Montano, Lucio and Companions, Saints, Martyrs

MONTANO, LUCIO AND COMPANIONS, Saints, Martyrs. - In the Hieronymian Martyrology and in the Calendar of Carthage are commemorated on May 23; whereas in the Roman Martyrology C. Baronio inserted them on Feb. 24, perhaps, H. Delehaye thinks, misled by the Hieronymian laterculus. Their martyrdom took place in Carthage, during the persecution of Valerian, probably in the summer of 259 and 260.

The Passio (BHL, 6009), which reflects the style of St. Cyprian and was certainly composed by an eyewitness shortly after the death of the martyrs, repeatedly mentions the death of St. Cyprian (Sept. 4, 258), and likewise from one passage (ch. 23) it emerges that his successor had not yet been elected, so that the death of the martyrs must be placed between the death of St. Cyprian and the election of his successor Lucianus. The structure of the Passio follows the pattern of that of Sts. Perpetua and Felicity (v.), which superimposes a notable development of form upon the simple schema of the protocol and includes the accounts of the visions had by the martyrs during their imprisonment.

It can be divided into two parts: a letter of the martyrs to the communities of the brethren in the faith (chs. 1-11); the narration of the compiler, who completes the information of the letter and sets forth the circumstances of the martyrdom (chs. 12-23). In this second part the figure of the martyr Flavianus dominates, who, although he does not appear in the title of the manuscripts of the Passio, remains one of the principal characters.

Of the Passio, published quite early and repeatedly, P. Franchi de' Cavalieri gave, in 1908, the critical edition (Gli Atti dei ss. M., L. e compagni, Rome 1908 [8° supplement of the Röm. Quartalschrift]), who in an ample introduction has extensively discussed the literary and archaeological questions that the text can offer. The Passio gives the names of the martyrs, namely M., L., Flavianus, Julianus, Victoricus, Primolus, Renus and Donatianus. The latter and Primolus died while they were still in prison.

Benedetto Pesci