The Passion of Marian and James · §1 · Acts of the Martyrs

Asking a Friend to Publish Their Contest

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The narrator, a close friend of Marian and James, opens by explaining that they ordered him to bring their struggle to the knowledge of the brotherhood.

Whenever the most blessed martyrs of almighty God and his Christ race toward the promised kingdom of heaven and entrust some charge to their dearest friends, they ask with modesty. They remember the humility that always makes men greater in faith, and the more modestly they ask, the more surely their request is granted.

These noblest witnesses of God have left to me also the task of proclaiming their glory. I mean Marian, one of our dearest brothers, and James. You know how closely they clung to me, not only through our shared life under the solemn pledge but through daily companionship and deep family affection.

They were about to face so great a contest against the crushing pressures of a raging age and pagan attack. They commanded that their battle, which they entered at the prompting of the heavenly Spirit, should come to the knowledge of our brothers and sisters through me. They did not want the glory of their crown proclaimed on earth out of boasting. They wanted the whole congregation, God's people, to be armed for the pattern of faith by the trials that went before them. Our close friendship rightly laid this obedient task upon me. For who could doubt what fellowship was ours in the peace of our life together, when a single season of persecution found us living in undivided love?

Latin

Quotiens aliquid beatissimi martyres dei omnipotentis et Christi eius festinantes ad promissa regna caelorum carissimis suis uerecundius mandant, memores humilitatis quae semper in fide solet facere maiores, quanto modestius petiuerunt, tanto efficacius impetrauerunt. Et nobis quoque hoc praedicandae gloriae suae munus dei testes nobilissimi reliquerunt, Marianum dico, ex dilectissimis fratribus nostris, et Iacobum, quos mihi scitis praeter communem sacramenti religionem, uitae etiam societate et domesticis affectibus inhaesisse. Qui contra saeuientis saeculi pressuras et gentiles impetus habituri tam sublime certamen, praelium suum, quod instinctu spiritus caelestis inierunt, in notitiam fraternitatis per nos uenire iusserunt, non quod in terris uellent coronae suae gloriam per iactantiam praedicari, sed ut praecedentibus experimentis multitudo plebis et dei populus ad exemplum fidei posset armari. Nec inmerito id obsecuturo mihi fiducia familiaris iniunxit. Quis enim dubitet quae nobis in pace uitae communitas fuerit, quando nos indiuidua dilectione uiuentes unum tempus persecutionis inuenerit?

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About this text

A friend who shared their road tells how Marian, a reader, and James, a deacon, were arrested near Cirta in Numidia, tortured, strengthened by visions in prison at Lambaesis, and beheaded by a river with many others.

The writer, who does not give his name, was a close companion of the martyrs, arrested with them but later released, writing to Christian brethren as the fraternity and people of God during the persecution under Emperor Valerian in Numidia. At Marian and James's own request he records their contest not to boast of their crown on earth but so the people may be armed by their example for faith.

Bishops Agapius and Secundinus suffered first after calling at the writer's house, and Marian and James were then arrested near Cirta, confessed Christ and their offices, suffered hanging torture, and endured prison with prayer. In prison they and fellow prisoner Aemilianus report their own visions in their own quoted words, with a tribunal voice and Cyprian heard and seen in Marian's account, a shining youth in James's, a rose crowned boy promising a heavenly meal in another, and a pagan blood brother whose questions in Aemilianus's dream are quoted and answered. After delay while many lay Christians were executed, the clerics were condemned by the governor at Cirta and beheaded together by a river outside the city, with light, white horsemen, Marian prophesying coming judgments, and Marian's mother rejoicing over his body, alongside Tertulla and Antonia, Mary the mother, Secundinus, and a twin boy with his mother.

A reader needs only a few renderings used here. Governor is the Roman provincial governor, reader is the lower clerical office Marian avows and deacon is the office James avows, confession of faith is the open avowal I am a Christian, crown is heavenly reward, execution platform is the high stepped place of display and death, official report is the written charge and confession sent with prisoners, and love feast is the heavenly meal after death. Cyprian is the dead bishop martyred at Carthage who appears to welcome them, the Decian persecution is the earlier persecution James had already survived, the only formal scriptural sentence is the camel through the needle's eye cited as Matthew 19:24 with parallels in Mark 10:25 and Luke 18:25, and the closing joy points to 2 Maccabees 7.

Printed text used

Translated from Oscar von Gebhardt, Acta martyrum selecta (Berlin: A. Duncker, 1902) (Latin)

This work has passed our source check. We made this study translation with AI help. No scholar has yet certified it as faithful and complete. Open Latin on any section, or the Latin source link, to see the source text. It is not a critical edition.

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