Today the Church remembers the Martyrs of Scillium.
Orate pro nobis.
The Scillitan Martyrs were a company of early North African Christians who suffered under Marcus Aurelius in A.D. 180, and whose Acta are at once the earliest documents of the Church of Africa and the earliest example of Christian Latin. The martyrs take their name from Scilla (or Scillium), a town in Numidia (Algeria). Their trial and execution took place in Carthage under the Pro-consul Vigellius Saturninus, whom Tertullian declares to have been the first persecutor of the Christians in Africa.
The date of their martyrdom is the 17th of July A.D. 180. It is thus the concluding scene of the persecution under Marcus Aurelius, which is best known from the sufferings of the churches of Vienne and Lyons in South Gaul. Marcus Aurelius died on the 17th of March of the year in question, and persecution ceased almost immediately upon the accession of his son Commodus. A group of sufferers called the Madaurian martyrs seems to belong to the same period: for in the correspondence of St Augustine, Namphamo, one of their number, is spoken of as “archimartyr,” which appears to mean protomartyr (first martyr) of Africa.
We have in this martyrdom an excellent example of “Acts of Martyrs” properly so called. The document is in brief legal form, beginning with the date and the names of the accused, and giving the actual dialogue between them and their judge. It closes with the sentence, based on “obstinate” persistency in an illicit (illegal) religion, and with the proclamation by the herald of the names of the offenders and the penalty. All this may quite well be a transcript of the Acta, or official report of the proceedings. A Christian appends the words: “ And so they all together were crowned with martyrdom; and they reign with the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, for ever and ever. Amen.”
The Scillitan sufferers were twelve in all—seven men and five women. Their names were Speratus, Nartzalus, Cintinus (Cittinus), Veturius, Felix, Aquilinus, Laetantius, Januaria, Generosa, Vestia, Donata, and Secunda. Two of these bear Punic (Carthaginian) names (Nartzalus, Cintinus), but the rest Latin names. Six had already been tried: of the remainder, to whom these Acta primarily relate, Speratus is the principal spokesman. He claims for himself and his companions that they have lived a quiet and moral life, paying their dues and doing no wrong to their neighbours. But when called upon to swear by the genius of the emperor, he replies: “I recognize not the empire of this world; but rather do I serve that God whom no man hath seen, nor with these eyes can see.” Here he uses the language of 1 Tim. vi. 16; and it is interesting also to note that in reply to the question, “What are the things in your satchel?” he says, “Books and letters of Paul, a just man.”
The dialogue between the Proconsul and the martyrs shows that the former entertained no prejudices against the Christians. He was simply upholding the laws of the empire and the official order of persecution of Christians. He exhorts them to comply with the law, and when they decline he suggests that they take time to think on the matter. The martyrs are offered a delay of thirty days to reconsider their decision, but this they all alike refuse. They were then put to death by the sword.
These Acts have been long known in an expanded form, or rather in a variety of later recension’s. The fame of the martyrs led to the building of a basilica in their honour at Carthage. Agobard, archbishop of Lyons (c. AD 779–840) stated that the relics of Speratus (along with those of another martyr named St. Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, who was martyred under emperor Valerian in AD 258) were taken by Charlemagne's orders from Carthage to Lyons.
Almighty God, who gave to your servants Speratus, Nartzalus, Cintinus, Veturius, Felix, Aquilinus, Laetantius, Januaria, Generosa, Vestia, Donata, and Secunda boldness to confess the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ before the rulers of this world, and courage to die for this faith: Grant that we may always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in us, and to suffer gladly for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Amen.
