The Lives of the Saints, Volume 03 (of 16): MarchBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Religion
The Lives of the Saints, Volume 03 (of 16): March
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Christian saints
[By the Greeks on this day, but S. Basiliscus alone on May 22nd.
Menologium of the Emperor Basil, Modern Roman Martyrology. Tamayus
Salazar, trusting to the forged Flavius Dexter, claims them to be
Spanish martyrs. This is a common trick of some Spanish hagiologists,
who have appropriated all martyrs that are not, in Martyrologies,
given a place of martyrdom, and the pseudo-Dexter simply mentioned
these saints without saying that they were of Amasea and Comana;
therefore Salazar audaciously says, "In Caspetana (Sierra di
Guadalupe) in Spain, SS. Felix, Luciolus, ... Cleontius, Eutropius,
Basiliscus, who, in the persecution of Maximian, under Asclepiades,
the Governor, endured torments, and the cross itself, and as martyrs
ascended to Heaven." The forger of Flavius Dexter took the names from
the modern Roman Martyrology, where the name of the place of martyrdom
is not mentioned, and set them down as martyrs in some unknown city
of Spain; Salazar improved on the Pseudo-Dexter by planting them in
the Sierra di Guadalupe. The life of S. Basiliscus, if genuine, is by
Eusignius, who knew the martyr, and was himself, probably, a martyr in
the persecution afterwards, and is commemorated on August 5th. In the
life are many passages which show that Eusignius was well acquainted
with the facts he describes, such as "Christ accompanied His martyr,
as Basiliscus afterwards told me, Eusignius." He was eye-witness of
the events; he says, "As we approached the city, we heard, &c., ...
we tasted ... and when we went in, we heard, ... we, to whom it was
granted to see this terrible mystery ... we asked the speculator, and
gave him thirty gold pieces, and he gave us the body, and we buried
it, and we sowed vegetables ... and we went to rest." The Acts, if
they are genuine, and not an impudent forgery, have undergone much
interpolation. Some of these additions are apparent from a change of
the "we" to "they" in the account of the journey to Comana.]
In the reign of Maximian and Maximin, Agrippa was sent into Pontus, to
be governor in the room of Asclepiades, with orders to constrain all
Christians to sacrifice. Basiliscus, Eutropius, and Cleonicus, three
Christians of Amasea, were seized and thrown into prison. And when
Eutropius and Cleonicus had suffered, the blessed Basiliscus with many
tears prayed, saying, "O Lord Jesus Christ, remember me, even unto the
end, and make my calling manifest unto all, that I may not be separated
from these holy men who have been taken with me, and who have suffered
before me, and are crowned!" Then the Lord appeared to him and said, "I
will not forget thee. Thy name is written with those who have been with
thee. But be not downcast because thou art last; for thou shalt precede
many. But go, bid farewell to thy mother and thy brethren, and when
thou returnest, thou shalt receive thy crown. Fear not the torments
prepared for thee, for I shall be at thy side."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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