The Passion of Montanus and Lucius · §7 · Acts of the Martyrs

Montanus sees a stain in a white vision and urges unity

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The imprisoned co-authors report Montanus's night vision after his quarrel with Julian to press their appeal to hold unity, peace, and unanimity.

Montanus had already had several conversations with Julian about the woman who had crept secretly into our communion and who was not communicating. Even after the rebuke Montanus had heaped upon him, Julian had remained in that very cold of discord. That same night this was shown to Montanus.

Montanus tells it this way: "Centurions came to us, and as they led us along a long road we reached an immense plain. There Cyprian and Leucius met us. Then we reached a shining white place. Our garments were made white, and our flesh was changed to something whiter than our white garments. Our flesh became so translucent that the eye could see into the depths of the heart. When I looked at my own breast, I saw some stains, and I woke within the vision. Then Lucian met me. I told him the vision and said to him, 'Do you know that those stains mean that I did not come to unity with Julian at once?' And at that I woke."

So, dearest brothers, let us hold unity, peace, and unanimity with all our strength. Let us already imitate here what we are to be there. If the rewards promised to the righteous invite us, if the punishment foretold for the unrighteous terrifies us, and if we desire to be with Christ and to reign with him, let us do the things that lead to Christ and to the kingdom. We wish you well.

Greek

XI. Nam cum Montanus cum Iuliano habuisset sermones aliquos ob eam mulierem quae ad nostram communionem obrepsit, quae non communicabat, cumque post correptionem quam in eum congesserat in frigore ipso discordiae mansisset, ostensum est eadem nocte Montano hoc. Visum est, inquit, mihi venisse ad nos centuriones. cumque deducerent nos per viam longam, pervenimus in campum immensum, in quo nobis occurrerunt Cyprianus et Leucius. pervenimus autem in locum candidum, et facta sunt vestimenta nostra candida et caro nostra commutata candidior vestimentis nostris candidis. ita autem perlucida fuit caro nostra, ut oculorum visum ad intima cordis admitteret. respiciens in pectus meum video quasdam sordes, et experrectus sum in visione. et occurrit mihi Lucianus, et retuli illi visionem, et aio illi: Scis quia sordes illae illud est quod non statim concordavi cum Iuliano? et in hoc experrectus sum. qua de re, fratres dilectissimi, concordiam, pacem, unanimitatem omni virtute teneamus. imitemur iam hic esse quod ibi futuri sumus. si nos invitant iustis promissa praemia, si terret iniustis poena praedicta, si cum Christo esse et regnare cupimus, quae ad Christum et ad regnum ducant, illa faciamus. optamus vos bene valere.

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About this text

Lucius, Montanus, Flavian and their companions write from prison at Carthage of their arrest, hunger and visions. A fellow Christian then tells how they died and what Flavian taught the church on his last day.

Montanus, Lucius and their fellow prisoners wrote this in prison at Carthage about 259, to fellow Christians they call dearest brothers, including brothers still to come. After arrest and imprisonment at Carthage they write to leave testimony of the greatness of God and of their suffering and endurance for the Lord for brothers who will come after.

Its argument is that God protects his servants in prison where threatened burning is extinguished by prayer and darkness becomes light and hunger and thirst are relieved through help brought by fellow Christians, and visions of lamps and a guiding child and milk filled bowls and white garments and promise of a more glorious crown assure them that Christ is with them, so they must hold unity and love and peace and unanimity since division forfeits sonship and inheritance. The reader meets fellow confessors Flavian and Julian and Victoricus and Primolus and Renus and Donatian and Victor the presbyter and Quartillosia and her martyred son and Cyprian who taught the faith and Leucius seen with him and Lucian and Herennian and Januarius who bring food. Their own words are quoted for Renus on lamps and Victor with the shining boy and the Lord in his vision and Quartillosia with her son and the youth with bowls and Montanus on his vision and Lucius at execution, and an editor completes the account in which Montanus preaches against idols and schism and hasty reconciliation of those who gave in under pressure and disrespect for leaders.

Here struggle means the whole trial of arrest and prison and execution and crown means heavenly reward and testimony means open declaration of faith and suffering means suffering and execution for Christ and hardship means affliction of prison want and endurance means patient endurance and unity means united love and peace means reconciliation after quarrel and leaders means appointed church leaders and those who gave in under pressure means Christians who failed under persecution and breakaway Christians means Christians outside the church and person preparing for baptism means one under instruction not yet baptized. The author uses Old Latin wording with LXX style book names and Psalm numbering, so Psalms give the LXX number alongside the modern number and quotations are woven in without modern references including Daniel 3 for the three youths in the fire and Psalm 119:105 LXX 118:105 and Psalm 50:15 LXX 49:15 and Matthew 18:19 and Matthew 5:9 and Romans 8:16 to 17 and Exodus 22:20. Primolus is an arrested Christian whose earlier declaration served as baptism and Renus is a fellow prisoner who dreams of lamps and Herennian is a subdeacon who carries food and Cyprian is the church teacher and Leucius is the figure seen with him.

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 Greek on any section to see the source text. It is not a critical edition.

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