E05342: Zeno of Verona composes a sermon (Sermon 1.39) in Latin in Verona (northern Italy) in 362/380, in honour of the feast day of *Arcadius (martyr of Caesarea in Mauritania, S01859).

Zeno of Verona, Sermon 1.39

Dum beati Archadii martyris gesta annalibus triumphanda mandamus, in agonem immortalis laudis christianus semper ardor animatur.

‘On this anniversary, we consider the triumphal deeds of the blessed martyr Arcadius. While we do this, in the midst of struggle, the immortal flames of the Christian fire are always enlivened by praise.’

The author continues to praise the martyrs in general terms before turning to the specifics of Arcadius’ case. The entire population of an unnamed city (urbs) was required to make a sacrifice to the gods. Arcadius hid when he was required to make the sacrifice, but after one of his kinsmen (propinquus)was found and tortured, Arcadius revealed himself. He offered himself up to the governor of the province (provinciae rector) and gave an account of his reasons for refusing to make a sacrifice. Seeing that the promise of punishment and suffering would not deter Arcadius, the official responded thus:

Incidantur, ait, ab articulis manus, a cruribus pedes; uiuum se cadauer inspiciat.

'‘Cut my hands from their limbs and my feet from my legs’, he said, ‘so that he can inspect his living corpse’.

In response, Arcadius told him:

‘Amputandam linguam mandare nesciti, quae in conluctantione martyria prior solet domino confiteri’

‘You did not know to order them to cut out my tongue, which is accustomed to first confess the Lord in the sufferings of martyrdom.’

Arcadius was led to the place of execution, and his hands and feet were duly removed from his body. He continued to profess his faith through this suffering in pools of blood. The preacher ends by praising Arcadius, comparing him to the *Maccabean martyrs (pre-Christian Jewish martyrs of Antioch, S00303) and Old Testament priest Eleazar. The author ends by stating:

Archadius beatissimus martyr adhuc demoratur in saeculo et iam martyr recitatur in caelo.

‘Arcadius, the most blessed martyr, was delayed till now in the world, but now is declaimed in heaven.’

Text: Löfstedt 1971. Translation and Summary: Frances Trzeciak.