Timidenses

ON THE HOLY TIMIDENSES IN THE PROCONSULAR PROVINCE OF AFRICA.

From the old Carthaginian Calendar.

Timidenses, in the Proconsular Province of Africa (SS.)

D. P.

That Calendar, by us from its excavator Joannes Mabillon much praised, and described at XXV of this month where of S. Flavian; for this day II Kal. of June of the Holy Timidenses' Birthday suggests, by no other testimony to us indeed confirmable, but neither needing of other confirmation; Known from a single but indubitable testimony, when of the Birthdays of domestic Saints most certainly above the rest can testify the Carthaginian Church itself, whose this Calendar was, by no means copious in names, nor more than eighty days through the year, with the deposition of any of its Bishop, or of another very memorable Saint, or wholly with the patrial name inscribed having. There is indeed from S. Augustine bk. 7 against the Donatists ch. 22 the noted Faustus, Bishop from Timida Regia; and from the Catalogue of those who in the year VI of King Huneric, of Christ CCCCXC, at Carthage convened in the Proconsular Province, in the Proconsular province, of which Carthage itself is the head, Benenatus Tumidensis, in Corsica ordered to exile for the faith. Regia seems to be surnamed that Timida, for distinction from another Synonymous, whence perhaps in the same Catalogue, among the Bishops of Mauretania Caesariensis, is held Securus Timidanensis. Furthermore since the aforesaid Calendar thus by groups of Saints makes mention, the memory of Martyrs to celebrate is gathered from a similar following phrase, by which are there indicated Birthday days, namely, XV Kal. August, of the Holy Scillitani; XI Kal. Aug. of the Holy Maxulitani, III Kal. Aug. of the Holy Tuburbitan women; XVI Kal. Nov. of the Holy Volitani, as others similarly indicated Martyrs, whose place of birth or contest within the bounds of the Proconsular Province is known: and for the Scillitani indeed of the title of Martyrdom is established from the Acts, on the said their day to be brought forth. Nor with another phrase uses the Calendar, when among few externals it mentions, Kal. Aug. of the Holy Maccabees; and … Kal. Sept. of the Holy White Mass. Would that with this indication had, from somewhere a more distinct notice be drawn out, not only of those Timidenses and other already named places; but also of those whom the same Calendar has pertaining to Mauretania Caesariensis on the IIII Kal. Nov. Vagenses… in Mauretania, Id. Nov. of the Holy Capitani (so, as I think, called from their city called Caput-cillanum) and IIII Non. Feb. of the Holy Carterienses, where I judge it should be read Cartennenses. But if of these it is uncertain to inquire, much more difficult it will be come into the notice of those, whose Birthdays are called, III Id. Dec. of the holy Martyrs Eronenses, XVI Kal. Feb. of the Holy Rubrenses, XIIII Kal. Feb. of the Holy Tertullenses and Ficarienses, and elsewhere in Africa. and finally on the XIII Kal. March of the Holy Petrenses. For not even the places are known, whence these receive the nomenclature: wherefore so all together to propose here it pleased: whom indeed I think under Gentile Emperors all suffered, none pertaining to the Vandalic persecution, to which Galesinius would have removed them in his manner, if a notice of them had been obtained.

ON S. DATIANUS OR DATIANA MARTYR AT CARTHAGE IN AFRICA.

From the Martyrology of S. Hieronymus.

Datiana or Datianus, Martyr at Carthage (S.)

D. P.

Datianus or Datiana at Carthage celebrate the same ancient apographs of the Hieronymian Martyrology, Lucca, Blume, and Corbie printed at Paris. But the old MS. of the Queen of Sweden, praised by Holstenius in his Animadversions to the Roman Martyrology, has these things: At Carthage the birthday of S. Datianus. With palaestra however omitted, the name of Datiana is read in MS. Parisiensis of Labbé; and of Datianus, in MS. Augustanus of S. Udalric. Nor more than six codices' testimonies do we find. We must however confess, that not very celebrated was to the Carthaginian Church this martyrdom, since in the aforesaid its Calendar of it no mention is found: unless someone wished to suspect, that the just-mentioned Holy Timidenses, brought to Carthage, for the cause of the faith before the Proconsul to be pleaded, and there having consummated their martyrdom; whose leader was Datianus, alone in the Martyrology named.