S. Matthias is seldom represented in works of art; when his figure does occur, he generally carries an axe or halbert, sometimes a spear or lance, occasionally a book and a stone. The Greeks represent S. Matthias as an old man with a rounded beard.
SS. MONTANUS, LUCIUS, JULIAN, AND COMP., MM.
(A.D. 259.)
[Roman and other Western Martyrologies. Authority:—The very interesting letter written by these Martyrs, when in prison, to their brethren, with the conclusion, relating their passion, by an eye-witness.]
The persecution raised by Valerian had raged two years, during which, many had received the crown of martyrdom, and amongst others, S. Cyprian, in September, 258. The proconsul, Galerius Maximus, who had pronounced sentence on that saint, dying soon after, the procurator, Solon, continued the persecution, waiting for the arrival of a new proconsul from Rome. After some days, a sedition was raised in Carthage against him, in which many were killed. Solon, instead of making search after the perpetrators of the riot, vented his fury upon the Christians, knowing that this would be agreeable to the idolaters. Accordingly, he caused eight Christians, all disciples of S. Cyprian, and most of them of the clergy, to be apprehended. "As soon as we were taken," say the martyrs, "we were given in custody to the officers of the quarter. The governor's soldiers told us that we were to be condemned to the flames; then we prayed to God, with great fervour, to be delivered from that punishment, and he, in whose hands are the hearts of men, was pleased to grant our request. The governor altered his first intent, and ordered us into a very dark and incommodious prison, where we found the priest Victor, and some others; but we were not dismayed at the filth and darkness of the place, our faith and joy in the Holy Ghost reconciled us to our sufferings in that place, though they were such as it is not easy for words to describe; but the greater our trials, the greater is He who overcomes them in us. Our brother Rhenus in the meantime had a vision, in which he saw several of the prisoners going out of the jail with a lighted lamp preceding each of them, whilst others, who had no such lamp, stayed behind. He discerned us in this vision, and assured us that we were of the number of those who went forth with lamps. This gave us great joy, for we understood that the lamp represented Christ, the true Light, and that we were to follow Him by martyrdom.
"The next day we were sent for by the governor, to be examined. It was a triumph to us to be conducted, as a spectacle, through the market place and the streets, with our chains rattling. The soldiers, who knew not where the governor would hear us, dragged us from place to place till, at length, he ordered us to be brought into his closet. He put several questions to us; our answers were modest, but firm: at length we were remanded to prison; here we prepared ourselves for new conflicts. The sharpest trial was that which we underwent through hunger and thirst, the governor having commanded that we should be kept without meat and drink for several days, insomuch that water was refused us after our work; yet Flavian the deacon added great voluntary austerities to these hardships, often bestowing on others that little refreshment which was most sparingly allowed us at the public charge.
"God was pleased himself to comfort us in this our extreme misery, by a vision which he vouchsafed to the priest Victor, who suffered martyrdom a few days after. 'I saw last night,' said he to us, 'a child, whose countenance was of a wonderful brightness, enter the prison. He took us to all parts to make us go out, but there was no outlet; then he said to me,—Thou art still concerned at being retained here, but be not discouraged, I am with thee: carry these tidings to thy companions, and let them know that they shall have a more glorious crown. I asked him where heaven was; the child replied, Beyond the world.' Victor then desired to be shown the place of the blessed, but the child in the vision reprimanded him gently, saying, 'Where then would be thy faith?' Victor said, 'I cannot retain what thou dost command me: tell me a sign that I may give to my companions.' He answered, 'Give them the sign of Jacob, that is, his mystical ladder, reaching to the heavens.'" Soon after this vision Victor was put to death. "This vision," continues the letter of the martyrs, "filled us with joy."
"God gave us, the night following, another assurance of his mercy, by a vision to our sister Quartillosia, a fellow-prisoner, whose husband and son had suffered death for Christ three days before, and who followed them by martyrdom a few days after. 'I saw,' says she, 'my son, who suffered; he was in the prison sitting on a vessel of water, and he said to me,—God has seen thy sufferings. Then entered a young man, of a wonderful stature, and he said,—Be of good courage, God hath remembered thee.'" The martyrs had received no nourishment the preceding day, nor had they any on the day that followed this vision; but, at length, Lucian, then priest, and afterward bishop of Carthage, surmounting all obstacles, got food to be carried to them in abundance by the subdeacon Herennian, and by Januarius, a catechumen. The Acts say, they brought the never-failing Food,[65] that is, the blessed Eucharist. They continue: "We have all one and the same spirit, which unites and cements us together in prayer, in mutual conversation, and in all our actions. These are the lovely bands which put the devil to flight, are most agreeable to God, and obtain of Him, by joint prayer, whatever they ask. These are the ties which link hearts together, and which make men the children of God. To be heirs of His kingdom we must be His children, and to be His children we must love one another. It is impossible for us to attain to the inheritance of heavenly glory, unless we keep that union and peace with all our brethren which our heavenly Father has established amongst us. Nevertheless, this union suffered some prejudice in our troop, but the breach was soon repaired. It happened that Montanus had some words with Julian about a person who was not of our communion, and who was got among us (probably admitted by Julian). Montanus on this account rebuked Julian, and they, for some time afterward, behaved towards each other with coldness, which was, as it were, a seed of discord. Heaven had pity on them both, and, to reunite them, admonished Montanus by a dream, which he related to us, as follows:—'It appeared to me that the centurions were come to us, and that they conducted us through a long path into a spacious field, where we were met by Cyprian and Lucius. After this, we came into a very luminous place, where our garments became white, and our flesh whiter than our garments, and so wonderfully transparent, that there was nothing in our hearts but what was clearly exposed to view; but, in looking into myself, I could discover some filth in my own bosom: and, meeting Lucian, I told him what I had seen, adding, that what I had observed in my breast denoted my coldness towards Julian. Wherefore, brethren, let us love, cherish, and promote, with all our might, peace and concord. Let us be here unanimous, in imitation of what we shall be hereafter. As we hope to share in the rewards promised to the just, and to avoid the punishments wherewith the wicked are threatened, as we desire to be, and to reign with Christ, let us do those things which will lead us to Him and to His heavenly kingdom.'"
Thus far, the martyrs wrote in prison what happened to them; the rest was written by those persons who were present, according to the recommendation of Flavian, one of the martyrs.
After suffering extreme hunger and thirst, with other hardships, during an imprisonment of many months, the confessors were brought before the president, and made a glorious confession. The edict of Valerian condemned only bishops, priests, and deacons to death. The false friends of Flavian maintained before the judge that he was not a deacon, and, consequently, was not comprehended in the emperor's decree; whereupon, though he protested that he was one, he was not then condemned; but the rest were sentenced to death. They walked cheerfully to the place of execution, and each of them gave exhortations to the people. Lucius, who was naturally mild and modest, was a little dejected on account of a sickness he had contracted in prison; he, therefore, went before the rest, accompanied by only a few persons, lest he should be oppressed by the crowd, and so not have the honour of spilling his blood. Some cried out to him, "Remember us." "Do you also," said he, "remember me." Julian and Victoricus exhorted the brethren to peace, and recommended to their care the whole body of the clergy, especially those who had undergone the hardships of imprisonment. Montanus, who was endued with great strength, both of body and mind, cried out, "He that sacrificeth to any God but the true one shall be utterly destroyed." This he often repeated. He also checked the pride and wicked obstinacy of the heretics, telling them that they might discern the true Church by the multitude of its martyrs. Like a true disciple of S. Cyprian, and a zealous lover of discipline, he exhorted those that had fallen not to be over hasty, but fully to accomplish their penance. He exhorted the virgins to preserve their purity, and to honour the bishops, and all the bishops to abide in concord. When the executioner was ready to give the stroke, he prayed aloud to God that Flavian, who had been reprieved at the people's request, might follow them on the third day. And, to express his assurance that his prayer was heard, he rent in pieces the handkerchief with which his eyes were to be covered, and ordered one-half of it to be reserved for Flavian, and desired that a place might be kept for him where he was to be buried, that they might not be separated even in the grave. Flavian, seeing his crown delayed, made it the object of his ardent desires and prayers. And as his mother kept close by his side, with the constancy of the mother of the holy Maccabees, and with longing desire to see him glorify God by death, he said to her, "Thou knowest, mother, how much I have longed to enjoy the happiness of dying by martyrdom." In one of the two nights during which he survived, he was favoured with a vision, in which one said to him, "Why dost thou grieve? Twice hast thou been a confessor, and thou shalt suffer martyrdom by the sword." On the third day he was ordered to be brought before the governor. Here it appeared how much he was beloved by the people, for they endeavoured by all means to save his life. They cried out to the judge that he was no deacon; but he affirmed that he was. A centurion presented a billet, which set forth that he was not. The judge accused him of lying, to procure his own death. He answered, "Is that probable? are not they rather guilty of an untruth who say the contrary?" The people demanded that he might be tortured, in hopes he would recall his confession on the rack; but the judge condemned him to be beheaded. The sentence filled him with joy, and he was conducted to the place of execution, accompanied by a great multitude, and by many priests. A shower dispersed the infidels, and the martyr was led into a house till the storm was passed, and there he had an opportunity of taking his last leave of the faithful, without the presence of any heathen spectators. He told them that in a vision he had asked Cyprian whether the stroke of death is painful, and that the martyr answered, "The body feels no pain when the soul gives itself entirely to God." At the place of execution, he prayed for the peace of the Church and the union of the brethren. Having done speaking, he bound his eyes with that half of the handkerchief which Montanus had ordered to be kept for him, and, kneeling in prayer, received the last stroke. Although he suffered two days after the others, the whole glorious company receives commemoration together on one day.