CIPRIANO E GIUSTINA, SANTI

CYPRIANUS and JUSTINA, saints. — Martyrs commemorated in the Roman liturgy on 26 Sept. and in the Greek liturgy on 2 Oct. It seems that this CYPRIANUS should be identified with the homonymous bishop of Carthage. The legend presents CYPRIANUS as a magician who sought the apostasy of the virgin JUSTINA; on the contrary, however, he himself was converted, did penance, and became bishop of Antioch. With JUSTINA he was beheaded at Nicomedia in Bithynia. Thus the life of CYPRIANUS, recounted in three writings devoid of historical value: the conversion of CYPRIANUS and JUSTINA; the confession and penance of CYPRIANUS; the martyrdom of both under Diocletian. In the 5th century a life was composed from these writings, the distant origin of the Faust saga.