Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 3.djvu/826

 CHRYSANTHUS

742

CHRYSOGONUS

It was O. S.

According to N. S. it would be: — Century (N. S.) Year 1586 Month Day

3 + 2 +2 + 8= 15 = Sunday. This is an illustration of February being reckoned in the preceding year.

Giry. Manuel de Diplomatique (Paris, 1894); Mas-La- trie, Trcsor de chronologic (Paris. 1889), Introduction; Grote- fend. Taschenbuch der Zeitrechnung (Hanover and Leipzig, 1905)- Grotefend, Zeitrechnung des d. Mitlelaltcrs und der Neuze'it (3 vols.. Leipzig. 1891-8). Other valuable works of reference are the Benedictine Art de verifier les dates (Paris, 181S-42); Bond, Handy Book for Verifying Dates (1875); Ideler, Handblich der Chronologic (Berlin, 1825-6); Hampson, Medii .£vi ' Kalcndarium (London, 1841); Krusch, Studien zur christhch-mittrlaltertichen Chronologic (Leipzig, 1881); Sachse, Das Aufkommen der Datierungen nach dan Fatkedender in L'r- kimden, etc. (Erlangen, 19041; Nilles, Calendarium Utriusque Bedesiae (Innsbruck, 1896); Marzi, La Questione della Riforma del Calendario nel quinto concilio Lateranensi (Florence, 1896); Macdonald, Chronologies and Calendars (London, 1897); Gold- Schneider, lleber die Einfuhrung der neuen Kalender in Dane- mark und Schwcden (Berlin, 1898); Lersch. Einleitung in die Chronologic (Freiburg, 1889); Ledouble, La Connaissance des Annees ct des Jours (Soissons. 1887). a convenient little hand- book; Arbuthnot, The Mysleriesof Chronology (London, 1900).

John Gerard.

Chrysanthus and Daria, Saints, Roman martyrs, buried on the Via Salaria Nova, and whose tombs, ac- cording to the testimony of the itinerary guides to the tombs of the Roman martyrs, were publicly vene- rated (De Rossi, "Roma Sotterranea", I, 176). A church erected over the tomb was situated near that of St. Saturninus, which was built over the catacomb of Thraso (ccemeterium Thrasonis ad S. Saturninum). Their tomb was in fact in a disused sandpit (arenaria) near this catacomb. The two martyrs were revered in Rome in the fourth century, as the appearance of their names in the " Martyrologium Hieronymianum " proves. The existing Acts of these Martyrs are with- out historical value; they did not originate until the fifth century, and are compiled in two texts — a longer one, written originally in Greek, but afterwards trans- lated into Latin, and a shorter one in Latin. The historical notices of Chrysanthus and Daria in the so- called historical martyrologies of the West, as in the Greek Synaxaria, go back to the legend which makes Chrysanthus the son of the noble Polemius of Alex- andria. He came to Rome with his father and was converted by the presbyter Carpophorus. Every- thing was done to make him apostatize. Daria, a beautiful and very intelligent Vestal, entered into relations with him, but she herself was won over to the Christian Faith by Chrysanthus, and both con- cluded a virginal matrimonial union. Many Romans and Roman ladies were converted by these, among them the Tribune Claudius, his wife Hilaria, and two sons Maurus and Jason, all of whom, with the excep- tion of the mother, suffered martyrdom. Chrysan- thus and Daria were themselves condemned to death, led to a sandpit in the Via Salaria, and there stoned.

This legend is evidently connected with a number of Roman martyrs, whose tombs were venerated in the catacombs of the Via Salaria, near those of Chrys- anthus and Daria. The story, apart, from the assured fact of their martyrdom and the veneration of their tombs, lias, perhaps, some historical value, in assign- ing the date tn tin' roisrn of Mir Emperor Numerianus (283-Sli As this ruler was never in Rome, some historians believe (fur instance, AUard; see below) that the name is Valerianus, and transfer the martyr- dom to the persecution under this emperor. But per- haps the name of Xumcrianus ought to be adhered to, and the origin of this indication is to be found in the legend of an Oriental martyr having the same name. There is another martyrdom closely con- nected with the tomb of (he two saints, which is re- lated at tin' end of the Acts of these martyrs. \ 1 1 . i the death of Chrysanthus and Daria, when many of the faithful of Rome were assembled, at their tomb '"

celebrate the anniversary of their death, they were surprised by the persecutors, who filled in with stones and earth the subterranean crypt where the Christians were assembled, so that all perished. Later, when the tomb of Sts. Chrysanthus and Daria was looked for and found, the bones of these martyrs, and even the liturgical silver vessels, which they used for the celebra- tion of the Eucharist, were also discovered. Every- thing was left as it was found, and a wall was erected, so that no one could enter the place. Only through a window-opening in the wall could be seen the tomb of Sts. Chrysanthus and Daria, as well as the bones of the Christians killed in the tomb. This tomb, like so many others, was embellished by Pope Damasus, who had poems in praise of the martyrs engraved on marble and placed there. Gregory of Tours describes this sanctuary in an interesting chapter of his "De gloria martyrum", I, xxxviii (P. L., LXXI, 7.39). During the invasions of the Gotlis the sanctuary was desecrated, but later it was restored, as a metrical inscription composed at that time and falsely at- tributed to Pope Damasus asserts. In the ninth century the remains of Sts. Chrysanthus and Daria were brought to Priim and were thence transferred to Miinstereifel in Rhenish Prussia, where they are still greatly venerated. The feast of these saints stands in the Roman Martyrology on the 25th of October, on which day, also, it appears in some martyrologies dating from the seventh century. In the "Martyrologium Hieronymianum" the martyrs are mentioned on 12 August and 29 November; ac- cording to some MSS., on other days also. The Greeks celebrate their feast on 19 March.

Mombritius, Sanctuarium, I, 152 sqq.; Acta SS-, October, XI, 437-495; De ROSSI, Inscriplioncs christians urbis Roma:. II, 84, 87, 116. 135; DnFOCRCQ. Gesta martyrum remains

(Paris, 1900). 255 sqq.; Tillev -. : . U p

I'hist.eccles., IV, 565 sqq.; Db Rossi, Butlettino di arch* 1873,9-12: Allard, Htttoire da /■'■• ■ '' (Pa™, 1887), III, 46 sq., 72, 314 sq.; Marccchi, La calm Rome,

1900), 310 sqq.; Wattenbach, Dcutsehlands lieschirhtsqnetlen im MiUdalter (Stuttgart, 1904), 310; Floss. Rumreisedes Abtes Marcward von Prum und Vebertraffung derhVL. Chrysanthus und Daria nach Miinstereifel i. J. SUU (Cologne, 1869).

J. P. KlRSCH.

Chrysogonus, Saint, Martyr, suffered at Aquileia, probably during the persecution of Diocletian, was buried there, and publicly venerated by the faithful of that region. His name is found in the so-called " Mar- tyrologium Hieronymianum" on two different days, 31 May and 24 November, with the topographical note, "in Aquileia" ("Martyrol. Hier.", ed. De Rossi; Duchesne in "Acta SS.", Nov. II). The Weissen- burg manuscript of the " Mart. Hieron. " alone men- tions the primitive topographical indication on the latter date; the Echternach manuscript says, "Roma? natale Crisogoni", while under 23 November Chrysogonus appears again among the Roman mar- tyrs. Very early indeed the veneration of this martyr of Aquileia was transferred to Rome, where a titular church, in Trastevere. bears his name to this day. This church (Tilulus Chrysogoni) is first mentioned in the signatures of the Roman Synod of 499 (Duchesne. "Notes sur la topographie de Rome au moyen age" in " Melanges d'archeol. et d'histoire", VII, 227), but it probably dates from the fourth century (De Rossi, •• Inscript. ehrist.", II, 152, N. 27; " Bullet ino di arche- ol. crist.", 1NS7. UiS). It is possible that the founder of the church was a certain Chrysogonus, and that, on account of the similarity of name, the church was soon devoted to the veneration of the martyr of Aquileia; it is also possible that from the beginning, for some un- known reason, it was consecrated to St. Chrysogonus,

and takes its name from him. In a similar way the

veneration of St. Anastasia of Sirmium was trans- planted to Rome (see Anastasia, Saint, martyr). Al.niit the sixth century arose a legend of the martyr that made him a Roman and brought him into rela- tion with St. Anastasia. evidently to explain the ven-