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The Passion of St. Symphorosa and Her Seven Sons

Julius Africanus

Section 1

About this work

Author: Julius Africanus

1. When Adrian had built a palace,

‹ IV.—The Passion of St. Symphorosa and Her Seven Sons.Section 2 ›

and

wished

to

dedicate

it

by

that

wicked

ceremonial

,

and

began

to

seek

responses

by

sacrifices

to

idols

,

and

to

the

demons

that

dwell

in

idols

,

they

replied

,

and

said

:

“

The

widow

Symphorosa

,

with

her

seven

sons

,

wounds

us

day

by

day

in

invoking

her

God

.

If

she

therefore

,

together

with

her

sons

,

shall

offer

sacrifice

,

we

promise

to

make

good

all

that

you

ask

.

”

Then

Adrian

ordered

her

to

be

seized

,

along

with

her

sons

,

and

advised

them

in

courteous

terms

to

consent

to

offer

sacrifice

to

the

idols

.

To

him

,

however

,

the

blessed

Symphorosa

answered

:

“

My

husband

Getulius

,

together

with

his

brother

Amantius

,

when

they

were

tribunes

in

thy

service

,

suffered

different

punishments

for

the

name

of

Christ

,

rather

than

consent

to

sacrifice

to

idols

,

and

,

like

good

athletes

,

they

overcame

thy

demons

in

death

.

For

,

rather

than

be

prevailed

on

,

they

chose

to

be

beheaded

,

and

suffered

death

:

which

death

,

being

endured

for

the

name

of

Christ

,

gained

them

temporal

ignominy

indeed

among

men

of

this

earth

,

but

everlasting

honour

and

glory

among

the

angels

;

and

moving

now

among

them

,

and

exhibiting

trophies

of

their

sufferings

,

they

enjoy

eternal

life

with

the

King

eternal

in

the

heavens

.

”

Notes

2
See Eusebius, Life of Constantine, ii. 50.
3
The Martyrologies celebrate their memory on the 10th June: one of the Colbert mss. gives Zoticus for Getulius.
4
A Colbert ms. gives “laudantes” = praising.