Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 13.djvu/796

 SERGinS SERGinS tasius obtained for the tow-n the name of Anastasiopo- lis, which it still retained at the beginning of the seventh century (Gelzer, "Georgii Cyprii Descriptio orbis romani", 45). We may mention also Bishop Candidus, who, at the time of the siege of the town by 8hah Chosroes, (543), ransomed 1200 captives for two hundred pounds of gold (Procopius, "De bello pers." II, 5, 20), and the metropolitan Simeon in 1093 ("Echos d'Orient", III, 23S); this proves that Christianity continued to exist even under Mussul- man domination. Procopius ("De ajdificiis", II, ix), describes at length the ramparts and buildings erected there by Justinian. The walls of Resapha which are still well preserved are o-er 1600 feet in length and about 1000 feet in width; round or square towers were erected about every hundred feet; there are also ruins of a church with three apses. Halifax, .4;i extract of the Jounuih of two voyages. . . of Aleppo to Tadmor in Philosophical Transactions, XIX (Oxford, 1G95), lO'J. 150-2; Le Quiex, Oriens christianics, II, 951; Waddington, Inscriptions de Grice et d'Asie Mineure, 609; Analecta hollandiana, XIV, 373-95; Fillion in Diet, de la Bible, s. v. Reseph; Chapot in Bulletin de correspondance hellenique, XXVII, 280-91; Idem, Lafrontiere de I'Euphrate (Paris. 1907), 328-332. S. Vailhe. Sergius and Bacchus, martyrs, d. in the Diocle- tian j)ersecution in Ca'le-Syria about 303. Their martyrdom is well authenticated by the earliest mar- tyrologies and by the early veneration paid them, as well as by such historians as Theodoret. They were officers of the troops on the frontier, Sergius being primicerius, and Bacchus secundarius. According to the legend, they were high in the esteem of the CiBsar Maximianus on account of their bravery, but this fa- vour was turned into hate when they acknowledged their Christian faith. When examined under torture they were beaten so severely with thongs that Bacchus died under the blows. Sergius, though, had much more suffering to endure; among other tortures, as the legend relates, he had to run eighteen miles in shoes which were covered on the soles 'svith .sharp-pointed nails that pierced through to the foot. He was finally beheaded. The burial-place of Sergius and Bacchus was pointed out in the citj^ of Resaph; in honour of Sergius the Emperor Justinian changed the name of the city to Sergiopolis and made it the see of an arch- diocese. Justinian also built churches in honour of Sergius at Constantinople and Acre; the one at Con- Btantinople, now a mosque, is a great work of Byzan- tine art. In the East, Sergius and Bacchus were uni- versally honoured. Since the seventh century they have a celebrated church at Rome. Christian art rep- resents the two saints as soldiers in military garb with branches of palm in their hands. Their feast is ob- served on 7 October. The Church calendar gives the two saints Marcellus and Apuleius on the same day as Sergius and Bacchus. They are said to have been converted to Christianity by the miracles of St. Peter. According to the "MartjTologium Romanum", they. suffered martyrdom soon after the deaths of Sts. Peter and I'aul and were buried near Rome. Their exist- ing Acts are not genuin(' and agree to a great extent with those of Sts. Xereus and Achilleus. The vener- ation of the two saints is very old. . mass is assigned tf) them in the "Sacramentarium" of Pope Gelasius. AnnhrM liolhin/lumn. X (1895), .'J7.3-:}95; AcXa SS.. Oct- ober, III, H'.i:i-H:i; Bihliothern hadioqraphira Intinn. (Brussfls, 1898-19fX)). 1102: Bihliotheca hndioamphira tiTa-cn (2nd od., Brussels, HK>9), 229-30; cf. for MarpflliiH and Apulnius : Acta 88.. October, III, 826-32; Bibliotheea hnniopr. Int.. 7H0. Klembns Loffler. Sergius I, Saint, Pope r687-701), date of birth unknown; consecrated probably on 15 Dec, 687; d. 8 Sept ., 701. While Pope Conon lay dying, the archdea- con Pascal offered the exarch a large sum to bring about his election as his successor. Through the ex- arch's influence the archdeacon was accordingly elected by a number of people; about the same time another faction elected the archpriest Theodore. The mass of clergy and people, however, set them both aside and chose S( rgius, who was duly consecrated. Sergius, the son of Tiberius, was a native of Antioch; he was educated in Sicily, and ordained by Leo II. The new pope had numerous relations with England and the English. He received Caedwalla, King of the West Saxons, and baptized him (689); and, as he died in Rome, caused him to be buried in St. Peter's. He ordered St. Wilfrid to be restored to his see, greatly favoured St. Aldlielm, Abbot of Malmesbury, and is credited with endeavouring to secure the Vener- able Bedc as his adviser. Finally he consecrated the Englishman Wilhbrord bishop, and sent him to preach Christianity to the Frisians. The cruel Emperor Justinian wanted him to sign the decrees of the so- called Quinisext or Trullan Council of 692, in which the Greeks allowed priests and deacons to keep the wives they had married before their ordination, and which aimed at placing the Patriarch of Constantinonle on a level with the Poi)e of Rome. When Sergius re- fused to acknowledge this synod, the emperor sent an officer to bring him to Constantinople. But the people protected the pope, and Justinian himself was soon afterwards depo.sed (695). Sergius succeeded in extinguishing the last remnants of the Schism of the Three Chapters in Aquileia. He repaired and adorned many basilicas, added the Agnus Dei to the Mass, and instituted processions to various churches. Liber Pontificalis, ed. Duchesne, I (Paris, 1886), 371 sqq.; Hefele, Hist, of the Councils, V (tr., Edinburgh, 1894), 221 sqq.; Bede, Hist, eccles., V; Paulus Diaconus, De gest. Latifjob., VI; HoDQKiN, Italy and Her Invaders, VI (Oxford, 1895), 352 sqq.; Mann, Lives of the Popes, I (London, 1902), ii, 77 sqq. Horace K. Mann. Sergius II, Pope, date of birth unknown; conse- crated in 844, apparently in January; d. 27 Jan., 847. He was of noble birth, and belonged to a family which gave two other popes to the Church. Educated in the schola cantor uiii, he was patron- ized by several popes, and was ordained Cardinal- priest of the Church of Sts. Martin and Sylves- ter by Paschal. Under Gregory IV, whom he succeeded, he became archpriest. At a preliminary meeting to designate a successor to Gregorj', the name of Sergius was accepted by the majority; but a mob endeavoured by force to place a deacon, John, upon the pontifical throne. He was, however, shut up in a monastery, and Sergius was duly con- secrated. From one obviously very partial edition of the "Liber Pontificalis" it would ajjpear that Sergius, owing to devotion to the pleasures of the table, had no taste for business, and entrust(d the management of affairs to his brother Benedict; and that, owing to attacks of gout, he was helpless in body and irritable in mind. His brother usurped all power, and made the getting of money his one concern. As all this is in sharp contrast with the character given to Sergius by the other editions of the "Liber Pontificalis", there can be no doubt about its gross exaggeration. As Sergius was, after a disputed election, consecrated without any reference to the Emperor I^thaire, the latter was indignant, and sent his son Louis with an army to examine into the valid- ity of the election. But Sergius succeeded in pacify- ing Louis, whom he crowned king, but to whom he would not take an oath of fealty. He also made the king's adviser, Drogo, Bishop of Metz, his legate for France and Germany (844). Before he died he wit- nessed a terrible raid of the Saracens on the Homan territory (846), which nearly resulted in the (iapture of the City. Despite the resistance of iw. schnUr of the foreigners at Rome, the pirates sacked the basilicas of St. Peter and St. Patil, and were only prevented by its strong walls from plundering Rome Itself. Churches, aqueducts, and the Lateran Basilica