De sancto Mauritio et sociis suis
The Meaning of a Martyr's Name
The name Mauritius is interpreted through the virtues of his life and his endurance in suffering.
The name Mauritius is said to mean 'bitter,' and it's also linked to words meaning 'vomiting' or 'hard,' as well as 'counselor' or 'hastening.' Alternatively, it comes from 'mauron,' which according to Isidore means 'black' in Greek. He truly experienced bitterness in his life as an exile from his true home; he was 'vomiting' through his rejection of superfluous things, 'hard and firm' through his endurance of torture, a 'counselor' through his encouragement of his fellow soldiers, 'hastening' through his fervor and the multiplication of good works, and 'black' through his self-contempt. The blessed Eucherius, Archbishop of Lyon, wrote and compiled the account of their passion.
The Theban Legion's Faith
The Theban legion is introduced as a group of elite, faithful soldiers who refuse to compromise their Christian identity under imperial pressure.
X. Mauritius is said to have been a leader in the most sacred legion known as the Theban; the Thebans themselves are named after their city, which is called Thebes. This region lies in the East, beyond the borders of Arabia, and is rich in resources, fertile in fruits, and delightful in its trees. The inhabitants of that region are said to be large in stature, hardy in arms, very brave in war, clever in intellect, and extremely rich in wisdom. The city itself had a hundred gates and was situated on the Nile—which flows from Paradise and is called the Gihon—of which it is said: 'Behold, ancient Thebes lies buried under a hundred gates.' James, the brother of the Lord, preached the word of salvation there and taught them the faith of Christ perfectly. Diocletian and Maximian, who began their reign in the year of our Lord 277, wanting to completely root out the faith of Christ, sent letters throughout all the provinces where Christians lived; if anything needed to be determined or known, and the whole world were gathered on one side, it offers—since the Hebrew 'VO' means 'bitter' or 'bitter mind'... In this place, the root of that 'bitter' must necessarily be... ...and if Rome alone stood on the other side, the whole world would flee, defeated, and Rome alone would remain at the pinnacle of knowledge. Why, then, you small group, do you resist his commands and so foolishly pride yourselves against his decrees? Either accept the faith of the immortal gods, or face an unchangeable sentence of condemnation. The sentence of condemnation will be pronounced. The Christians, however, upon receiving these letters, sent all the messengers away empty-handed. Then Diocletian and Maximian, moved to anger, sent word through all the provinces that everyone should come to Rome equipped with weapons of war to subjugate all who rebelled against the Roman Empire. The letters of the Augusti were delivered to the people of Thebes, a people who, according to God's command, rendered to God what was God's, and to Caesar what was Caesar's. They gathered an elite legion of 6,666 soldiers and sent them to the emperors—not to help them move their weapons against the Christians, but to defend them. The leader of this sacred legion was the illustrious Mauritius, and the standard-bearers were Candidus, Innocentius, Exsuperius, Victor, and Constantinus. Diocletian therefore sent Maximian—whom he had taken as his colleague in the empire—against the Gauls with an infinite army, and joined the Theban legion to him. They were exhorted by Pope Saint Marcellinus to die by the sword rather than violate the faith of Christ they had received.
The Martyrdom at Aganum
The soldiers of the Theban legion choose death over apostasy, witnessing to Christ through their collective sacrifice.
When the entire army had crossed the Alps and arrived at Octodurum, the emperor ordered that everyone with him should offer sacrifice to the idols and unanimously conspire against those who rebelled against the empire, and especially against the Christians. Hearing this, the holy soldiers withdrew eight miles from the army and camped in a pleasant place called Aganum, next to the Rhone. When Maximian heard this, he sent soldiers with orders for them to hurry and join the others in sacrificing to the gods. They replied that they couldn't do this, because they held the faith of Christ. Then the emperor, burning with anger, said: 'A heavenly insult is added to my contempt, and the Roman religion is being mocked along with me. Let the defiant soldier realize that I can take vengeance not only for myself, but also for my gods.' Then Caesar sent his soldiers with orders to force them to sacrifice to the gods, or else to behead every tenth man among them immediately. The holy men, therefore, joyfully stretched out their necks, each one rushing to be the first to reach death. Then Saint Maurice rose up and, among other things, preached like this: 'I congratulate you, because you're all prepared to die for the faith of Christ. I endured the killing of your fellow soldiers because I saw that you were prepared for the passion for Christ, and I kept the Lord's command, who said to Peter: "Put your sword back into its sheath." Since we're now surrounded by the bodies of our fellow soldiers and have our clothes stained red with the blood of our companions, let's follow them to martyrdom.' Let's therefore, if it pleases, send this answer to Caesar: "Emperor, we're your soldiers and we took up arms for the defense of the republic. There's no treachery in us, no fear, but we'll in no way abandon the faith of Christ." When the emperor heard this, he ordered them to slaughter every tenth man again. At this, Exsuperius the standard-bearer [REDACTED] the banner and stood among his fellow soldiers, saying: "Our glorious leader Maurice has spoken of the glory of our fellow soldiers. Exsuperius, your standard-bearer, did not take up these arms to resist such things; let our right hands cast aside these carnal weapons and arm themselves with virtues. And if it pleases you, let us send this response back to the emperor: 'We are your soldiers, Emperor, but we are servants of Christ—a fact we freely profess. To you we owe our military service; to Him, our innocence. From you we received our pay for our labor; from Him, the beginning of our life. We are ready to endure every torture for His sake, and we will never depart from His faith.'" Then the impious Caesar ordered his army to surround the entire legion so that not one man could escape. The soldiers of Christ were then surrounded by the soldiers of the devil, slaughtered by wicked hands, trampled under the hooves of horses, and thus consecrated as precious martyrs to Christ. They suffered around the year of our Lord 280. However, by the will of God, many escaped, so that by going into other regions they might preach the name of Christ and triumph most gloriously in other places. Among them, it is said, were Solator, Adventor, and Octavius near Turin; Alexander near Bergamo; Secundus near Ventimiglia; as well as the blessed Constantius, Victor, Ursus, and many others. When, therefore, the executioners... ...were dividing the spoils and eating together, they invited an old man named Victor, who happened to be passing by, to join them for the meal.
Witnesses to the Faith
The narrative recounts the deaths of individual witnesses and the spiritual significance of the martyrs' constancy.
He began to ask how it was possible, among so many thousands who had been killed, to... feast with joy. But when he heard from someone that they had died for the faith of Christ, he sighed deeply and groaned, declaring that he would be truly blessed if he had been killed along with them. But when... they discovered that he was a Christian, they attacked him and killed him on the spot. After this, however, Maximian at Milan and Diocletian at Nicomedia laid aside their imperial robes on the same day, so they could live a private life and the younger ones—Constantius, Maximus, and Galerius, whom they had made Caesars—could rule. But when Maximian tried to rule tyrannically again, he was pursued by his son-in-law Constantius and ended his life by hanging. Finally, the body of Saint Innocent, from that same legion, having been immersed in the waters of the Rhône, was buried in the church by Domitian of Geneva, Gratus of Augustodunum, and Protasius, bishops of that same place, along with others. A pagan craftsman was involved in its construction, and while others were keeping the Lord's Day holy, he was working at his task alone. The army of the saints is present; they are seized, they are struck down, and... He is rebuked because he had taken up his profane work, and while others were focused on divine things on the Lord's Day, he was intent on mechanical labor. Corrected, he ran to the church and asked to be made a Christian; Ambrose says this in his preface about these martyrs: 'The army of the faithful, illuminated by divine light, coming from the ends of the earth, prayed to you happily; and the legion, surrounded by the swords of soldiers and also protected by spiritual armor, hastened to martyrdom with watchful constancy; the pestilent tyrant, in order to terrify them with fear, decimated them to the point of destruction by the sword, and afterwards commanded that all of them, remaining constant in the faith, be beheaded together.' But they were burning with such a fire of charity that, having cast aside their weapons and kneeling everywhere, they received the weapons of the executioners with a joyful heart; among them, blessed Maurice, inflamed by the love of your faith, attained the crown of martyrdom by struggling. This is what Ambrose says.
Miracles and Divine Justice
Posthumous miracles and the judgment of a blasphemer demonstrate the ongoing power and protection of the martyrs.
A woman entrusted her son to the abbot of the monastery where the bodies of the holy martyrs rest, so he could be educated. When the boy died shortly after, she mourned him deeply. Mauritius appeared to her and asked why she was weeping for her son in such a way, to which she replied that as long as she lived, she wouldn't stop her tears. He replied, "Don't weep for him as if he were dead; know that he lives with us. If you want proof, rise for morning prayers tomorrow and every day for the rest of your life, and you'll hear his voice among the voices of the singing monks." She always did this and heard her son's voice singing with the monks, always discerning it. King Gaturanicus abandoned the treasures and pomp of this world, distributing them to the poor and to the churches; he then sent a priest to inquire about the sacred relics of the saints. As the priest returned with the relics, his ship was caught in a storm on Lake Lausanne and was about to sink. He held the box containing the relics against the waves, and a great calm followed immediately. In 963, after some monks secured the remains of Pope Saint Urban and the martyr Saint Tiburtius from Pope Nicholas through the influence of Charles, they stopped at the church of the holy martyrs on their way home. There, they received permission from the abbot and monks to transport the body of Saint Maurice and the head of Saint Innocent to Auxerre, to the church that Saint Germanus had dedicated to those same martyrs long ago. Peter Damian reports that in Burgundy there was a proud and ambitious cleric who had seized a church of Saint Maurice for himself, despite a powerful knight who strongly opposed him. But one day, while Mass was being celebrated and the Gospel reading concluded with the words, 'Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,' the wretched man mocked them and said, 'That's false; for if I had humbled myself before my enemies, I wouldn't have all these church riches today.' Suddenly, a bolt of lightning like a sword entered the very mouth through which he had spewed those blasphemous words, and it struck him dead instantly.
Read the original Latin
Mauritius dicitur amari et cis, quod dicitur vomens vel durus, et us, quod interpretatur consiliator vel festinans. Vel dieitur a mauron, quod secundum Ysidorum graece dicitur nigrum. Ipse namque habuit amaritudinem pro incolatu miseriae etdilatione patriae, fuit vomens )per superfluorum abjectionem, durus et firmus per tormentorum )perpessionem, consiliator per commilitonum exhortationem, festinans per fervorem et bonorum operum multiplicationem, niger per sui despectionem, Horum passionem scripsit et compilavit beatus Eucharius Lugdunensis archiepiscopus.
X. Mauritius in sacratissima legione, quae Thebaea dicitur, dux exstitisse perhibetur, Dicti autem sunt Thebaei a civitate sua, quae Thebae nuncupata est. Est autem ipsa regio in partibus orientis ultra fines Arabiae, habilis opibus, fructibus fertilis, arboribus delectabilis. Habitatores vero illius regionis dicuntur esse magni corporibus, armis strenui, in bello fortissimi, callidi ingenio, sapientia locupletissimi. Ipsa autem civitas C portas habnit, et super Nilum fluvium, qui de paradiso egreditur et Gyon dicitur, sita fnit, de qua dicitur: ecce vetus Thebea centum jacet obruta portis, His Jacobus frater domini verbum salntis praedicavit et fidem Christi perfecte eos docnit. Dyocletianus autem et Maximianus, qui coeperunt anno domini CCLXXVII, volentes fidem Christi penitus exstirpare, tales epistolas per omnes provincias, in quibus christiani morabantur, transmiserunt, Si aliquid determinari oporteret aut sciri et totus mundus ex una parte congregatus esset, offert, quoniam Hebraicum VO amarus vel "2 (mens amarus s. mi amare) ia hoc loco necessario radix illius m ari esse debet, Alii dilectione sionem. , et sola Roma ex alia parte consisteret, mundus totus victus fugeret et sola Roma in culmine scientiae remaneret.
Cur ergo vos, parva plebecula, ejus praeceptis resistitis el contra ipsius statuta tam stolide superbitis? ant igitur Deorum immortalinm fidem suscipite aut immutabilis a vobis. sententia proferelur damnationis. Christiani autem hujusmodi litteras suscipientes nuntios omnes vacuos dimiserunt. Tunc Dyocletianus et Maximianus in iram commoti per omnes provincias miserunt, ut omnes bellicis armis aptiad Romam venirent et omnes rebelles Romano imperio subjugarent. Literae antem Angustorum ad populum Thebaeorum delatae sunt, Qui populus secundum Dei praeceptum , quae Dei erant, Deo et, quae erant Caesaris, Caesari reddebant. Congregantes igitur electam militum legionem, scilicet VI millia DCLXVI, eos ad imperatores miserunt, ut in bellis justis imperatores juvarent, non ut contra christianos arma moverent, sed eos potins defenderent, Huic autem sacratissimae legioni dux erat inclitus vir Mauritius, signiferi autem Candidus, Innocentius, Exsuperius, Victor et Constantinus. Dyoclelianus igitur Maximiannm, qnem sibi in collegam imperii assumserat, contra Gallias eum infinito exercitu misit et ei legionem Thebaeam sociavit, Hi a sancto Marcellino papa exhortati sunt, ut ante gladiis interirent, quam fidem Christi, quam acceperant, violarent.
Gum igitur universus exercitus montes Alpium transmeasset etOttodorum advenisset, jubet imperator, ut omnes, qui-seeum erant, ydolis immolarent et contra rebelles imperio et maxime contra christianos unanimiter conjurarent. Quod sancti milites audientes octo milliaribus ab exercitu secesserunt et in quodam loco amoeno, cuiAganum nomen est, juxta Rhodanum consederunt. Quod audiens Maximianus missis militibus praecepit, ut ad Deorum sacrificia cum aliis festinarent. Qui se non posse facere responderunt, utpote quia fidem Ghristi haberent. Tunc imperator ira succensus ait: jungitur despectui meo coelestis injuria et mecum religio Romana contemnitur, sentiat contumax miles, non solum mihi, sed etiam Diis meis me posse dare vindictam, Tunc Caesar missis militibus snis jussit, ut aut Diis sacrificare eos compellerent, ant decimum quemque eorum protinus decollarent. Sancti igitur cum gaudio capita extendentes, unus ante alterum festinabat et ad mortem pervenire properabat. Tunc DEMNM MM sanctus Mauritius assurgens inter caetera sic concionatus est: congratulor vobis, quia pro fide Christi omnes mori parati estis; commilitones vestros necari sustinui, quia vos ad passionem pro Christo paratos vidi et domini mandatum servavi, qui ait Petro: mitte gladium tuum in vaginam; quia ergo jam commilitonum corporibus vallati sumus et sociorum sanguinibus rubricatas vestes habemus, nos ipsos ad martirium sequamur. Haec ergo, si placet, Caesari mandemus responsa: milites tui, imperator, sumus et ad defensionem reipublicae arma suscepimus; non est in nobis perditio, non formido, sed Christi fidem nullatenus deseremus.
Cum hoc imperator audivisset, jussit iterum, ut decimum trucidarent. Quo facto Exsuperius signifer vexillum arripiens et inter commilitones stans dixit: gloriosus dux noster Mauritius de nostrorum commilitonum gloria est locutus neo Exsuperius signifer vester ideo haec arma arripuit, ut talibus resistamus; projiciant dextrae nostrae arma haec carnalia et armentur virtutibus, et talia, si placet, imperatori remandemus: milites sumus, imperator, tui, servi autem, quod libere profitemur, Christi; tibi debemus militiam, illi innocentiam; a te laboris stipendium, ab illo exordium sumsimus vitae, omniaque pro ipso tormenta suscipere parati sumus et ab ejus fide nunquam discedemus. Tunc impius Caesar jussit suum exercitum totam legionem circumdare, ita ut unus evadere non posset. Vallantur igitur milites Christi a militibus dyaboli et nefandis manibus trucidantur et pedibus conculeantur equorum et Ghristo preliosi martires consecrantur. Passi sunt autem circa annos domini CCLXXX. Dei autem nutu quamplares evaserunt, ut in regiones alias venientes Christi nomen praedicarent et gloriosissime in locis aliis triumpharent. Ex quibus faisse dicunturSolator, Adventor etOctavius apud Taurinum, Alexander apud Pergamum, Secundus apud Vintinum, necnon et beatus Constantius et Viotor et Ursus et quamplures alii, Cum igitur carnifices. praedam dividerent et insimul epularentur, quendam senem nomine Victorem inde casu transeuntem ad secum convivandum invitant.
Hle requirere coepit, quomodo inter tot millia occisorum possent cum. gaudio epulari. Cum autem a quodam audivisset, quod pro fide Christi mortui essent, suspirans ille vehementer ingemuit, beatum omnino se clamitans, si cum illis fuisset occisus. Cum autem. comperissent, quoniam christianus essel, in eum impetum fecerunt et ipsum protinus trucidarunt. Post haec autem Maximianus apud Mediolanum, Dyocletianus vero apud Nicomediam una die purpuram deposuerunt, ut privatam vitam agerent et adolescentiores, scilicet Constantius et Maximus et Galerius, quos Caesares fecerant, imperarent. Sed cum Maximianus iterum tyrannice imperare vellet, a Constantio genero suo persecutus suspendio vitam finivit. Tandem corpus sancti Innocentii de eadem legione in unda Rhodani immersum a Domitiano Genanensi et Grato Augustauo et Protasio ejusdem loci episcopis cum aliis in ecclesia est sepultum.
In cujus constructione quidam gentilis artifex erat, qui aliis die dominico sollemnizantibus solus opus suum exercebat. Adest sanctorum exercitus, rapitur, caeditur et. argnitur, quod opus snum profanum assumserit et die dominica, cum alii divinis intenderent, ipse operibus mechanicis inhiaret. Correctus ad ecclesiam cucurrit et se fieri christianum postulavit, Ambrosius in praefatione de his martiribus sic ait: ealerva fidelium divino lustrata lumine ab extremis terrae finibus veniens )tibi feliciter supplicavit et tam corporeis bellatorum legio mucronibus cireumsepta quamque spiritualibus etiam armis vallata ad martirium vigili constantia properavit, quos pestifer tyrannus, ut eos metu perlerreret, ad internecionem supplicii gladio decimavit atque postmodum constanter eos perdurantes in fide universos pariter capite plecti praecepit. Sed hi tanto caritatis ardore fervebant, ut ejectis armis flexo poplite passim geniculantes spiculatorum tela hilari corde susciperent, inter quos beatus Mauritius tuae fidei amore succensus decertando marlirii est coronam adeptus. Haec Ambrosius,
Mulier quaedam filium suum abbati monasterii, in quo sanctorum martirum corpora requiescunt, erudiendum tradidit, quem in brevi defunctum irremediabili luctu plangebat, Cui apparens Mauritius, cur filium summ sic fleret, quaesivit; quae sibi respondit, quod, quamdiu viveret, a lacrymis non cessaret. Cui ille; noli eum flere ut mortuum, sed scias eum habitare nobiscum; quod si probare desideras, cras et in omnibus diebus vitae tuae , si ad matutinas surrexeris, vocem ejus inter monachorum psallentium voces andire valebis. Quodilla semper fecit et vocem filii cum monachis cantantem semperdiseernens audivit, m- — 3. Rex Gaturanicus, cum thesauros relictis saeculi pompis panperibus et ecclesiis erogaret, quendam presbiterum misit , ut sibi de sacrosanctis ipsorum reliquiis asporlaret. Qui cum reliquiis impetratis rediens, dum navis orta tempestate in lacu Lausannensi periret, capsam cum reliquiis fluctibus opposuit et mox secuta fuit tranquillitas magna,
Anno domini DCCCCLXIII, cum quidam monachi obtentu Caroli a Nicolao papa corpora sancti Urbani papae et sancti Tiburtii martiris impetrassent et redeuntes sanctorum martirum ecclesiam visitassent, ab abbate et monachis impetrarunt, ut corpus sancti Mauritii et caput saneti Innocentii apud Antissiodorum in ecclesia, quam sanctus Germanus eisdem martiribus dudum dedicaverat, transportarent.
Refert Petrus Damiani, quod in Burgundia erat quidam clericus superbus et ambitiosus, qni quandam ecclesiam sancti Mauritii sibi usurpaverat, quodam potente milite sibi plurimum obsistente. Dum autem quadam die missa canlaretur et in fine evangelii diceretur: omnis, qui se exaltat, humiliabitur, derisit miser et ait: falsum est, nam si ego meis hostibus me humiliassem, tot hodie divitias ecclesiae non haberem. Et ecce fulmen instar gladii in os ejus, per quod blasphemica verba evomuit, introivit et subito eum exstinxit.
The Golden Legend (Legenda Aurea) companion
Continue through all 240 chapters, one saint a day
Chosen Portion serves the Golden Legend as a daily portion on iOS, free, alongside the full Sub Rosa archive
The Legenda Aurea was organized for day-by-day use across the liturgical year, and Chosen Portion restores that original one-feast-per-day reading rhythm
- A complete saint's life or feast reading most days in 5-10 minutes
- 240 chapters - enough daily readings to cover a full liturgical year and beyond
- Daily reminders so the plan survives busy weeks