holy Isidore, the holy Three Youths, holy Martinus and holy Romanus.'
Text: Duval 1982, no. 85.
Translation: Stanisław Adamiak
Relics
Unspecified relic
Source
On a slab of white marble, 57 by 53 cm (maximum thickness 15 cm); letters 6-7 cm high (4-5.5 cm in the last line). Found during construction works in Calama, and now in the Louvre (inv. no. 3342).The letters and the abbreviations are characteristic for the Byzantine period, and may be 7th century.
Discussion
Though not found in situ, this inscription is explicit testimony to relics under an altar table.Two of the groups of saints are readily identified: the Martyrs of Massa Candida, near Utica (in Proconsularis), who received extensive cult in Africa, and the Three Hebrew Youths of the Old Testament Book of Daniel. The relics of the latter constitute the sole evidence we have of Old Testament relics being venerated in Africa.
The other three saints cannot be identified with complete confidence, and it is always possible that one or more of them is a local African martyr. However, Hesidorus is probably Isidoros, the soldier and martyr of Chios, who is the best-known saint of our period bearing this Greek name (unfamiliar in Africa), and Romanus the renowned martyr buried at Antioch.
Martinus is particularly interesting, because he is probably the ascetic bishop of Tours, whose cult in Italy and Hispania is well attested, but for whom this would be unique cultic evidence from Africa (indeed unique evidence of relics of any Gallic saint travelling this far south). (Martinus is a name rarely found in African: just one Martinus features amongst the hundreds of lesser martyrs of Africa listed in the Martyrologium Hieronymianum, and he appears at the end of a list of five (or six) martyrs commemorated on 3 December (E05040), and so is extremely unlikely to be the Martinus listed here.)
Bibliography
Edition and commentary:Duval, Y., Loca sanctorum Africae: Le culte des martyrs en Afrique du IVe au VIIe siècle (Rome: École Française de Rome, 1982), vol. 1, 176-178, no. 85.
Images
)
From Y. Duval 1982, no. 85
Record Created By
Stanisław Adamiak
Date of Entry
13/07/2023
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00050 | Martin, ascetic and bishop of Tours, ob. 397 | Martinus | Uncertain | S00120 | Romanos, deacon of Caesarea, martyred at Antioch | Uncertain | S00425 | Isidoros, soldier and martyr of Chios | Hesidorus | Uncertain | S00904 | Martyrs of Massa Candida (Utica) | Certain | S01198 | Three Hebrew Youths of the Old Testament Book of Daniel | tres pueri | Certain |
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Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Stanisław Adamiak, Cult of Saints, E08257 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E08257