Four Crowned Martyrs
Encyclopedia
The designation Four Crowned Martyrs or Four Holy Crowned Ones (in Latin
, Sancti Quatuor Coronati) actually refers to 9 separate martyrs, divided into two groups:
According to the Golden Legend
, the names of the members of the first group were not known at the time of their death “but were learned through the Lord’s revelation after many years had passed." They were called the "Four Crowned Martyrs" because their names were unknown ("crown" referring to the crown of martyrdom).
or Castra Albana
, according to Christian
tradition.
According to the Passion of St. Sebastian, the four saints were soldiers (specifically cornicularii, or clerks in charge of all the regiment's records and paperwork) who refused to sacrifice to Aesculapius, and therefore were killed by order of Emperor Diocletian
(284-305), two years after the death of the five sculptors. The bodies of the martyrs were buried in the cemetery of Santi Marcellino e Pietro
, on the fourth mile of via Labicana
, by Pope Miltiades
and St Sebastian (whose skull is preserved in the church).
who were killed in Pannonia
. They refused to fashion a pagan statue for the Emperor Diocletian
or to offer sacrifice to the Roman gods. The Emperor ordered them to be placed alive in lead coffins and thrown into the sea, about 287. Simplicius was killed with them. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia
, "the Acts of these martyrs, written by a revenue officer named Porphyrius probably in the fourth century, relates of the five sculptors that, although they raised no objections to executing such profane images as Victoria
, Cupid
, and the Chariot of the Sun
, they refused to make a statue of Æsculapius for a heathen temple. For this they were condemned to death as Christians. They were put into leaden caskets and drowned in the River Save
. This happened towards the end of 305."
, in a sandpit where rested the remains of other executed Christians. According to tradition, since the names of the four martyred soldiers could not be authentically established, Pope Melchiades commanded that, since the date of their deaths (November 8) was the same as that of the second group, their anniversary should be celebrated on that day.
It is unclear where the names of the second group actually come from. The tradition states that Melchiades asked that the saints be commemorated as Claudius, Nicostratus, Simpronian, and Castorius. These same names actually are identical to names shared by converts of Polycarp the priest, in the legend of St. Sebastian.
According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, "this report has no historic foundation. It is merely a tentative explanation of the name Quatuor Coronati, a name given to a group of really authenticated martyrs who were buried and venerated in the catatomb of Sts. Peter and Marcellinus
, the real origin of which, however, is not known. They were classed with the five martyrs of Pannonia in a purely external relationship."
The bodies of the martyrs are kept in four ancient sarcophagi in the crypt of Santi Marcellino e Pietro. According to a lapid dated 1123, the head of one of the four martyrs is buried in Santa Maria in Cosmedin
.
believed that the four names of Group One, which the Roman Martyrology and the Breviary say were revealed as those of the Four Crowned Martyrs, were borrowed from the martyrology of the diocese of Albano Laziale
, which kept their feast on August 8, not November 8. These "borrowed" four martyrs were not buried in Rome, but in the catacomb of Albano; their feast was celebrated on August 7 or August 8, the date under which it is cited in the Roman Calendar of Feasts of 354. The Catholic Encyclopedia wrote that "these martyrs of Albano have no connection with the Roman martyrs".
The double tradition may have arisen because a second passio had to be written. It was written to account for the fact that there were five saints in Group 2 rather than four. Thus, the story concerning Group 1 was simply invented, and the story describes the death of four martyrs, who were soldiers from Rome rather than Pannonian stonemasons. The Bollandist
Hippolyte Delehaye
calls this invented tradition "l'opprobre de l'hagiographie" (the disgrace of hagiography).
Delehaye, after extensive research, determined that there was actually only one group of martyrs – the stonemasons of Group 2 - whose relics were taken to Rome. One scholar has written that “the latest research tends to agree” with Delehaye's conclusion.
The Roman Martyrology
gives the stonemasons Simpronianus, Claudius, Nicostratus, Castorius and Simplicius as the martyrs celebrated on November 8, and the Albano martyrs Secundus, Carpophorus, Victorinus and Severianus as celebrated on 8 August.
In the fourth and fifth centuries a basilica
was erected and dedicated in honor of these martyrs on the Caelian Hill
, probably in the general area where tradition located their execution. This became one of the titular churches of Rome, was restored several times.
, with Bede
noting that there was a church dedicated to them in Canterbury
. This veneration can perhaps be accounted for the fact that Augustine of Canterbury
came from a monastery near the basilica of Santi Quattro Coronati in Rome or because their relics were sent from Rome to England in 601. Their connection with stonemasonry in turn connected them to the Freemasons. One of the scholarly journals of the English Freemasons was called Ars Quatuor Coronatorum, and the Stonemasons of Germany
adopted them as patron saints of "Operative Masonry."
.
Around 1415, Nanni di Banco
fashioned a sculptural grouping of the martyrs after he was commissioned by the Maestri di Pietra e Legname, the guild of stone and woodworkers, of which he was a member. These saints were the guild's patron saints. The work can be found in the Orsanmichele
, in Florence
.
They were also depicted by Filippo Abbiati
.
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, Sancti Quatuor Coronati) actually refers to 9 separate martyrs, divided into two groups:
- Severus (or Secundius), Severian(us), Carpophorus (Carpoforus), Victorinus (Victorius, Vittorinus)
- Claudius, Castorius, Symphorian (Simpronian), Nicostratus, and Simplicius
According to the Golden Legend
Golden Legend
The Golden Legend is a collection of hagiographies by Jacobus de Voragine that became a late medieval bestseller. More than a thousand manuscripts of the text have survived, compared to twenty or so of its nearest rivals...
, the names of the members of the first group were not known at the time of their death “but were learned through the Lord’s revelation after many years had passed." They were called the "Four Crowned Martyrs" because their names were unknown ("crown" referring to the crown of martyrdom).
First Group
Severus (or Secundius), Severian(us), Carpophorus, Victorinus were martyred at RomeRome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
or Castra Albana
Albano Laziale
Albano Laziale is a comune in the province of Rome, on the Alban Hills, in Latium, central Italy. It is also a suburb of Rome, which is 25 km distant. It is bounded by other communes of Castel Gandolfo, Rocca di Papa, Ariccia and Ardea. Located in the Castelli Romani area of Lazio...
, according to Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
tradition.
According to the Passion of St. Sebastian, the four saints were soldiers (specifically cornicularii, or clerks in charge of all the regiment's records and paperwork) who refused to sacrifice to Aesculapius, and therefore were killed by order of Emperor Diocletian
Diocletian
Diocletian |latinized]] upon his accession to Diocletian . c. 22 December 244 – 3 December 311), was a Roman Emperor from 284 to 305....
(284-305), two years after the death of the five sculptors. The bodies of the martyrs were buried in the cemetery of Santi Marcellino e Pietro
Santi Marcellino e Pietro
Santi Marcellino e Pietro al Laterano is a Roman catholic parish and titular church in Rome on the Via Merulana. It is dedicated to Saints Marcellinus and Peter, 4th century Roman martyrs, whose relics were brought here in 1256.-History:...
, on the fourth mile of via Labicana
Via Labicana
The Via Labicana was an ancient road of Italy, leading east southeast from Rome. It seems possible that the road at first led to Tusculum, that it was then extended to Labici, and later still became a road for through traffic; it may even have superseded the Via Latina as a route to the southeast,...
, by Pope Miltiades
Pope Miltiades
Pope Saint Miltiades, also called Melchiades , was pope from 2 July 311 to 10 January 314.- Origins :He appears to have been a Berber African by birth, but of his personal history nothing is known.- Pontificate :...
and St Sebastian (whose skull is preserved in the church).
Second Group
The second group, according to Christian tradition, were sculptors from SirmiumSirmium
Sirmium was a city in ancient Roman Pannonia. Firstly mentioned in the 4th century BC and originally inhabited by the Illyrians and Celts, it was conquered by the Romans in the 1st century BC and subsequently became the capital of the Roman province of Lower Pannonia. In 294 AD, Sirmium was...
who were killed in Pannonia
Pannonia
Pannonia was an ancient province of the Roman Empire bounded north and east by the Danube, coterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, and southward with Dalmatia and upper Moesia....
. They refused to fashion a pagan statue for the Emperor Diocletian
Diocletian
Diocletian |latinized]] upon his accession to Diocletian . c. 22 December 244 – 3 December 311), was a Roman Emperor from 284 to 305....
or to offer sacrifice to the Roman gods. The Emperor ordered them to be placed alive in lead coffins and thrown into the sea, about 287. Simplicius was killed with them. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia
Catholic Encyclopedia
The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia and the Original Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language encyclopedia published in the United States. The first volume appeared in March 1907 and the last three volumes appeared in 1912, followed by a master index...
, "the Acts of these martyrs, written by a revenue officer named Porphyrius probably in the fourth century, relates of the five sculptors that, although they raised no objections to executing such profane images as Victoria
Victoria (mythology)
In ancient Roman religion, Victoria was the personified goddess of victory. She is the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Nike, and was associated with Bellona. She was adapted from the Sabine agricultural goddess Vacuna and had a temple on the Palatine Hill...
, Cupid
Cupid
In Roman mythology, Cupid is the god of desire, affection and erotic love. He is the son of the goddess Venus and the god Mars. His Greek counterpart is Eros...
, and the Chariot of the Sun
Helios
Helios was the personification of the Sun in Greek mythology. Homer often calls him simply Titan or Hyperion, while Hesiod and the Homeric Hymn separate him as a son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia or Euryphaessa and brother of the goddesses Selene, the moon, and Eos, the dawn...
, they refused to make a statue of Æsculapius for a heathen temple. For this they were condemned to death as Christians. They were put into leaden caskets and drowned in the River Save
Sava River
The Sava is a river in Southeast Europe, a right side tributary of the Danube river at Belgrade. Counting from Zelenci, the source of Sava Dolinka, it is long and drains of surface area. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia, along the northern border of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and through Serbia....
. This happened towards the end of 305."
Joint Veneration
When the names of the first group were learned, it was decreed that they should be commemorated with the second group. The bodies of the First Group were interred by St Sebastian and Pope Melchiades (Miltiades) at the third milestone on the Via LabicanaVia Labicana
The Via Labicana was an ancient road of Italy, leading east southeast from Rome. It seems possible that the road at first led to Tusculum, that it was then extended to Labici, and later still became a road for through traffic; it may even have superseded the Via Latina as a route to the southeast,...
, in a sandpit where rested the remains of other executed Christians. According to tradition, since the names of the four martyred soldiers could not be authentically established, Pope Melchiades commanded that, since the date of their deaths (November 8) was the same as that of the second group, their anniversary should be celebrated on that day.
It is unclear where the names of the second group actually come from. The tradition states that Melchiades asked that the saints be commemorated as Claudius, Nicostratus, Simpronian, and Castorius. These same names actually are identical to names shared by converts of Polycarp the priest, in the legend of St. Sebastian.
According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, "this report has no historic foundation. It is merely a tentative explanation of the name Quatuor Coronati, a name given to a group of really authenticated martyrs who were buried and venerated in the catatomb of Sts. Peter and Marcellinus
Santi Marcellino e Pietro
Santi Marcellino e Pietro al Laterano is a Roman catholic parish and titular church in Rome on the Via Merulana. It is dedicated to Saints Marcellinus and Peter, 4th century Roman martyrs, whose relics were brought here in 1256.-History:...
, the real origin of which, however, is not known. They were classed with the five martyrs of Pannonia in a purely external relationship."
The bodies of the martyrs are kept in four ancient sarcophagi in the crypt of Santi Marcellino e Pietro. According to a lapid dated 1123, the head of one of the four martyrs is buried in Santa Maria in Cosmedin
Santa Maria in Cosmedin
The Basilica of Saint Mary in Cosmedin is a minor basilica church in Rome, Italy. It is located in the rione of Ripa.- History :The church was built in the 8th century during the Byzantine Papacy over the remains of the Templum Herculis Pompeiani in the Forum Boarium and of the Statio annonae, one...
.
Confusion and conclusions
Problems arise with determining the historicity of these martyrs because one group contains five names instead of four. Alban ButlerAlban Butler
Alban Butler , English Roman Catholic priest and hagiographer, was born at Appletree, Northamptonshire.He was educated at the English College, Douai, where on his ordination to the priesthood in 1735 he held successively the chairs of philosophy and divinity...
believed that the four names of Group One, which the Roman Martyrology and the Breviary say were revealed as those of the Four Crowned Martyrs, were borrowed from the martyrology of the diocese of Albano Laziale
Albano Laziale
Albano Laziale is a comune in the province of Rome, on the Alban Hills, in Latium, central Italy. It is also a suburb of Rome, which is 25 km distant. It is bounded by other communes of Castel Gandolfo, Rocca di Papa, Ariccia and Ardea. Located in the Castelli Romani area of Lazio...
, which kept their feast on August 8, not November 8. These "borrowed" four martyrs were not buried in Rome, but in the catacomb of Albano; their feast was celebrated on August 7 or August 8, the date under which it is cited in the Roman Calendar of Feasts of 354. The Catholic Encyclopedia wrote that "these martyrs of Albano have no connection with the Roman martyrs".
The double tradition may have arisen because a second passio had to be written. It was written to account for the fact that there were five saints in Group 2 rather than four. Thus, the story concerning Group 1 was simply invented, and the story describes the death of four martyrs, who were soldiers from Rome rather than Pannonian stonemasons. The Bollandist
Bollandist
The Bollandists are an association of scholars, philologists, and historians who since the early seventeenth century have studied hagiography and the cult of the saints in Christianity. Their most important publication has been the Acta Sanctorum...
Hippolyte Delehaye
Hippolyte Delehaye
Hippolyte Delehaye was a Belgian Jesuit who was a hagiographic scholar and an outstanding member of the Bollandists, who established critical editions of texts relating to the Christian saints and martyrs that were based on applying the critical method of sound archaeological and documentary...
calls this invented tradition "l'opprobre de l'hagiographie" (the disgrace of hagiography).
Delehaye, after extensive research, determined that there was actually only one group of martyrs – the stonemasons of Group 2 - whose relics were taken to Rome. One scholar has written that “the latest research tends to agree” with Delehaye's conclusion.
The Roman Martyrology
Roman Martyrology
The Roman Martyrology is the official martyrology of the Roman Rite of the Roman Catholic Church. It provides an extensive but not exhaustive list of the saints recognized by the Church.-History:...
gives the stonemasons Simpronianus, Claudius, Nicostratus, Castorius and Simplicius as the martyrs celebrated on November 8, and the Albano martyrs Secundus, Carpophorus, Victorinus and Severianus as celebrated on 8 August.
Basilica of Santi Quattro Coronati
In the fourth and fifth centuries a basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
was erected and dedicated in honor of these martyrs on the Caelian Hill
Caelian Hill
The Caelian Hill is one of the famous Seven Hills of Rome. Under reign of Tullus Hostilius, the entire population of Alba Longa was forcibly resettled on the Caelian Hill...
, probably in the general area where tradition located their execution. This became one of the titular churches of Rome, was restored several times.
Veneration
The Four Crowned Martyrs were venerated early in EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, with Bede
Bede
Bede , also referred to as Saint Bede or the Venerable Bede , was a monk at the Northumbrian monastery of Saint Peter at Monkwearmouth, today part of Sunderland, England, and of its companion monastery, Saint Paul's, in modern Jarrow , both in the Kingdom of Northumbria...
noting that there was a church dedicated to them in Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
. This veneration can perhaps be accounted for the fact that Augustine of Canterbury
Augustine of Canterbury
Augustine of Canterbury was a Benedictine monk who became the first Archbishop of Canterbury in the year 597...
came from a monastery near the basilica of Santi Quattro Coronati in Rome or because their relics were sent from Rome to England in 601. Their connection with stonemasonry in turn connected them to the Freemasons. One of the scholarly journals of the English Freemasons was called Ars Quatuor Coronatorum, and the Stonemasons of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
adopted them as patron saints of "Operative Masonry."
Depictions in art
Around 1385, they were depicted by Niccolò di Pietro GeriniNiccolò di Pietro Gerini
Niccolò di Pietro Gerini was an Italian painter of the late Gothic period, active mainly in his native Florence. Niccolo di Pietro Gerini's works can be found in major art galleries in Rome, the Vatican, Florence, London, Milan, New York, Los Angeles, Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris, St Petersburg,...
.
Around 1415, Nanni di Banco
Nanni di Banco
Nanni d'Antonio di Banco was an Italian sculptor from Florence.He helped create the winning model for the Duomo of the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral in Florence , under the leadership of Filippo Brunelleschi, alongside Donatello...
fashioned a sculptural grouping of the martyrs after he was commissioned by the Maestri di Pietra e Legname, the guild of stone and woodworkers, of which he was a member. These saints were the guild's patron saints. The work can be found in the Orsanmichele
Orsanmichele
Orsanmichele is a church in the Italian city of Florence...
, in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
.
They were also depicted by Filippo Abbiati
Filippo Abbiati
Filippo Abbiati was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active in Lombardy and Turin. Born in Milan, he was a pupil of the painter Antonio Busca. Alessandro Magnasco was one of his pupils. Ticozzi claims he trained, along with Federigo Bianchi, with Carlo Francesco Nuvolone. Along with...
.
External links
- The Four Crowned Martyrs
- Catholic Encyclopedia: Four Crowned Martyrs
- November 8, the Four Crowned Martyrs, with images of them and of Santi Quattro Coronati and the Chapel of Pope St Sylvester I
- Four Crowned Saints (or Four Crowned Martyrs) and relief at base of tabernacle, Orsanmichele
- Santi e beati: Santi Quattro Coronati