Secundus of Asti ( it, Secondo di Asti) (died c. 119) is venerated as a
martyr
A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', 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 ...
and
saint. His
feast day is generally celebrated on March 29. Until the 15th century it was celebrated at
Asti
Asti ( , , ; pms, Ast ) is a '' comune'' of 74,348 inhabitants (1-1-2021) located in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy, about east of Turin in the plain of the Tanaro River. It is the capital of the province of Asti and it is deeme ...
on March 30, but it is now celebrated there on the first Tuesday in May. He was a historical figure who was
beheaded
Decapitation or beheading is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and most other animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood, while all other organs are deprived of the au ...
at Asti under
Hadrian
Hadrian (; la, Caesar Trâiānus Hadriānus ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. He was born in Italica (close to modern Santiponce in Spain), a Roman '' municipium'' founded by Italic settlers in Hispan ...
. He is said to have been a
patrician of Asti and a
subaltern officer in the
imperial army. It is known that a church was dedicated to him in the area as early as the 9th century.
Legend
Later legends made Secundus a member of the
Theban Legion
The Theban Legion (also known as the Martyrs of Agaunum) figures in Christian hagiography as a Roman legion from Egypt—"six thousand six hundred and sixty-six men"—who converted en masse to Christianity and were martyred together in 286, a ...
. A more elaborate legend states that he was a young man of noble lineage who visited the jails of Asti. Secundus was a friend of Sapricius (Saprizio),
prefect
Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area.
A prefect's ...
of the city. They traveled together to the city of
Tortona
Tortona (; pms, Torton-a , ; lat, Dhertona) is a ''comune'' of Piemonte, in the Province of Alessandria, Italy. Tortona is sited on the right bank of the Scrivia between the plain of Marengo and the foothills of the Ligurian Apennines.
Histo ...
, where Secundus met the city's first bishop,
Marcian
Marcian (; la, Marcianus, link=no; grc-gre, Μαρκιανός, link=no ; 392 – 27 January 457) was Roman emperor of the East from 450 to 457. Very little of his life before becoming emperor is known, other than that he was a (personal a ...
, who was later martyred under Hadrian. Secundus' meeting with Marcian influenced his decision to become a Christian; his meeting with
Faustinus and Jovita
Saints Jovita and Faustinus were said to be Christian martyrs under Hadrian. Their traditional date of death is 120. They are patron saints of Brescia. Traditional vita
Tradition states that they were members of a noble family of Brescia in Lomb ...
further influenced his conversion. His friend Sapricius attempted to make him abjure his newfound faith. Secundus refused, and was tortured and decapitated.
Veneration
The
codex
The codex (plural codices ) was the historical ancestor of the modern book. Instead of being composed of sheets of paper, it used sheets of vellum, papyrus, or other materials. The term ''codex'' is often used for ancient manuscript books, with ...
called the ''Codice della Catena'' depicts Saints
Octavius, Adventor, Solutor,
Maximus of Turin
Maximus of Turin ( it, San Massimo; ( c.380 – c.465) is the first known Christian bishop of Turin. He was a theological writer who "made a great contribution to the spread and consolidation of Christianity in Northern Italy".
Life
Maximus is b ...
,
John the Baptist
John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...
, and Secundus of Asti.
Bernardo Strozzi
Bernardo Strozzi, named il Cappuccino and il Prete Genovese (c. 1581 – 2 August 1644) was an Italian Baroque painter and engraver. A canvas and fresco artist, his wide subject range included history, allegorical, genre and portrait painti ...
painted his ''St Secundus and Angel'' around 1640.
Notes
External links
Saints of March 29: Secundus of AstiSan Secondo di Asti
Secundus as an Orthodox saint
{{DEFAULTSORT:Secundus of Asti
110s deaths
Year of death uncertain
Saints from Roman Egypt
2nd-century Christian martyrs
Year of birth unknown