ON ST. MARK THE MARTYR, BISHOP OF APOLLONIAS IN ASIA MINOR.
A notice from a Ms. Synaxary of the College of Dijon
Marcus, Bishop of Apollonias, Martyr (S.)
D. P.
Stephanus Byzantius in his work On the Cities, enumerates twenty-five cities called by the name of Apollonia: An Episcopal See, from all of which this Apollonias here mentioned seems to be different, whether that city was of Caria, whose Bishop Tyncharius is believed to have been in the Council of Chalcedon, although in Greek "Caria" is not added; or rather an Episcopal city of Bithynia under the Archbishopric of Nicomedia, situated on the border of Mysia near the Rhyndacus river, whence also it seems to be assigned to Mysia by Stephanus, distant from the Propontis 12 Roman miles to the South, and as many from the city of Cyzicus. Mention of this See in the first Council of Nicaea is made in these words: "Gorgonius, Bishop of Apollonia, from Apollonias," namely so that he might be distinguished from the other Apollonian cities. But we judge that Mark the Bishop of that Apollonias suffered under the Heathen Emperors, who in the Ms. Menaea found at Dijon with Peter Francis Chifflet of the Society of Jesus, is thus reported on this 16th of June: "Ὁ ἅγιος Μάρκος Ἐπίσκοπος Ἀπολλωνιάδος, and the kind of death. λίθων ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτοῦ κρεμασθέντων ἐξαρθρωθεὶς, τελειοῦται." Saint Mark Bishop of Apollonias, with stones hung to his hands and being dislocated, ended his life. Then are added Verses alluding to the likeness of the scales (lances), hanging from the beam of a balance, which his hands thus weighted presented: "Ζυγός σε, Μάρκε, τῷ βαρεῖ τῷ τῶν λίθων / Τὰς χεῖρας ὡς πλάστιγγας ἐκκρεμῶν κάτω."
A yoke, O Mark, by the heavy weight of the stones, inclines both thy hands downward, like scales.
Other than this St. Mark seems to be the elder Mark, called the cousin of Barnabas by St. Paul, in the Epistle to the Colossians, of whom we treated above on the 11th of this same month among the Acts of St. Barnabas, where I made it probable that he is Mark the Evangelist.
ON THE FIVE HOLY MARTYRS OF NICOMEDIA AMONG THE GREEKS
From the same Ms. Synaxary.
CommentaryFive Martyrs, at Nicomedia in Bithynia (SS.)
D. P.
Nicomedia, the Seat of the Heathen Emperors, was the wrestling-ground of more Martyrs than any other city of the East. Both expressed by their names, and often indicated in great number without names, we set forth them repeatedly in this whole work of ours: but on this 16th day of June, from the Ms. Menaea of the Dijon college of the Society of Jesus, brought thither by Peter Francis Chifflet, we give the five holy Martyrs aforetitled; whom the collector of the book seems to indicate as not so much having suffered there, as sprung thence or brought to the judge there, when he writes, "Οἱ ἅγιοι ε΄ Μάρτυρες, οἱ ἐκ Νικομηδείας, ξίφει τελειοῦνται,"
The Holy 5 martyrs, from Nicomedia, by the sword are consummated: but in the subjoined distich they are compared to a tower, shaken by an earthquake, in this manner: "Πίπτει συνάθλων πέντε πύργιον μέγα, / Σεισμῷ κλονηθὲν τῷ ξίφει τοῦ δημίου."
The excellent tower of the five fellow-athletes falls, shaken by the executioner's sword as by an earthquake.
ON THE FORTY HOLY ROMAN MARTYRS
From the same Dijon Synaxary.
CommentaryThe Forty Roman Martyrs (SS.)
D. P.
In the same Dijon Menaea, they are thus reported on this same 16th day of June: "Τῇ αὐτῇ ἡμέρᾳ, οἱ ἅγιοι ν΄ Ρωμαῖοι, πυρὶ τελειοῦνται." The Holy forty Romans on the same day by fire end their life. Of this kind of saints hitherto we have not had, at least in such a number. They are honored with these Verses, frigid indeed, yet here to be placed, while nothing else about them is available to us: "Τοὺς πέντε, πέντε, πέντε, πέντε γεννάδας / Πῦρ πέντε, πέντε, πέντε, καὶ πέντε φλέγει."
These five, five, five, five champions And five, five, five, five, the fire consumes.