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
The next martyrologist is Ado, Bishop of Vienne, who has been already
mentioned in connection with the "Martyrologium Parvum." Ado was born
about the year 800, and died in 875. In his preface, Ado says: "For this
work of noting on their proper days the nativities of the Saints, which
are generally found confusedly in calendars, I have made use of a
venerable and very ancient Martyrology, at Aquileja, sent to a certain
holy bishop by the Roman Pontiff, and this was lent me, when at Ravenna,
for a few days by a certain religious brother. This I diligently copied,
and thought to place it at the head of my work. I have, however,
inserted the passions of the Saints somewhat longer in this Martyrology,
for the use of the infirm brothers, and those less able to get at books,
that they may be able to read out of a little book a compendium to the
praise of God and the memory of the martyrs, instead of overhauling a
host of big volumes with much labour." The best edition of Ado's
Martyrology is that by Geo. Rhodigini, published at Rome, 1740.
There have been many later Martyrologies, but these are of far inferior
importance, and need not be here enumerated. In the East, the Greeks had
anciently their collections. That of Eusebius probably formed the basis
of later Menologies. In the Horology are contained calendars of the
Saints for every day with prayers; this portion of the Horology is
called the Menology.
The Menology is divided into months, and contains the lives of the
Saints, in abridgment, for each day, or the simple commemoration of
those whose acts are extant. The Menology of the Greeks is, therefore,
much the same as the Latin Martyrology, and there are almost as many
Menologies as there are Martyrologies. The principal is that of the
Emperor Basil II. (d. 1025), published by Ughelli in his "Italia Sacra."
The larger Menologies are entitled "Synaxaria," because they were read
in the churches on days of assembly. These lives are very long, and the
Menology contains the substance in a condensed form.
The modern Roman Martyrology was drawn up by order of Pope Gregory
XIII., who appointed for the purpose eight commissaries, amongst whom
was Baronius. It leaves much to be desired, as it bristles with
inaccuracies. A fresh edition was issued with some corrections by
Benedict XIV. It demands a careful revision. Many of its inaccuracies
have been pointed out in the course of this work.
It is impossible to dismiss the subject of Martyrologies without a word
on the "Acta Sanctorum" of the Bollandists. This magnificent collection
of Lives of the Saints is arranged on the principle of the Synaxarium,
or Martyrology--that is to say, the Saints are not given in their
chronological order, but as they appear in the calendar.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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