Marius, Martha, Audifax, and Abachum | |
|---|---|
_-_%25D0%25B8%25D0%25BA%25D0%25BE%25D0%25BD%25D0%25B0_11062_%25D0%259C%25D0%25B0%25D1%2580%25D0%25B8%25D0%25BD%2c_%25D0%2590%25D0%25B2%25D0%25B4%25D0%25B8%25D1%2584%25D0%25B0%25D0%25BA%25D1%2581%2c_%25D0%259C%25D0%25B0%25D1%2580%25D1%2584%25D0%25B0_%25D0%25B8_%25D0%2590%25D0%25B2%25D0%25B2%25D0%25B0%25D0%25BA%25D1%2583%25D0%25BC.png) Russian illustration: (left to right) Marius, Abachum, Martha, Audifax | |
| Martyrs | |
| Born | 3rd century Parthian Empire |
| Died | 270 Nymphae Catabassi, near Rome |
| Venerated in | Catholic Church,Eastern Orthodox Church |
| Majorshrine | Rome,Prüm Abbey |
| Feast | 19 January |
Saints Marius, Martha, Audifax, and Abachum[1] (died 270) were, according to their largely legendarypassio of the 6th century, four saints of the same family (a married couple and their two sons). They came fromPersia toRome, and weremartyred in 270 for sympathizing with Christian martyrs and burying their bodies. Some ancientmartyrologies place the date of their death between 268 and 270, during the reign ofClaudius II, although there was no persecution of Christians during this time.[2]
Their story relates how the family's assistance to Christians exposed them to persecution. They were seized and delivered to the judge Muscianus or Marcianus, who, unable to persuade them toabjure their faith, condemned them to various tortures. Despite the torture, the saints refused to abjure.[3] Marius and his two sons were thusbeheaded on theVia Cornelia, and their bodies were burnt. Martha meanwhile was killed at a place calledin Nimpha or Nymphae Catabassi (later called Santa Ninfa),[4] thirteen miles fromRome. Tradition states that Martha was cast into a well.
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According to tradition, a Roman lady named Felicitas secured the half-consumed remains of the father and sons and also the mother's body from the well, and had the sacredrelics secretly interred on her estate atBuxus, todayBoccea. This is said to have occurred on January 20.[2] A church arose at Boccea, and during the Middle Ages, it became a place ofpilgrimage.[2]
Therelics of the martyrs later suffered various vicissitudes: some were transferred to the churches ofSant'Adriano al Foro andSanta Prassede, inRome, and part of these relics were sent toEginhard, biographer ofCharlemagne, who lodged them in the monastery ofSeligenstadt.[2] Some relics went toPrüm Abbey where their presence was recorded in the early 11th century. The originalreliquary chest was destroyed during the French occupation at the end of the 18th century. The current chest dates from the 19th century.
The martyrs are inscribed in the currentRoman Martyrology on 19 January.[5] Their feast or commemoration was included on that date in theGeneral Roman Calendar from the 9th century to 1969, when they were excluded because nothing is known with certainty about them except their names, their place of burial (the cemeteryAd Nymphas on the Via Cornelia), and the day of their burial (19 or 20 January).[6]
The church inRome ofSanti Mario e Compagni Martiri ("Saint Marius and Companion Martyrs") is named in their honour.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Sts. Maris, Martha, Audifax, and Abachum".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.