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Saints Protus and Hyacinth were
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', 'witness' Word stem, stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external party. In ...
s during the persecution of
Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...
Valerian (257–259 AD). Protus' name is sometimes spelled Protatius, Proteus, Prothus, Prote, and Proto. His name was corrupted in
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
as Saint Pratt. Hyacinth is sometimes called by his
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
name Hyacinthus (in ; ; and ). The day of their annual commemoration is mentioned in the ''" Depositio Martyrum"'' on September 11, in the
Chronograph of 354 The Chronograph of 354 is a compilation of chronological and calendrical texts produced in 354 AD for a wealthy Roman Christian named Valentinus by the calligrapher and manuscript illuminator, illustrator Furius Dionysius Filocalus. The origina ...
.


Tradition

The earliest account of their lives is a ''Passion of the Martyr Saints Protus and Hyacinth'' ( BHL 2667). Novel-like in composition, it was written in Latin in Italy between 450 and 499. This states that they served as
eunuch A eunuch ( , ) is a male who has been castration, castrated. Throughout history, castration often served a specific social function. The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city of Lagash in the 2 ...
chamberlains to Saint Eugenia, and were
baptized Baptism (from ) is a Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by sprinkling or pouring water on the head, or by immersing in water either partially or completely, traditionally three ...
along with her by Helenus,
Bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
of Heliopolis. Devoting themselves zealously to the study of
sacred scripture The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) biblical languages ...
, they lived with the
hermit A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Chr ...
s of
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
and later accompanied Eugenia to
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
. There, they were arrested for their
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by
Emperor Gallienus Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus (; – September 268) was Roman emperor with his father Valerian (emperor), Valerian from 253 to 260 and alone from 260 to 268. He ruled during the Crisis of the Third Century that nearly caused the collapse ...
(260–268). Refusing to deny their faith, they were first
scourge A scourge is a whip or lash, especially a multi-thong type, used to inflict severe corporal punishment or self-mortification. It is usually made of leather. Etymology The word is most commonly considered to be derived from Old French ''escorgie ...
d and then
beheaded Decapitation is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and all vertebrate animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood by way of severing through the jugular vein and common c ...
on 11 September 258. That ''Passion'' is now thought to be a novelistic creation to create a hagiography for two saints for whom none was yet known and to link them to Eugenia, thought to be fictitious.
Pope Damasus I Pope Damasus I (; c. 305 – 11 December 384), also known as Damasus of Rome, was the bishop of Rome from October 366 to his death in 384. It is claimed that he presided over the Council of Rome of 382 that determined the canon or official list ...
wrote an
epitaph An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...
in honor of the two martyrs, part of which still exists, in which he calls Protus and Hyacinth "brothers".


Graves

The Chronograph of 354 mentions that they were buried together in the
coemeterium Coemeterium (Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lo ...
of Basilla on the
Via Salaria The Via Salaria was an ancient Roman road in Italy. It eventually ran from Rome (from Porta Salaria of the Aurelian Walls) to ''Castrum Truentinum'' ( Porto d'Ascoli) on the Adriatic coast, a distance of 242 km. The road also passed throu ...
, later the
Catacomb of Sant'Ermete The Catacomb of Sant' Ermete or Catacomb of Bassilla is a catacomb on the former via Salaria in Rome, now sited in the Pinciano district on via Berolini. It originated some time between 200 and 250. It was one of the first catacombs to be redisc ...
. The ''" Itineraries"'' and other early authorities likewise give this as their place of burial. When
Pope Leo IV Pope Leo IV (died 17 July 855) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 10 April 847 to his death in 855. He is remembered for repairing Roman churches that had been damaged during the Arab raid against Rome, and for building the ...
(847–855) transferred the bones of many Roman martyrs to the churches of
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
, the
relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose of veneration as a tangible memorial. Reli ...
of these two saints were to be translated also; but, probably on account of the devastation of the burial chamber, only the grave of St. Protus was found at that time and his remains transferred to San Salvatore on the
Palatine Hill The Palatine Hill (; Classical Latin: ''Palatium''; Neo-Latin: ''Collis/Mons Palatinus''; ), which relative to the seven hills of Rome is the centremost, is one of the most ancient parts of the city; it has been called "the first nucleus of the ...
. In 1845, Father
Giuseppe Marchi Giuseppe Marchi (22 February 1795, Tolmezzo – 10 February 1860, Rome) was an Italian Jesuit archæologist who worked on the Catacombs of Rome. Life He entered the Society of Jesus in Rome 12 November 1814, shortly after the re-establishment o ...
discovered the still undisturbed grave of St. Hyacinth in a
crypt A crypt (from Greek κρύπτη (kryptē) ''wikt:crypta#Latin, crypta'' "Burial vault (tomb), vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, Sarcophagus, sarcophagi, or Relic, religiou ...
of the same catacomb. It was a small square
niche Niche may refer to: Science *Developmental niche, a concept for understanding the cultural context of child development and growth *Ecological niche, a term describing the relational position of an organism's species *Niche differentiation, in ec ...
in which lay the ashes and pieces of burned
bone A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, ...
(many martyrdoms at that time were by fire) wrapped in the remains of costly stuffs.Marchi, "Monumenti primitivi: I, Architettura della Roma sotterranea cristiana", Rome, 1844, 238 sqq., 264 sqq. The niche was closed by a marble slab similar to that used to close a loculus, and bearing the original
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
inscription that confirmed the date in the old ''
Roman Martyrology The ''Roman Martyrology'' () is the official martyrology of the Catholic Church. Its use is obligatory in matters regarding the Roman Rite liturgy, but dioceses, countries and religious institutes may add duly approved appendices to it. It provid ...
'': ''D P III IDUS SEPTEBR'' ''YACINTHUS'' ''MARTYR '' (Buried on 11 September Hyacinthus Martyr). In the same chamber were found fragments of an
architrave In classical architecture, an architrave (; , also called an epistyle; ) is the lintel or beam, typically made of wood or stone, that rests on the capitals of columns. The term can also apply to all sides, including the vertical members, ...
belonging to some later decoration, with the words: ''. . . S E P U L C R U M P R O T I M(artyris) . . .'' (Grave of the Martyr Protus) This proved that both martyrs had originally been buried in the same crypt. In June 1933 Hyacinth's remains were placed in the chapel of the Propaganda College. Later, the tombs of the two saints and a stairway built at the end of the fourth century were discovered and restored.


Cult in England

St Protus and St Hyacinth's Church, Blisland in
Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...
was dedicated to Saint Protus. It is known locally as ''St Pratts''.


Notes


References

*


External links


"SS. Protus and Hyacinthus, Martyrs"
''Butler's Lives of the Saints''
Catholic Culture: ''Sts. Protus and Hyacinth''
* (refers to a church dedicated to these two saints)
''Santi Proto e Giacinto di Roma''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Protus And Hyacinth 3rd-century births 250s deaths 3rd-century Christian martyrs Saints from Roman Egypt Brother duos Groups of Christian martyrs of the Roman era