De sancto Primo et Feliciano
The Meaning of Their Names
The chapter begins with an etymological reflection on the names Primus and Felicianus, highlighting their virtues.
Primus is like the highest and the great, while Felicianus is like a happy anus—that is, a happy old man. He is called the highest or the great because of his dignity. He is great because of his endurance in martyrdom, powerful because of his work of miracles, holy because of his perfection of life, and happy because of his glorious enjoyment of life. But this one is called an old man not only because of his advanced age, but also because of the dignity of his reverence, the maturity of his wisdom, and the gravity of his character.
The Trial and Miraculous Endurance
Primus and Felicianus face the cruelty of the emperors and the governor, remaining steadfast through torture and divine intervention.
Primus and Felicianus were accused before Diocletian and Maximian by temple priests, who claimed that unless they were forced to offer sacrifice, they wouldn't be able to obtain any favors from the gods. By the emperors' order, they were locked in prison, but after being freed by an angel, they were brought before the emperors again. Because they remained firm in their faith, they were cruelly tortured and separated from each other. The governor said to Felicianus that he should consider his old age and offer sacrifice to the gods, to which Felicianus replied: "Look, I have already lived eighty years, and it has been thirty years since I recognized the truth and chose to live for God, who can deliver me from your hands." Then the governor ordered him to be bound and to have nails driven into his hands and feet, telling him, "You'll stay like this until you agree with us." While he remained there with a joyful face, the governor ordered him to be tortured on the spot and given absolutely nothing to eat or drink. After this, he had the holy Primus brought in and said to him, "Look, your brother has agreed to the emperors' decree, and for this reason, he is honored as a great man in the palace; you, therefore, do the same." He replied, "Although you are a child of the devil, you have spoken the truth in part, because my brother has agreed to the decree of the heavenly Emperor." Then the angry governor ordered his sides to be burned with torches and boiling lead to be poured into his mouth, while Felicianus watched, hoping he might be terrified by this; but he drank the lead as gently as if it were cold water. Then the angry governor ordered two lions to be sent against them, but they immediately threw themselves at their feet and stood before them like gentle lambs.
Witness and Martyrdom
The saints continue to manifest God's power before the crowds, leading to their final martyrdom and honorable burial.
He released the cruel bears again, but they became tame alongside the lions. More than 12,000 people were there to watch the spectacle. Five hundred men believed in the Lord because of them, but the governor had the saints beheaded while they were praising God in a clear voice, and he ordered their bodies to be thrown to the dogs and birds; yet, the Christians still buried them with honor, unharmed. They suffered around the year of our Lord 287.
Read the original Latin
Primus quasi summus et magnus, Felicianus quasi felix anus, id est, felix senex. Ille enim dicitur summus sive magnus dignitate. propter martirii perpessionem, potestate propter miraculorum operationem , sanctitate propter vitae perfectionem, felicitate propter vitae gloriosam fruitionem. Iste autem dicitur senex non tantum propter temporis antiquitatem, sed etiam propter reverentiae dignitatem, propter sapientiae maturitatem et propter morum gravitatem.
Primus et Felicianus apud Dyocletianum et Maximianum a templorum pontificibus accusantur, quod, nisi eos sacrificare fecerint, nulla a Diis beneficia obtinere valebunt. Jussu igitur imperatorum in carcere recluduntur, sed ab angelo soluti postmodum iterum imperatoribus praesentantur, qui cum in fide firmi persisterent, crudeliter laniati ab invicem separantur, dicitque praeses Feliciauo, ut suae senectuti consuleret et Diis immolaret, CuiFelicianus: ecce jam LXXX annos habeo et XXX anni sunt, ex quo veritatem agnovi et elegi Deo vivere, qui me potest de tuis manibus liberare. Tunc jussit praeses eum ligari et clavos in manibus et pedibus affigi eique dixit: tamdiu sic eris, donec nobis consenseris. Qui dum laeto vultu persisteret, eum ibidem torqueri jussit et nihil penitus ministrari. Post hoc sanctum Primum adduci fecit eique dixit: ecce frater tuus imperatorum decrelis consensit et ob hoc magnus in palatio veneratur, tu igitur similiter age. Cui ille: licet dyaboli filius sis, verum tamen in parte dixisti, quia frater meus imperatoris coelestis decreto consensit. Tunc iratus praeses jussit facibus latera ejus incendi et plumbum bulliens in os ejus infundi, cernente Feliciano , ut sic terreri posset, ipse autem plumbum tanquam aquam frigidam suaviter bibit. Tunc iratus praeses duos leones ad egs mitti praecepit, qui statim ad pedes eorum se projecerunt et tamquam agni mansueti coram iis steterunt.
Rursus ursas crudeles dimittit, et cum leonibus mansuescunt. Aderant ad hoc spectaculum plus quam XII millia virorum, . de quibus D viri in domino crediderunt, praeses autem sanctos fecit decollari clara voce collaudabant, " et eorum corpora canibus et avibus projici, sed tamen ab his illaesaa christianis honorifice sunt sepulta. Passi sunt autem circa annos domini CCLXXXVII.
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