ON ST. PRIMITIVA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR, AT ROME.
From the Martyrologies.
CommentaryPrimitiva, virgin and martyr, at Rome (St.)
J. B. S.
Concerning St. Primitiva something mentions the Roman Martyrology on the 24th of February, yet in such a way that our Elders showed it to be sufficiently doubtful, whether it be not rather of Primitivus than of Primitiva. Another synonym, A virgin sufficiently celebrated, as the daughter of St. Anastasius the Cornicularius, is reported on the 11th of May; but none more illustrious than she who on this day is proclaimed, at least in the Martyrologies: so that it is almost incredible that a Virgin so celebrated is known by name only, since nothing anywhere concerning her native land, age, deeds, or kind of martyrdom is handed down to memory. From the Hieronymian ones Notker received her, from whom most verisimilarly she passed into all the fuller Usuardine codices, which in a long series in our edition enumerated you will find. That by Usuard himself she was passed over, will not seem wonderful to those who remember that in his usual sources, the Little Roman, Bede, or rather Florus, and Ado, she was not found. The common announcement of all the Usuardine codices is: At Rome, of holy Primitiva, or: At Rome, the birthday of holy Primitiva, with the title of virgin added in some.
[2] Concerning the Hieronymian announcement and the recurring discrepancy among the codices Florentini disputes, since somewhere is read Primitiae, but of whom the true place of deposition, elsewhere Privatae, but in the most ancient Epternach one the place of martyrdom is omitted, and the Saint is joined to a foreign martyr; but these things are sufficiently ordinary. Another question in him, what his codices' Via Acula or Accula means; which at length into a question is resolved: Is Via Acula now Aquapendente? I do not think so; since, that she may as a Roman martyr be eagerly proclaimed; Aquapendente is too remote from the City, about at the middle of the journey toward Siena. Let us frankly confess, whether this be the true place or a word corrupted from elsewhere, that Acula is hitherto unknown, as also the determinate place where the sacred body of St. Primitiva either once was deposited or now anywhere is kept: concerning whose relics, among pious worshipers, which elsewhere so often we are compelled to deplore, there is no, at least so far as we know, contention either at Rome or elsewhere.
[3] and her deeds are unknown. There remains the brief eulogy of Ferrarius, which for penury of matter he thus composed in few words: Primitiva, a virgin, and she herself at Rome crowned with martyrdom, is reported in the Roman Martyrology and others. But the time and Acts of the same are lacking: that she was not a Roman we conjecture, because concerning her in the book On the Virgins of Rome of Antonio Gallonio there is absolutely no mention: although by that author perhaps she was omitted, because what he might write concerning her, he had nothing. This indeed I think most true, but what the same Ferrarius in his annotation observes, is worthy of commiseration, by our grammar-school boys, whom Cicero's epistles teach the Roman Kalends, altogether to be hissed off. Baronius, he says, in the annotation to the Martyrology, cites Peter in the Catalogue, Book 2, chapter 200; but Peter there mentions Primitiva as a virgin only, who on the 10th of the Kalends of August rested. Unless you wish the particle only to be referred not to the 10th of the Kalends, but to virgin, so that she may be distinguished from ours, because this one is also called a martyr.