De sancto Adriano cum sociis suis
The Witness of Adrian and Natalia
Adrian is moved by the faith of the martyrs to confess Christ, while his wife Natalia encourages his resolve to suffer for the Lord.
Adrian was martyred during the reign of Emperor Maximian. When Maximian was offering sacrifices to idols in Nicomedia, he ordered everyone to hunt down Christians. Driven by fear of punishment or the love of promised money, neighbors dragged neighbors and relatives dragged their own household members to execution. Among them, thirty-three were seized and brought before the king, who asked, "Haven't you heard the penalty set against Christians?" They replied, "We have heard, and we have laughed at your foolish decree." The king, in a rage, ordered them to be beaten with raw leather thongs and commanded that their mouths be crushed with stones. After recording each one's confession, he ordered them to be bound in iron and locked in prison. Adrian, a high-ranking military officer, observed their steadfastness and said, "I adjure you by your God to tell me what reward you expect for these torments." The saints replied, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him perfectly." Then Adrian, leaping into their midst, said, "Write me down with them, for I too am a Christian." When the emperor heard this, he had Adrian bound in iron and thrown into prison for refusing to sacrifice. Natalia, his wife, hearing that her husband was imprisoned, tore her clothes, weeping and wailing bitterly. But when she heard he had been imprisoned for the faith of Christ, she was filled with joy, ran to the prison, and began to kiss the chains of her husband and the others. She was a Christian, but because of the persecution, she had not made it public. She said to her husband, "Blessed are you, my lord Adrian, because you have found riches that your parents could not leave you—riches that those who possess much will lack when there is no time for lending or borrowing, when no one will deliver another from punishment: neither father his son, nor mother her daughter, nor servant his master, nor friend his friend, nor riches their possessor." After he had advised her to despise all worldly glory, to reject friends and family, and to keep her heart always on heavenly things, Adrian said to her, "Go, my sister; at the time of our suffering, I will send for you so that you may see our end." And so, commending her husband to the other saints to encourage him, she returned home. Later, when Adrian heard that the day of his suffering was at hand, he gave gifts to the guards and, having the saints who were with him stand as his sureties, he went home to call Natalia, just as he had promised her under oath, so that she might be present for their suffering. But someone who saw him ran ahead and told Natalia, "Adrian has been released, and look, he's coming." When she heard this, she didn't believe it, saying, "And who could have released him from his chains?" "May it never happen to me that he be released from his chains and separated from the saints!" While she was saying this, a servant boy came and said, "Look, my master has been released." But she, thinking that he had fled from martyrdom, wept bitterly; and when she saw him, she rose quickly, shut the door of the house against him, and said, "Let him who has fallen away from God be far from me, and may I never have to speak with the mouth that has denied its Lord." Turning to him, she said, "You poor man, living without God—who forced you to take on what you couldn't finish? Who cut you off from the saints, or who tricked you into leaving the company of peace?" Speak. Tell me, why did you run away before the battle even started, before you saw the enemy fighting? How are you wounded when the arrow hasn't even been fired yet? And I wondered if anyone from a godless people or a wicked family could ever be offered to God. Woe to me, poor and miserable; what am I to do, tied as I am to someone from a family of the wicked? It wasn't granted to me to be called the wife of a martyr for even an hour; instead, I'm called the wife of a traitor. My joy lasted only a moment, and now, it seems, my shame will last for ages. Blessed Adrian heard this and rejoiced greatly, amazed that a young, beautiful, and noble woman, married only fourteen months ago, could speak like this. Because of this, he was made all the more eager for martyrdom and listened to her words most gladly; but when he saw her suffering so much, he said to her, "Open up to me, my lady Natalia; I didn't run away from martyrdom as you think, but I came to call you, just as I promised."
The Final Sacrifice
Adrian and his companions endure their final tortures and death, with Natalia faithfully supporting them until the end.
She didn't believe him and said, "Look at how this traitor deceives me, how he lies like another Judas. Get away from me, you wretch; I'll kill myself so you can be free." While he waited for her to open the door, he said, "Open up quickly, for I am leaving, and you won't see me anymore. Later, you'll grieve that you didn't see me before I left. I have given the holy martyrs as my sureties; if the guards come looking for me and don't find me, the saints will bear their own torments and mine as well." Hearing this, Natalia opened the door. They prostrated themselves before each other and went together to the prison, where for seven days Natalia wiped the saints' wounds with expensive linens. On the appointed day, the emperor ordered them to be brought forward. Because they were so broken by their tortures that they couldn't walk, they were carried like animals, but Adrian followed them with his hands bound. Then Adrian, carrying his own rack, was presented to Caesar. Natalia joined him and said, "Look, my lord, don't be afraid when you see the instruments of torture. You'll suffer for a little while now, but you'll soon rejoice with the angels." Adrian, refusing to offer sacrifice, was beaten severely. Natalia ran with joy to the saints who were in prison and said, "Look, my lord has begun his martyrdom." When the king warned him not to blaspheme his gods, Adrian replied, "If I am being tortured because I blaspheme those who are not gods, how much more will you be tortured, since you blaspheme the true God?" The king said to him, "Those deceivers have taught you these words." Adrian replied, "Why do you call those deceivers who are teachers of eternal life?" Natalia ran and joyfully reported these responses of her husband to the others. Then the emperor had him severely beaten by four very strong men, while Natalia reported every punishment, question, and answer to the other martyrs in prison. He was beaten so badly that his insides spilled out. Then, bound in iron, he was locked away in prison with the others. Adrian was a very delicate and handsome young man of twenty-eight. Seeing her husband lying on his back, completely torn apart, Natalia placed her hand under his head and said, "You are blessed, my lord, for you have been chosen worthy to be among the saints; you are blessed, my light, to suffer for the One who suffered for you." Go now, my sweet, so that you may see His glory. When the emperor heard that many noblewomen were ministering to the saints in prison, he ordered that they no longer be allowed to enter to see them. Hearing this, Natalia cut her hair and, taking on a man's appearance, continued to minister to the saints in prison. She also led others to do the same by her example, and she asked her husband that, once he was in glory, he would pray for her, that God might keep her intact and call her from this world all the sooner. When the king heard what the women had done, he ordered an anvil to be brought so he could break their legs. He intended for the holy martyrs to die by having their legs broken. Natalia, fearing her husband might be terrified by the others' suffering, asked the executioners to begin with him. So, after his feet were cut off and his legs broken, Natalia asked him to let his hand be cut off as well, so he might be equal to the other saints who had suffered more. Once this was done, Adrian gave up his spirit, and the others, willingly stretching out their feet, departed to the Lord. The king ordered their bodies to be burned, but Natalia hid Adrian’s hand in her bosom. When the bodies of the saints were being thrown into the fire, Natalia wanted to throw herself in with them, but suddenly a violent rainstorm broke out, extinguishing the fire and keeping the bodies of the saints unharmed. The Christians then made a plan to have the bodies moved to Constantinople, where they were kept with honor until the peace of the Church was restored. They suffered around the year of our Lord 280. Natalia, however, remained at home and kept Saint Adrian’s hand for herself, which she always kept at the head of her bed as a comfort for her life.
The Journey to Eternal Peace
Natalia escapes the emperor's pressure to remarry and follows her husband into eternal rest after a miraculous journey.
After this, the tribune, seeing that Natalia was so beautiful, wealthy, and noble, sent honorable matrons at the emperor's request to persuade her to marry; Natalia replied to them, "Who could grant me the favor of being joined to such a man?" But I ask that you grant me a three-day delay so that I may prepare myself. She said this, however, so that she might be able to escape. While she was praying to God to keep her intact, she suddenly fell asleep, and behold, one of the martyrs appeared to her and, comforting her gently, commanded her to come to the place where the bodies of the martyrs were. Waking up, therefore, and taking only the hand of Adrian, she boarded a ship with many Christians; when the tribune heard of this, he pursued her by boat with many soldiers, but a contrary wind arose, and after many of them were drowned, it forced them to turn back. In the middle of the night, however, the devil appeared in the guise of a ship's captain with a phantom ship to those with Natalia, and in the voice of a captain, he asked them, "Where are you coming from, and where are you going?" They replied, "We are coming from Nicomedia and are heading to Constantinople." He told them, "You are mistaken; head to the left so that you may sail more directly." He said this to send them out into the open sea, so they would perish. But when they were changing their sails, Adrian suddenly appeared to them, sitting in the small boat, and warned them to keep sailing as they had first intended; he asserted that it had been an evil spirit who had spoken to him, and he took his place in front of them, leading the way and showing them the path. Natalia was filled with immense joy to see Adrian leading the way, and they arrived in Constantinople before daybreak. When Natalia had entered the house where the bodies of the martyrs were, and had placed her hand upon Adrian’s body, she fell asleep after her prayer; Adrian appeared to her, greeted her, and commanded her to come with him into eternal peace. When she woke up and told those nearby about her dream, she said goodbye to everyone and gave up her spirit. The faithful then took her body and laid it beside the bodies of the martyrs.
Read the original Latin
Adrianus a Maximiano imperatore regnante martirium passus est, Cum enim praedictus Maximianus in Nicomedia urbe ydolis immolaret, jussu ejus cuncti christianos perquirentes alii timore poenae, alii amore promissae pecuniae, vicini vicinos, propinqui domesticos ad supplicium trahebant, inter quos XXXIII a perquirentibus comprehensi ante regem adducti sunt, Quibus rex: non audiistis, qualis poena adversus christianos posita sit? Cni illi: audivimus et stultitiae tuae jussionis irrisimus. Tunc rex iratus nervis crudis eos caedi jussit et lapidibus ora eorum contundi mandavit ac annotata uniuscujusque confessione ferro vinctos in carcere recludi praecepit. Quorum constantiam Adrianus prior officii militaris considerans dixit iis: adjuro vos per Deum vestrum, ut mihi dicatis, quae est remuneratio, quam exspectatis per ista tormenta, Ad hoc dixerunt sancti: oculus non vidit nec auris audivit nec in cor hominis adscendit, quae praeparavit dominus diligentibus se perfecte, Tunc Adrianus in medium prosiliens ait: annotate me cum istis, quia et ego christianus sum. Quod cum imperator audivisset, nolentem sacrificare vinctum ferro in carcere posuit, Natalia vero uxor ejus, audiens virum suum in carcere, scidit vestimenta sua flens plurimum et ejulans. Sed cum audivisset, quod propter fidem Christi incarceratus fuisset, gaudio repleta ad carcerem cucurrit et vincula viri sui et aliorum osculari coepit. Erat enim christiana, sed propter persecutionem se non publicaverat. Et dixit ad virum: beatus es, domine mi Adriane, quia invenisti divitias, quas non dimiserunt parentes tui, quibus egebunt hi, qui multa possident, quando non erit foenerandi tempus nec mutno accipiendi,dum nullus de poena alium liberabit nec pater filium nec mater filiam nec servus dominum nec amicus amicum nec divitiae possessorem.
Cumque eum admonuisset, ut omnem gloriam terrenam contemneret et amicos ct parentes sperneret et semper ad coelestia cor haberet, dixit ad eam Adrianus: vade, soror mea, tempore passionis nostrae accersam te, ut videas finem nostrum. Sicque virum suum aliis sanctis recommendans, ut eum scilicet confortarent, rediit in domum suam. Postmodum audiens Adrianus diem passionis suae adesse, dans munera custodibus etsanctos, qui secum erant, in fidejussores abiit domum vocare Nataliam, sicut ei juramento promiserat, ut eorum passionibus praesens esset. Quidam autem eum videns praecurrit et nuntiavit Nataliae dicens: absolutus est Adrianus et ecce venit. Quod illa audiens non credebat dicens: et quis potuit eum absolvere a vinculis? Non mihi contingat, ut absolvatur a vinculis et separetur a sanctis! Dum hoc loqueretur, puer domesticus venit dicens: en dominus meus dimissus est. llla autem putans, quod martirium refugisset, amarissime flebat, et cum vidisset eum, surgens velocius ostium domus contra eum clausit et dixit: longe a me efficiatur, qui a Deo corruit, nec mihi contingat loqui ori illius, per quod dominum suum abnegavit.
Et conversa ad eum dixit: o tu miser sine Deo, quis te coegit apprehendere, quod non potuisti perficere, quis te separavit a sanctis aut quis te seduxit, ut recederes a conventu pacis? Dic. mihi, cur fugisti, antequam pugna fieret, antequam repugnantem videres, quomodo vulneratus es necdum emissa sagitta? Et ego mirabar, si ex gente sine Deo ct de genere impiorumaliquis offerretur Dco. Heu me infelicem et miseram, quid faciam, quae conjuncta sum huie ex genere impiorum? Non est concessum mihi, ut unius horae spatio vocarer uxor martiris, sed ut dicerer uxor transgressoris, ad modicum quidem exsultatio mea fuit et ecce per saecula opprobrium meum erit. Haec autem beatus Adrianus audiens vehementer gaudebat, admirans de femina juvene puleherrima et nobili et ante XIV menses nupta, quomodo talia loqui posset. Unde ex hoc ad martirium ardentior effectus verba ejus libentissime audiebat, sed cum eam nimis affligi vidcret, dixit ei: aperi mihi, domina mea Natalia; non enim, ut putas, marlirium fugi, sed te, ut promisi, vocare veni.
Quae non credens ait: vide, quomodo me seducit transgressor, quomodo mentitur alter Judas, fuge à me miser, me ipsam jam interficiam, ut salieris; Et dum moraretur ad aperiendum, ei dixit: aperi citius, nam vadam et ultra non videbis me et post hoc lugebis, quod me ante exitum meum non videbis; fidejussores dedi sanctos martires, et si ministri me requirentes non invenerint, sustinebunt sancti tormenta sua et mea simul. Haec audiens Natalia aperuit et sibi invicem prostrati ad carcerem simul abierunt, ubi Natalia per VII dies sanctorum ulcera cum linteis pretiosis extergebat. Statuta autem die imperator eos praesentari jussit, qui resoluti poenis, quia ambulare non poterant, velut animalia portabantur, Adrianus vero vinctis manibus sequebatur. Deinde Adrianusportans sibi equuleum Caesari praesentatur, Natalia vero adjungens se ei dicebat: vide, domine meus, ne forte trepides, cum tormenta videbis ; modicum quidem nunc patieris, sed continuo cum angelis exsultabis. Adrianus igitur sacrificare nolens gravissime caesus est, currensque Natalia cum gaudio ad sanctos, qui erant in carcere, ait: ecce dominus meus inchoavit martirium, Cum autem rex, ne Deos suos blasphemaret, moneret, ille ait: si ego torqueor, quia eos, qui non sunt Dii, blasphemo, qualiter ipse torqueberis, qui Deum verum blasphemas? Cui rex: haec verba te illi seductores douerunt. Ad quem Adrianus: quare seductores eos dicis, qui sunt doctores vitae aeternae? Currens Natalia haec responsa viri sui aliis cum gaudio referebat.
Tunc rex a quatuor validissimis viris fecit eum graviter caedi, omnes aulem poenas et interrogationes et responsiones Natalia aliis martiribus, qui erant in carcere, continuo referebat. In tantum autem caesus est, nt ejus viscera effunderentur. Tunc ferro vinctus cum aliis in carcere recluditur. Erat autem Adrianus juvenis delicatus valde et decorus annorum XXVIII, Natalia vero virum suum supinum jacentem et totum laceratum considerans, mittens manum sub vertice ejus dicebat: beatus es, domine meus, qui dignus elTectus es de numero esse sanctorum; beatus es, lumen meum, ut patiaris pro eo, qui pro te passus est. Perge nunc, dulcis meus, ut videas gloriam ejus. Audiens autem imperator, quod multae matronae sanctis in carcere ministrarent, praecepit, ne ulterius ad eos ingredi permittantur. Quod audiens Natalia se ipsam tonsuravit et habitum virilem assumens sanctis in carcere ministrabat. Alias quoque exemplo suo ad hoc induxit rogavitque virum, ut, cum esset in gloria, hanc precem pro se faceret, ut se intactam custodiens Deus ab hoc saeculo citius evocaret.
Audiens autem rex, quae matronae fecissent, jussit incudem afferri, ut fractis. super eum cruribus sancti martires interirent. Timens vero Natalia, ne vir suus ex aliorum suppliciis terreretar, rogavit ministros, ut ab eo inciperent. Abscissis igitur ab eo pedibus cruribusque fractis rogavit eum Natalia, ut manum sibi abscidi permitteret, quatenus aliis sanctis, qui plura passi fuerunt, compar esset. Quo facto Adrianus spiritum reddidit caeterique ultro pedes protendentes ad dominnm migraverunt. Rex autem eorum corpora cremari mandavit, Natalia vero manum Adriani in sinu suo abscondit, Cum autem corpora sanctorum in ignem praecipitarentur, voluit et Natalia se cum iis in ignem praecipitare, sed subito vehementissimus imber erupit et ignem exstinguens corpora sanctorum illaesa servavit, christiani vero consilio inito corpora Constantinopolim transferri fecerunt, quousque pace ecclesiae reddita cum honore referrentur. Passi sunt circa annum domini CCLXXX. Natalia vero domi remanens manum sancti Adriani sibi retinuit, quam in solatium vitae suae semper ad caput lectuli sui tenebat.
Post hoc autem tribunus videns Nataliam tam pulcherrimam tamque divitem et nobilem de voluntate imperatoris honestas matronas misit, ut in suum conjugium consentiret, Quibus Natalia respondit: quis mihi praestare poterit, ut conjungar tali viro? Sed peto, ut trium dierum mihi dentur induciae, ut me valeam praeparare. Hoc autem dicebat, ut inde fugere posset. Cum autem Deum exoraret, ut se intactam conservaret, subito obdormivit et ecce unus martirum ei apparuit et eam dulciter consolans, ut ad locum, in quo sunt corpora martirum, veniat, imperavit. Evigilans igitur et manum Adriani solam accipiens cum multis christianis navem conscendit, Quod tribunus audiens cum multis militibus eam per navigium insecutus est, exsurgens autem ventus contrarius multis eorum submersis eos redire compulit. Media autem nocte dyabolus in specie naucleri cum navi phantastica his, qui erant cum Natalia, apparuit et quasi voce naucleri ait iis: unde venitis ant quo pergitis? Et illi: ex Nicomedia venimus et Constantinopolim pergimus. Quibus ille ait: erratis, ad sinistram pergite, ut rectius navigetis.
Hoc autem dicebat, ut eos in pelagus mitteret et perirent. Cum autem vela mutarent, subito Adrianus in navicula sedens eisdem apparuit et eos navigare, sicut prius coeperant, admonuit, asserens malignum spiritum fuisse, qui sibi locutus fuerat, ponensque se ante eos praecedebat illos et viam iis ostendebat. Natalia vero Adrianum praecedere videns immenso gaudio repleta est sicque, antequam illucesceret, Constantinopolim advenerunt. Cum autem Natalia in domum, ubi erant corpora martirum, introiisset et manum Adriani ad corpus posuisset et post orationem dormitasset, Adrianus ei apparuit et salutans eam, ut in aeternam pacem secum veniret, praecepit. Quae cum evigilasset et somnium adstantibus retulisset, valefaciens omnibus emisit spiritum, fideles autem corpus ejus accipientes juxta corpora martirum illud posuerunt.
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