ON SAINT CYRUS, BY THE GREEKS HONORED.
From Mss. Synaxaria. Different from him Cyrus Bishop of Smyrna.
CommentaryCyrus, by the Greeks honored (S.)
D. P.
This S. Cyrus among the Greeks in veneration to be held, we learn from Mss. Synaxaria, In peace is said to have rested: which at Dijon & at Paris we have found. The first were preserved in the College of the Society of Jesus with Peter Francis Chiffletium, in which on this day IX June he is named, as who in peace rested, with these added verses: You did not pollute the rational image, Cyrus: Standing by God, of whom you are according to the image.
The rational image you did not pollute, Cyre: & to God you stand by, of whom you are to the image.
[2] What at Paris we found in the library of Cardinal Mazarin, different from two Saints of his name: the same refer to the following day, X of this month of June. But only the name they exhibit, which hitherto nowhere we have found in Fasti any Greek inscribed, so that about him named here it could be taken. For S. Cyrus, with S. John on XXXI January Martyr, of Alexandria most celebrated, under Diocletian; & S. Cyrus of Constantinople Patriarch, on VIII of the same month, by more excellent their laurel prohibit themselves here to be understood: in the Lives however of the Fathers no Cyrus anywhere occurs. Accordingly I judge, from more recent those some, who in IX or X century in Romania near the Royal City flourished, & of Saint title & cult merited, in some ignoble little chapel or monastery; whence it happened that so rare are & not most ancient, which the name of him refer Synaxaria: although not I be ignorant such of rarity causes from time to time other to be found can, which not it pleases by conjecturing to call into this place.
[3] If at least of Bishop title would be added, suspicion to fall to someone about Cyrus, yea even from the Smyrnian Bishop, a most illustrious Man, could, who in year CCCCXLI alone the Consulate exercised, & on the third after year through envy cast down from the Prefecture under Theodosius, was given as Bishop to the Smyrnean people, already four times of Bishops their by slaughter polluted, as certainly about to perish even himself. How however the step, which of destruction by cause he was compelled to ascend, was made to him a theater of virtue, it pleases here to add from the Chronicle, which commonly called Alexandrine, Paschal rather to be called must, with most recent labor his demonstrated the most learned Cangius. Worthy certainly was Cyrus this, whom Smyrnean Church more specially would venerate: about whom Priscus Thrax or Panites refers, & who the fortune of him to us described left Priscus Thrax, altogether contemporary author to be seems: the same whom praises Evagrius book 5 ch. last as who has written matters after Arcadius & Honorius following; Suidas indeed Byzantine & Attalic history to have written teaches, Panitem surnaming, namely from Panius of Thrace's shore near Heraclea, whence born the man, even to Embassies applied by Theodosius, as is known from Jornandes about Getic affairs ep. 24 & in other place. This therefore have a fragment of History of him, which in the Vatican library still unedited to be held, writes Raphael Volaterranus book 13 Anthropology, & which into light to be given to the literary matter's advantage it would profit.
[4] He says therefore in the Chronicle this praised Author, Cyrus Prefect of the Praetorium & Prefect of the City to be in year CCCCXLIV. The same indeed Prefect of the Praetorium, processed in the carriage of the Prefect of the City sitting: how through envy cast down from the Prefecture, these indeed twin Magistracies through four years obtained, because unculpable wholly was his life. Even the lights vespertine in workshops, likewise & nocturnal to be lit invented: & acclaimed to him the factions in the circus the whole day; Constantine founded, Cyrus renovated. On account of these acclamations to Cyrus made, offended the Emperor, & to him angry, another substituted, & of his goods confiscated a Cleric to be made forced: & sent to Smyrna, an Asian city, that there Bishop he would act: of which indeed city the citizens when four their Bishops already had killed, Cyrus equally about to kill persuaded he had. When however into the city he had come Cyrus, on the very of the Lord our Natal day; the Smyrneans suspecting, as a Pagan man, sent to them to be by the Emperor as Bishop, asked from him that before the gathering words he would make. Forced therefore by them, the ambo he ascended, words to make: & with peace given thus his discourse he began. Brethren, happily took up the Church, whence other 4 before had fallen. the Natal of God our Saviour Jesus Christ in silence is venerated: because by hearing alone in the holy Virgin he was conceived: he was indeed the Word: to Him glory for ages. Amen. & with made acclamation he descended, & there remained even to death. The history of David & of Tobias the Younger in one in man renewed you would see, of whom to the one the acclamations of the people favorable hatred kindled of him, who bitterly had loved most, on account of the republic saved; to the other was preserved a bride through the prior of those unworthy by death, what to the Church of Smyrna could at that time have agreed, with a distinguished of divine providence play, with chosen His converting into good, what the enemy Satan to them for evil had thought.