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The Passion of St. Symphorosa and Her Seven Sons

Julius Africanus

Section 4

About this work

Author: Julius Africanus

4. The next day again the Emperor Adrian

‹ Section 3

came

to

the

temple

of

Hercules

,

and

ordered

their

bodies

to

be

carried

off

together

,

and

cast

into

a

deep

pit

;

and

the

pontiffs

gave

to

that

place

the

name

,

To

the

Seven

Biothanati

.

After

these

things

the

persecution

ceased

for

a

year

and

a

half

,

in

which

period

the

holy

bodies

of

all

the

martyrs

were

honoured

,

and

consigned

with

all

care

to

tumuli

erected

for

that

purpose

,

and

their

names

are

written

in

the

book

of

life

.

The

natal

day

,

moreover

,

of

the

holy

martyrs

of

Christ

,

the

blessed

Symphorosa

and

her

seven

sons

,

Crescens

,

Julian

,

Nemesius

,

Primitivus

,

Justin

,

Stracteus

,

and

Eugenius

,

is

held

on

the

18th

July

.

Their

bodies

rest

on

the

Tiburtine

road

,

at

the

eighth

mile

-

stone

from

the

city

,

under

the

kingship

of

our

Lord

Jesus

Christ

,

to

whom

is

honour

and

glory

for

ever

and

ever

.

Amen

.

Notes

8
In one of the Colbert codices, and in another from the Sorbonne, there is a passage inserted here about the death of Adrian, which is said to have happened a little after that of these martyrs.