JULIAN AND BASILISSA, Saints, Martyrs. - They are commemorated together with others on January 6 in the Jeronymian Martyrology, on June 8 and 21 in the Synaxarion of Constantinople, and on January 9 in the Roman Martyrology, as martyrs of Antioch; however, they belong to the city of Antinoe in Egypt.

The kinship between the two martyrs and their relations with their companions are entirely arbitrary, devised by the author of the Passio. This work, whose original redaction was in Greek and is quite legendary, was certainly composed not long before the 7th century. At the beginning of the persecution of Diocletian, J. was living in perfect chastity with his wife B., who is said to have died a natural death; J., however, was captured and brought before the tribunal of the governor Marcian, where he was interrogated and scourged. He converted the governor's own son, Celsus, with whom he was shut up in prison. There they converted 20 soldiers, who were baptized by the priest Antony. After further torments they were all beheaded.

Bibliography4 works

BIBL.: Acta SS. Ianuarii, I, Paris 1863, pp. 570-88; Syntax. Constantinop., pp. 375-77, 759-62; H. Delchaye, Les martyrs d'Égypte, in Anal. Boll., 40 (1922), pp. 66, 86; Mortyr. Hieronymianum, p. 28.

Agostino Amore

@incollection{ec6_giuliano_e_basilissa_santi_mar, author = {Amore, Agostino}, title = {Giuliano e Basilissa, santi, martiri}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {VI}, pages = {748}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1951}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/giuliano-e-basilissa-santi-martiri} }

One of some 20,000 entries brought back from the twelve printed volumes (1948–54). Spotted something? Help us improve it.

Julian and Basilissa, Saints, Martyrs

About this entry