The Passion of Marian and James · §4 · Acts of the Martyrs

The longed-for arrest

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The narrator tells how Marian and James were seized with the brothers at the farmhouse and hauled toward Cirta.

Barely two days had passed, and their own palm was seeking our dearest Marian and James. In other places one guard on duty or another does this work. Here a violent band of centurions and a shameless crowd rushed together to the country house that held us, as if to a famous seat of faith. It was a raid we had longed for! O happy trembling, worthy of exultation! For they came to us for this alone, that the righteous blood of Marian and James might fulfill God's gracious favor.

At this point, dearest brothers, we can scarcely curb our heaped joys. Two days earlier we had sent some from our embrace straight to the very end of their passion, and we still had others with us as future martyrs. When the now ripe hour of divine gracious favor seeks them more urgently, it touched even us with some share of brotherly glory, and we were being dragged from Muguis to the colony of Cirta. Those dear to us and chosen for the palm of passion were following us, for both love for us was leading them and Christ's now ripe gracious favor was leading them. So in a wonderful way and with unstained order of march, those who were to go ahead were following behind. Their wait was not long. While they encourage us with still greater exultation, they revealed with still freer joy that they too are Christians. Soon they were questioned, and as they were standing firm in the most brave confession of faith of the Name, they are led into prison.

Latin

Uixdum enim biduum fluxerat, et ecce Marianum et Iacobum carissimos nostros sua palma quaerebat. Nec ut aliis in locis unus hoc aut alius stationarius miles agebat, sed centurionum uiolenta manus et improba multitudo sic ad uillam, quae nos habebat, quasi ad famosam sedem fidei conuolarat. Exoptata nobis incursio! O felix et digna exultatione trepidatio! Siquidem ad nos uentum est propter hoc tantum, ut dei dignationem Mariani et Iacobi iustus sanguis expleret. Uix hoc in loco possumus, fratres dilectissimi, gaudia cumulata frenare, qui alios ante biduum ad ipsum passionis exitum a nostris amplexibus miseramus, alios adhuc nobiscum futuros martyras habebamus. Quos cum iam matura diuinae dignationis hora fortius quaerit, nos etiam aliqua fraternae gloriae parte perstrinxit, et pertrahebamur a Muguis in Cirtensem coloniam. Sequebantur autem carissimi nobis et ad palmam passionis electi, quos et nostri amor ducebat et Christi iam matura dignatio. Ita miro modo et inmaculato pergendi ordine sequebantur illi qui fuerant antecessuri. Denique illis non fuit longa dilatio; namque dum nos exultantius adhortantur, se quoque Christianos esse liberiore gaudio prodiderunt. Mox interrogati, cum in fortissima nominis confessione perstarent, deducuntur in carcerem.

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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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