EUSEBIUS, the parent of church history, and an eye-witness of what he
relates concerning these martyrs, gives the following account of them.
"Several Christians of Egypt, whereof some had settled in Palestine,
others at Tyre, gave astonishing proofs of their patience and constancy
in the faith. After innumerable stripes and blows, which they cheerfully
underwent, they were exposed to wild beasts, such as leopards, wild
bears, boars, and bulls. I myself was present when these savage
creatures, accustomed to human blood, being let out upon them, instead
of devouring them, or tearing them to pieces, as it was natural to
expect, stood off, refusing even to touch or approach them, at the same
time that they fell foul on their keepers, and others that came in their
way.[1] The soldiers of Christ were the only persons they refused,
though these martyrs, pursuant to the order given them, tossed about
their arms, which was thought a ready way to provoke the beasts, and
stir them up against them. Sometimes, indeed, they were perceived to
rush towards them with their usual impetuosity, but, withheld by a
divine power, they suddenly withdrew; and this many times, to the great
admiration of all present. The first having done no execution, others
were a second and a third time let out upon them, but in vain; the
martyrs standing all the while unshaken, though many of them very young.
Among them was a youth of not yet twenty, who had his eyes lifted up to
heaven, and his arms extended in the form of a cross, not in the least
daunted, nor trembling, nor shifting his place, while the bears and
leopards, with their jaws wide open, threatening immediate death, seemed
just ready, to tear him to pieces; but, by a miracle, not being suffered
to touch him, they speedily withdrew. Others were exposed to a furious
bull, which had already gored and tossed into the air several infidels
who had ventured too near, and left them half dead: only the martyrs he
could not approach; he stopped, and stood scraping the dust with his
feet, and though he seemed to endeavor it with his utmost might, butting
with his horns on every side, and pawing the ground with his feet, being
also urged on by red-hot iron goads, it was all to no purpose. After
repeated trials of this kind with other wild beasts, with as little
success as the former, the saints were slain by the sword, and their
bodies cast into the sea. Others who refused to sacrifice were beaten
{434} to death, or burned, or executed divers other ways." This happened
in the year 304, under Veturius, a Roman general, in the reign of
Dioclesian.
The church on this day commemorates the other holy martyrs, whose crown
was deferred till 310. The principal of these was St. Tyrannio, bishop
of Tyre, who had been present at the glorious triumph of the former, and
encouraged them in their conflict. He had not the comfort to follow them
till six years after; when, being conducted from Tyre to Antioch, with
St. Zenobius, a holy priest and physician of Sidon, after many torments
he was thrown into the sea, or rather into the river Orontes, upon which
Antioch stands, at twelve miles distance front the sea. Zenobius expired
on the rack, while his sides and body were furrowed and laid open with
iron hooks and nails. St. Sylvanus, bishop of Emisa, in Phoenicia, was,
some time after, under Maximinus, devoured by wild beasts in the midst
of his own city, with two companions, after having governed that church
forty years. Peleus and Nilus, two other Egyptian priests, in Palestine,
were consumed by fire with some others. St. Sylvanus, bishop of Gaza,
was condemned to the copper mines of Phoenon, near Petra, in Arabia, and
afterwards beheaded there with thirty-nine others.
St. Tyrannio is commemorated on the 20th of February, in the Roman
Martyrology, with those who suffered under Veturius, at Tyre, in 304.
St. Zenobius, the priest and physician of Sidon, who suffered with him
at Antioch, on the 29th of October: St. Sylvanus of Emisa, to whom the
Menology gives many companions, on the 6th of February: St. Sylvanus of
Gaza, on the 29th of May.
* * * * *
The love of Christ triumphed in the hearts of so many glorious martyrs,
upon racks, in the midst of boiling furnaces, or flames, and in the
claws or teeth of furious wild beasts. How many inflamed with his love
have forsaken all things to follow him, despising honors, riches,
pleasures, and the endearments of worldly friends, to take up their
crosses, and walk with constancy in the narrow paths of a most austere
penitential life! We also pretend to love him: but what effect has this
love upon us? what fruit does it produce in our lives? If we examine our
own hearts, we shall be obliged to confess that we have great reason to
fear that we deceive ourselves. What pains do we take to rescue our
souls from the slavery of the world, and the tyranny of self-love, to
purge our affections of vice, or to undertake any thing for the divine
honor, and the sanctification of our souls? Let us earnestly entreat our
most merciful Redeemer, by the power of this his holy love, to triumph
over all his enemies, which are our unruly passions, in our souls, and
perfectly to subdue our stubborn hearts to its empire. Let it be our
resolution, from this moment, to renounce the love of the world, and all
self-love, to seek and obey him alone.
Footnotes:
1. Rufinus adds, that these beasts killed several of the keepers and
spectators. It is in this sense that some have translated this
passage with Nicephorus. See Vales. In Annot. p. 165. But it seems
improbable that the spectators, who were separated from the arena by
iron rails, and seated on stone benches gradually ascending ten or
twenty men deep all round, should be killed or injured by the
beasts, unless some were so rash as to venture within the rails with
the keepers; which we see several do in the combats of wild beasts.
This, therefore, we are to restrain to the keepers and those who
kept them company.