MONTANO, LUCIO e Compagni, santi, martiri. - Nel Martirologio geronimiano e nel Calendario
The Passio (BHL, 6009), which reflects the style of St. Cyprian and was certainly drafted by an eyewitness shortly after the martyrs' death, makes repeated mention of the death of St. Cyprian (Sept. 4, 258). Furthermore, from one passage (chap. 23) it appears that his successor had not yet been elected, so the death of the martyrs must be placed between the death of St. Cyprian and the election of his successor, Lucius. The structure of the Passio is modeled on that of Ss. Perpetua and Felicity (v.), superimposing a notable formal development onto the simple protocol scheme and including accounts of the visions experienced by the martyrs during imprisonment.
It can be divided into two parts: a letter from the martyrs to the communities of brethren in the faith (chaps. 1-11); and the compiler's narrative, which completes the information from the letter and sets forth the circumstances of the martyrdom (chaps. 12-23). In this second part, the figure of the martyr Flavian dominates; although he does not appear in the title of the manuscripts of the Passio, he remains one of the principal personages.
The Passio, which was published quite early and repeatedly, received a critical edition in 1908 by P. Franchi de' Cavalieri (Gli Atti dei ss. M., L. e compagni, Roma 1908 [suppl. 8° della Röm. Quartalschrift]), who in a comprehensive introduction extensively discussed the literary and archaeological questions presented by the text. The Passio gives the names of the martyrs, namely M., L., Flavian, Julian, Victoricus, Primolus, Renus, and Donatian. The latter two and Primolus died while still in prison.