(A.D. 303.)
[Roman Martyrology. In the ancient African Church, as we learn from
S. Augustine, their commemoration took place on Feb. 12th, and on
that day they are given by Usuardus. The Acts are genuine. They were
appealed to in the reign of Honorius, in 412, during the Donatist
controversy to prove that even in the stress of persecution,
Christians had not failed to attend Divine Service on the Lord's
Day. S. Augustine also quotes them in his book against Cresconius,
lib. iii. c. 17, 26, 27, and 29, written in 406. The Synodical
Epistle of the Council of the Catholic Bishops held at Cirta which
quotes these Acts, is included among the works of S. Augustine in
the Benedictine Edition, numbered Ep. 141. It is dated the 14th
June, 412.]
The persecution of Diocletian having broken out in Africa, the
magistrates of Abitina broke, one Sunday, into the house of a citizen,
Octavius Felix, during the celebration of the Divine Mysteries, and
took the priest Saturninus, his four children, and forty-four other
Christians who were assisting at the Holy Sacrifice. The two elder
sons of the priest, Saturninus and Felix, were both lectors; Mary, his
daughter, had consecrated her virginity to God; Hilarion, the
youngest, was still quite a child. Among the other prisoners were
Dativus, a noble senator, Ampelius, Rogatianus, Januarius, Cassian,
Victorian, in all thirty men, and nineteen women.
Dativus marched at the head of the troop which surrounded Saturninus,
standing as children about their father.
When brought before the magistrates, they confessed Christ so
resolutely, that their very judges applauded their courage.
The confessors were shackled and sent to Carthage, the residence of
the pro-consul. They rejoiced to see themselves in chains for Christ,
and sang hymns and canticles during their whole journey to Carthage,
praising and thanking God. The pro-consul, Anulinus, addressing
himself first to Dativus, asked him of what condition he was, and if
he had assisted at the collect or assembly of the Christians. He
answered that he was a Christian, and had been present at it. The
pro-consul bade him declare who presided, and in whose house those
religious assemblies were held: but without waiting for his answer,
commanded him to be put on the rack and torn with iron hooks, to force
the information from him. The martyrs underwent severally the tortures
of the rack, iron hooks, and cudgels. Felix was asked if he had been
at the collect or assembly[32] on the Lord's day. Felix answered, "I
am a Christian." "I did not ask that," said the magistrate, "but
whether you had been at the collect." "Oh, foolish judge!" cried
Felix, "Could I be a Christian and not be present? As if the Lord's
day gathering should be without the Christian, and the Christian
without the Lord's day gathering. Knowest thou not that the one was
made for the other, and the one cannot be without the other?" Then he
was savagely beaten and sent to prison. The weaker sex fought no less
gloriously, particularly the illustrious Victoria; who, having been
converted to Christ in her tender years, had signified a desire to
lead a single life, but to this her pagan parents would not agree
having promised her in marriage to a rich young nobleman. Victoria, on
the day appointed for the wedding, full of confidence in the
protection of Him whom she had chosen for the only spouse of her soul,
leaped out of a window, and took refuge in a Christian church, where
she consecrated her virginity to God, with the ceremonies then used on
such occasions at Carthage, in Italy, Gaul, and all over the West.[33]
To the crown of virginity she earnestly desired to join that of
martyrdom. The pro-consul, on account of her quality, and for the sake
of her brother, a Pagan, tried all means to prevail with her to
renounce her faith. He inquired what was her religion. Her answer was,
"I am a Christian." Her brother, Fortunatianus, undertook her defence,
and endeavoured to prove her lunatic. The saint, fearing his plea
might be the means of her losing the crown of martyrdom, made it
appear by her intelligent answers that she was in her perfect senses,
and she protested that she had not been brought to Christianity
against her will. The pro-consul asked her if she would return with
her brother. She replied, "Being a Christian, I acknowledge none as
brethren but those who keep the law of God." The pro-consul then laid
aside the quality of judge to become her suppliant, and entreated her
not to throw away her life. But she rejected his entreaties with
disdain, and said to him, "I have already told you my mind. I am a
Christian, and I assisted at the holy assembly." Anulinus, provoked at
this constancy, ordered her to prison with the rest, to wait the
sentence of death which he not long after pronounced upon them all.
However, he made an effort to gain the little boy, Hilarion, not
doubting that he would easily prevail with one of his tender age. But
the child showed more contempt than fear of the tyrant's threats, and
answered his interrogatories, "I am a Christian: I have been at the
collect,[34] and it was of my own voluntary choice, without any
compulsion." The pro-consul threatened him with those little
punishments with which children are accustomed to be chastised, little
knowing that God himself fights in his martyrs. The child only laughed
at him. The governor then said to him, "I will cut off your nose and
ears." Hilarion replied, "You may do it; but I am a Christian still."
Then the governor ordered the child to be taken to the prison with the
rest, and Hilarion, with his shrill voice cried, "God be
thanked!"--and so was led away.
At this point these interesting Acts break off abruptly, but a
fragment which has been tampered with by some Donatist hand has, at
the end, this passage, which has been lost from the genuine
Acts:--"These blessed martyrs, being deprived of all nourishment for
their bodies, one by one, and by degrees, sank, overcome with hunger,
and migrated to the heavenly kingdom with the victor's palm, our Lord
Jesus Christ sustaining them, who, with the Father, reigns through
ages of ages. Amen."