Peter the Martyr
Acta Sanctorum, May 16
Source text: Public Domain. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://actasanctorum.org/may/day-16/peter-the-martyr.html
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ON ST. PETER THE MARTYR
AT CONSTANTINOPLE IN THE BLACHERNAE.

[Commentary]

Peter the Martyr at Constantinople in the Blachernae (S.)

D. P.

George Codinus on the Constantinopolitan origins
p. 48, The Blachernae, he says, were called
as if βλάχνα, because the place with ferns
was planted; or as if λακέρνα, because
the place was full of pools and abounded with waters; [The place's celebrity from the garment of the B. V.] or on account of
of a certain Blachus the slaying. There, the great, he says
the same, church of the Blachernae Marcian and Pulcheria
built, and with various and precious marbles
adorned: and from then celebrated to be the place began,
made then more celebrated, when there was deposited the
holy chest, containing the garment, or the little cloth of
the garment of the Mother of God the Virgin. Done this under Leo the Wise
and Gennadius the Patriarch; and of it there deposited the feast most solemn
was kept at Constantinople on July 2, of the Dedication
indeed the memory on the last day of the same month. To this place in
the MS. Synaxary, [where with ox-hides cut Peter,] which in the possession of Peter Francis Chifflet
our at Dijon we found, is attributed on this day Peter
with the sinews of oxen cut, in these words, "he
in the Blachernae Peter,
with ox-sinews being struck,
is perfected." and is added a distich;
"Unshaken truly of faith Peter the rock,
To whom the sinews papyrus: this of the Word is the work."
The unshaken certainly Peter is of faith the rock,
To whom for papyrus the sinew: this of the Word is the work.
It is signified moreover not of more Peter to have made the ox-hides,
than the light papyrus, than which nothing more delicate and more fragile,
inasmuch as of the Egyptian reeds the pith. Relates about Constantine
Copronymus Theophanes, that in the year of his Empire
21 Andrew a venerable monk, Calybites
called, at the Blachernae dwelling, "with
scourges" bruised, in St. Mamas's Circus he killed,
because his impiety he reproved, Valens the Younger
and Julian him calling. His moreover body
into the sea's flood to be cast he had commanded, but Andrew's
sisters him carrying out in the Leucadius emporium to burial
committed. In the year then of his Empire 27 he seized
Peter a venerable Stylite, not obeying
his dogmas, and with bound feet
dragged through the middle of the city, he commanded living into Pelagia
to be cast. These two into one person to have conflated,
and from the one indeed the place of habitation and the kind of death, [perhaps under Copronymus,]
from the other the name to have received he could. Nothing also is repugnant from
either diverse another, Peter by name, in the Blachernae
either dwelling or buried, with ox-hides cut under the same
Emperor, to have died. Under this certainly the thing done rather I would understand,
than that in the said Synaxary I should believe to be treated of that
Peter, whom under Michael St. Theodora's son mentions Leo
the Grammarian, in these words: Michael a horses' stable,
with marbles adorned and with waters' abundance watered,
he constructed. It finished Peter a certain, whom the Poor-master
they called, a man ingenious and witty,
was in the city. Him calling Michael led him
into the stable, showing to him the inept of the house constructed
adornment; as if by him to be praised wishing, and saying
perpetual himself of name fame to hope on account of such
a work's construction. [for he who under Michael, was not a Saint.] He indeed to the Emperor answered,
Justinian a great church, with gold and marbles
precious it adorning, built; and no
now of it memory survives: you indeed, O Emperor,
a dunghill making and of brutes a receptacle,
say therefore yourself to be about to be memorable? Then
of the hoped from him praise's fruit frustrated Michael and angered,
the Poor-master beaten and dragged
by him expelled. These things Leo, therefore not to be believed about
him to treat, whom the Synaxary commemorates, because Peter
that one neither for faith's cause that injury suffered, nor otherwise
for virtue is praised; but "learned
and scoffing" is called;
and by the very surname "of-the-Poor-master" enough to be distinguished seems
from the other, "he in the Blachernae" called.
