Martyrs Pompianus
Acta Sanctorum, June 22
Source text: Public Domain. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://actasanctorum.org/june/day-22/martyrs-pompianus.html
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ON THE HOLY MARTYRS POMPIANUS, GALACTION, JULIANA AND HER SON SATURNINUS,

HONORED AT CONSTANTINOPLE.

From two manuscript Synaxaries of our Society.

[Commentary]

Pompeianus, Martyr honored at Constantinople (St.)

Galaction, Martyr honored at Constantinople (St.)

Juliana, Martyr honored at Constantinople (St.)

Saturninus, Martyr honored at Constantinople (St.)

G. H.

A very ancient Synaxary, which we
found at Dijon in the College of the Society of Jesus,
furnishes these Saints,
under this triple title: "The
holy Pompianus is consummated in the sea,"
St. Pompianus is consummated in the sea: "The
holy Galaction is consummated in the sea,"
St. Galaction is consummated in the sea:
"The holy Juliana and Saturninus
her son are consummated by fire,"
St. Juliana and Saturninus
her son are consumed by fire. After each one there were
distichs: but the first two could not be read. But
after St. Juliana this remains:
"Juliana, and her child
Julus, just then in bloom,
the fire burns up."
Juliana and her son just coming to youth,
in the flower of their age, the devouring fire burned up.
Concerning these, the manner of death not expressly stated, in a very ancient
manuscript Synaxary of the Church of Constantinople, which
is preserved at our College in Paris, we read thus:
"The contest of the holy
Martyrs Pompeianus,
Galaction,
Saturninus
and Juliana,
and their commemoration is celebrated
in their own martyrium,
which is near
the holy Martyr Euphemia,
at the Peteion." The contest of the holy
Martyrs Pompianus, Galaction, Saturninus
and Juliana. And their solemnity is celebrated
in their own church near the holy
Martyr Euphemia at the Peteion; which last,
"at the Petreion," is lacking in the Dijon manuscript. The same
solemnity, on the 21st of December, in plainly the same
words, is attributed by the Greeks in the Menaia and elsewhere to
St. Juliana Virgin and Martyr who suffered at Nicomedia:
whose Acts we gave on the 16th of February; though
she is plainly different from this Juliana the mother of St. Saturninus;
but perhaps on account of her it pleased them
to bring this one too with her companions thither, to avoid
the contentions that would arise from the sameness of name, if they were placed elsewhere; just as for that cause the body of St. Dionysius Bishop of the Corinthians
was brought into the church of St. Dionysius
near Paris. Concerning St. Euphemia and her several
Churches erected at Constantinople we shall treat
on the 16th of September: meanwhile one may see the Christian
Constantinople of Charles du Cange, who in book 4, chapter
7, number 12 and the three following, discourses
admirably about these Churches. In the said Synaxary of the Constantinopolitan
Church, Pompianus and Galaction are said
to have been drowned in the sea; but Juliana and Saturninus
her son consumed by fire. Whence it seems to be gathered,
that perhaps they did not suffer martyrdom together in one place and at the same time,
but are venerated joined together, because
their Relics are placed together.
