The Lives of the Saints, Volume 01 (of 16): JanuaryBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Religion
The Lives of the Saints, Volume 01 (of 16): January
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Christian saints
S. Marcian built also the church of S. Irene, another of S. Isidore,
and a baptistery of magnificent appearance, surrounded with five
porches, like that at Jerusalem. "But this one," says the chronicler,
"was greater than that by the sheep market, for here greater miracles
were wrought than there. To that, an angel descended on one day in the
year, and healed but one at a time; at this, whenever a servant of the
Lord ministers, Christ himself is present. The healing, moreover, is not
but once a year, but daily, and not of bodies only, but of souls as
well."
S. Marcian's great compassion extended to women of bad character, and
despising the slander and gossip which he might occasion, by visiting
them in their houses, setting only before his eyes the blessedness of
plucking these brands from the burning, he often sought them out in
haunts of crime; and if they had taken up evil courses through poverty
only, he found for them honest occupations, and by his exhortations and
tears, and his overflowing charity, he convinced and persuaded many of
these unhappy women, so that they came openly and did penance, and some
he sent on pilgrimages to Jerusalem, and some went into solitude, and
recompensed for the past by self-mortification in the desert.
S. DOMITIAN, B. C.
(ABOUT 600.)
[Greek Menaea and Roman Martyrology. His life in the Menaea, and
fuller by Theophylact Simocatta. He is mentioned also by Evagrius,
his contemporary. A letter to him from S. Gregory the Pope, is
extant, praising his learning, prudence and zeal.]
S. Domitian was the son of pious parents, Theodore and Eudoxia by name.
He was an intimate friend, if not, as Evagrius says, "a kinsman of the
Emperor Maurice." He was married for a few years, but his wife dying, he
devoted himself to the services of the Church, and was consecrated
Bishop of Melitene, in Armenia, at the age of thirty.
On the murder of Hormisdas, the Persian King, his son Chosroës II.,
succeeded him (592), but the General Varam having revolted against him,
and being deserted by many of his soldiers, Chosroës fled with his wife,
and two newly-born children, to Circesium. Thence he sent an embassy to
the Emperor Maurice, desiring peace; for at that time war was being
waged between the Persians and the Roman emperors. At the persuasion of
S. Domitian, Maurice admitted his suit, and treated Chosroës as his
guest, instead of as an exile, welcomed him with royal gifts, and placed
the whole of his body-guards, and the entire Roman army, at his
disposal. Moreover, by way of still greater distinction, he sent
Domitian, Bishop of Melitene, to attend him. The Roman army defeated
Varam, and Chosroës was reinstated on the throne of Persia.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account