Simplicius (martyr)

Simplicius († 159 or 161 in Celano ) was a Christian saint and martyr . He is revered along with his sons Constantius and Victorinus, who were executed with him.

The earliest source for the martyrdom of Simplicius, Constantinus and Victorinus is a Passio that was only written in 1406, so that its information can only claim limited credibility. According to her, the three came from Gaul and were baptized by Saint Januarius . Gaudentia, the wife of Simplicius, became a nun , while Simplicius and his sons were arrested, tortured and finally brought to Rome by Pontius, the prefect of Gaul . On the trip, the three are said to have made a blind child see. In Rome they were then forbidden to make a pilgrimage to the graves of the apostles Peter and Paul , but with divine help they managed to get rid of their chains and visit the graves. They were then arrested again and taken to Marsica , where they should answer before the emperor. But they refused to renounce their belief and were thrown into a chamber full of snakes and scorpions without them having done anything to them. Finally, Simplicius, Constantius and Victorinus were beheaded in Celano .

The relics of the three saints were first mentioned in a letter from Pope Stephen IX in the 11th century . mentioned. They were located below the altar of San Giovanni Vecchio in Celano. Emperor Friedrich II destroyed the city of Celano in 1222, when the city was rebuilt in 1406, the relics were transferred to the chapel of the city's newly built church. The Passio was also written on this occasion . It is possible that three martyrs, who were originally only executed at the same time, were subsequently declared father and sons. The martyrdom is placed either in the year 159, ie in the reign of Antoninus Pius , or in the year 161 in the time of Marcus Aurelius . The feast day of the three saints is August 26th .

Web links

• www.santiebeati.it (Italian)
• Entry in Complete Lexicon of Saints (1858)