Maxima

ON ST. MAXIMA, MARTYR AT ROME, AT ROME.

Under Diocletian.

Her cult, martyrdom, and various observations.

Maxima, M., at Rome. (S.)

BY J. P.

The Roman Martyrology announces this Saint thus on this day: At Rome, of saint Maxima the martyr, She is found in the Roman Martyrology: her Acts in Peter de Natalibus: who, having confessed Christ together with saint Ansanus, in the persecution of Diocletian, while she was beaten with cudgels, gave up her spirit. The few things which we have of this Saint are mixed with the Acts of St. Ansanus the martyr, who is in the said Martyrology at the 1st day of December, for which day we keep them. Peter de Natalibus in the Catalogue of the Saints, bk. 1, ch. 13, treats of him, whence I transcribe this: Ansanus the martyr, a Roman citizen, the son of the noble Tranquillinus, at twelve years of age was secretly, his father not knowing, taught in the faith of Christ by Protasius the priest and baptized, and was raised from the sacred font by Maxima the virgin, of the territory of Tonagritum: who, being denounced by his father to the emperors Diocletian and Maximian in the thirteenth year of their reign, together with that same virgin Maxima, was by them seized and delivered to prison for many days. Which sacred Virgin the aforesaid emperors caused to be beaten with cudgels so long that she breathed out her spirit. Thus he there concerning St. Maxima; but the very few things which follow pertain to St. Ansanus. From his Passion Ferrari drew a brief summary concerning her in the Catalogue of the Saints of Italy on this day, in which it is narrated that sight was restored by them to a blind man. I report the matter from the Passion of St. Ansanus itself, which we have, even though it may not seem of great moment: And when morning came they rose to go to the emperors, and they found on the way a blind man, to whom by God's mercy they restored sight.

[2] whether virgin and martyr: the time Here now, reader, are some observations for you. First, Peter de Natalibus in the place cited writes of this Saint as of a virgin and martyr. Arturus in the Gynæceum also gives her both titles; but the Roman Martyrology calls her martyr only; Ferrari calls her a Roman woman, and that in conformity with the Acts of St. Ansanus, in which I read this: There was there a woman Maxima, very Christian, etc. Secondly, Baronius writes that St. Ansanus was crowned with martyrdom under the persecution of Diocletian and Maximian in the year 303, as may be seen in him in the same place, n. 121. The same year he thus proves in his notes on St. Ansanus at the 1st day of December: He suffered (as the Acts of the church of Siena, which he had cited and said that he had received in Ms., declare) in the consulship of Diocletian for the eighth time and Maximian for the seventh: that is, according to the Fasti of Onuphrius, the three hundred and third year from Christ the Lord: in which the famous tenth persecution was begun.

[3] This too seems to be indicated in the transcripts of ours of the martyrdom of St. Ansanus, of the passion, etc. in which it is called a savage persecution: but the note of time by the thirteenth year of the reign of the said emperors they neither set down distinctly, nor in agreement with the year 303 just designated: for since the year 286 was the third of Diocletian as emperor, and the first of Maximian as emperor, it follows that the eleventh year of the latter falls in 296, which was the thirteenth of the former. In our transcript from a Roman Ms. this clause is also set down: And there were running the years of the Lord … CCXCVI. But Castellanus places St. Maxima about the year 304: whom I above at n. 1 marked under Diocletian, following the Roman Martyrology, since the year is not clear to me. Thirdly, what the name Tonagritan in Peter de Natalibus means I do not for my part understand, after I have sought it out with sufficient labor, but in vain. In our transcripts cited it is written Onacritan, Olimphitan, and Olimphinat: but I suspect that a fault has crept in everywhere. Fourthly, I have announced our Saint at Rome, and without the title of virgin, with the Roman Martyrology. Fifthly, her body, taken up by the Christians, was buried on the IV of the Nones of September, according to Ferrari, designated before. And although I do not remember reading these things in our aforesaid Mss., nevertheless on this day we give Maxima with the same Martyrology.

ON ST. TIMOTHY, MARTYR AT ANTIOCH, AT ANTIOCH.

Of the 11th of September.

Timothy, M., at Antioch. (S.)

J. P.

This Saint, known to us not by his deeds but by his cult, is inscribed in various Martyrologies. For the ancient one which Florentini published reports him thus: At Antioch, the birthday of saint Timothy. In the same place in the notes, the Corbie Martyrology: At Antioch, the birthday of saint Timothy the martyr. More briefly in the same place the Martyrology of St. Willibrord: At Antioch, of Timothy. With the Corbie one agrees the Martyrology which d'Achery published in vol. 4 of the Spicilegium.

ON SS. AITHALAS AND AMMUN, MARTYRS AT ADRIANOPLE IN THRACE, AT ADRIANOPLE IN THRACE.

Aithalas, M., at Adrianople in Thrace. (S.)

Ammun, M., at Adrianople in Thrace. (S.)

J. P.

The great printed Menæa of the Greeks record these two holy Champions, and adorn them with the following elogium: These holy Martyrs, while Rabdus administered the prefecture of Thrace which was at Adrianople, were accused as Christians. And being questioned about their condition and office, they confessed that they were Christians. And when they could not be brought to sacrifice to the idols, the tyrant, being at a loss and doubtful as to their answers, tried to shake the firmness of their faith with sinews. They were therefore so tortured with such great torments that in them they gave up their spirit to God. Nor have I more to say of these Saints.