Saint Victor
Soldat
africain en garnison à Milan (✝ 303)
Il fut appelé à
répondre de sa foi devant les tribunaux et résista avec courage à tous les
efforts pour le faire apostasier.
À
Milan, commémoraison de saint Victor, martyr vers 303. D’origine maure, et
chrétien dès son enfance, il servait dans les camps de l’armée impériale. Quand
Maximien voulut le forcer à sacrifier aux idoles, il déposa les armes et,
conduit à Lodi, fléchit le cou et tomba sous l’épée.
Victor Maurus M (RM)
(also known as Victor the Moor)
(also known as Victor the Moor)
Born in Mauritania, North Africa; died in Milan, Italy, in 303. Saint Victor
was a soldier in the Praetorian Guard who is associated by Saint Ambrose,
bishop of Milan from 374 to 397, with the martyrs SS. Nabor and Felix. He was martyred
under Maximian. Many churches, especially in Milan, are dedicated to his honor.
His cultus spread readily as far as England. Although little is known of his
life, hagiographers have not hesitated to add details to the little information
that is available (Benedictines, Farmer). In art, Saint Victor is depicted as a
Moorish soldier trampling on a broken altar. He might also be portrayed as
being roasted in an oven or a brazen bull, or thrown into a furnace. He is
venerated in Milan (Roeder).
Saint
Victor Maurus
St. Victor Maurus was a native of
Mauretania. He was born in the third century, and was called Maurus to
distinguish him from other confessors named Victor. He is believed to have been
a soldier in the Praetorian guard. Victor was a Christian from his youth, but
it was not until he was an elderly man that he was arrested for the Faith.
After severe tortures, including being basted with
molten lead, he was decapitated under Maximian in Milan around the year 303.
Later a church was erected over his grave. According to St. Gregory of Tours,
many miracles occurred at the shrine. In 1576, at the request of St. Charles of
Borromeo, Victor’s relics were transferred to a new church in Milan established
by the Olivetan monks. The church still bears St. Victor’s name today. After a
life of adherence to the Faith during perilous times, St. Victor Maurus was
taken prisoner and tortured as an old man.
Despite age, infirmity, and declining health, he
remained steadfast in the Faith, gladly giving up his life for the Kingdom. His
generous response to the call to martyrdom stands as a solemn sign to the
modern church of the folly of the things of this world. His feast day is May
8th.
May
8
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St. Victor, Martyr at Milan
ST. AMBROSE speaks of him, 1 and St. Gregory of Tours 2 mentions his tomb famed for
miracles. He served in the armies of Maximian, and by his order was tortured on
the rack, and at length beheaded at Milan, in 303. His celebrated church at
Milan, is now in the hands of the Olivetan monks, by whom it was rebuilt in a
most sumptuous manner and in a finished taste, when St. Charles performed the
dedication of it, and the solemn translation of the martyr’s relics. See the Bollandists.
Note 1. L. 7, in Luc
Note 2. L. 1, de Glor. Mart. c. 45.
Rev. Alban
Butler (1711–73). Volume V: May. The Lives of the
Saints. 1866.
|
St. Victor of Milan
The Passion of St. Victor (BHL 8580)
1. When the impious Maximianus was ruling as
emperor there was a great persecution of Christians in the city of Milan. There
was there a certain soldier by the name of Victor, Moorish by race, who was
very well known to the emperor. Then his ministers made a report to the emperor
saying, "O Most Clement Lord and Emperor, Victor the Moor has become a
Christian and blasphemes against our gods, saying that they are demons. The
emperor was angered and ordered that Victor be brought before him; and he said
to him, "Victor my soldier, what do you think that you are lacking that
you have become a Christian ?" Victor responded, "I have not become a
Christian just recently, but have been one since my youth." The emperor
Maximianus said, "You are a Christian, then, so you clearly say ?"
Victor replied, "I certainly am a Christian, and I adore Jesus Christ the
Son of the Living God who was born of the Virgin Mary. I believe in my heart,
and I never stop praising him with my mouth." Then the emperor Maximianus
was filled with anger and ordered that he be thrown into the prison which was
near the Circus and on the route to the Ticinese Gate, and that he be closely
guarded, saying to him, "Go Victor, think to yourself how you can escape
those terrible tortures which will viciously rip you unless you offer
sacrifice". Thus he was sent to prison and spent six days there, and the
emperor ordered that neither bread nor water were to be given to him. On the
seventh day the emperor Maximianus ordered a platform to be readied for him in
the hippodrome of the Circus, and that Saint Victor be brought to him. He said
to him, "What is it, Victor, what have you decided about your salvation
?" Saint Victor replied, "Christ is my salvation and my strength. I
am nourished by the spirit of him who I have received into my body."
2. Then the emperor Maximianus was filled with
anger and ordered that clubs be brought, and that Victor be stretched out in
his sight and beaten. He commanded that the torturers should go beyond the
third mark of the rack, and should shout at him, "Sacrifice to the Gods
whom the emperor and everyone wor- ship." When Victor had been beaten the
emperor ordered that he be set up straight, and said to him, "Victor, hear
my advice, yield to and serve those gods: because no-one can better serve them
than you, especially since you are distinguished by your grey hairs".
Saint Victor replied, "Blessed David, king and prophet, teaches, "All
the gods of the nations are demons, but our God made the heavens: if,
therefore, they are called demons from the start, how will I worship them
?" Then the emperor Maximianus said to him, "Behold I give to you the
rank of magister militum, much gold and silver, retinues and property,
only sacrifice to the gods whom we worship". Victor replied, "I have
already said, and will say it again: I will not sacrifice to the demons but I
offer myself as a sacrifice of praise to God: because it is written
"everyone who sacrifices to demons and not to God will be
destroyed."" The emperor's consiliarius Anolinus said,
"Victor, rewards have been promised to you by the most clement emperor:
why don't you sacrifice to the gods whom the emperor adores, those to whom he
bows his neck ?" Saint Victor replied, "I do not accept the rewards
promised by you, but I accept strength from my God every- day."
3. Then, angered, the emperor Maximianus
ordered that he be thrown into prison again, the prison near the Roman Gate.
When he was there for three days the emperor ordered that he be brought forth
from the prison, and said to him, "Victor, sacrifice to those gods whose
real divinity proves them to be gods". Saint Victor replied, "I do
not sacrifice to the gods of the pagans: for it would be shameful for me to
desert what I learned in the sanctification of my baptism, even if in a situation
of necessity and under the compulsion of an evil man, you. I will not. Do what
you will do, for I know that he who fights on my behalf is stronger than
you." Then the emperor Maximianus and his Con- siliarius Anolinus ordered
clubs to be brought, and Victor to be stretched out. They ordered that the
torturers should go beyond the fifth mark of the rack, and should shout at him,
"Sacrifice to the gods whom the emperor and everyone worship." Then
Saint Victor, although he was in the middle of his punishment, did not show any
feeling of pain but prayed thus to the Lord, saying, "Lord Jesus Christ by
whose bread I am nourished today, my king and my God, help me in the midst of
these tortures." Then the emperor Maximianus said to him, "Victor,
take thought for your life and sacrifice to the gods whom all adore. For I
swear by the gods, by my welfare and by the government of the state, that
unless you sacrifice through various punishments I will make you breathe your
last breath. And do not hope that if you are punished by me that the christians
will make my servant one of their martyrs: for I will order that you be flung
where your body will never be found." Saint Victor replied, "I am not
sacrificing: do what seems best to you: you will not make a servant of yours
breathe his last as you said, but a servant of Christ." Then the emperor
Maximianus, angered because Victor had replied in this manner, ordered that he
be thrown into the prison near the Roman Gate again, and that his legs be
stretched apart on a slab.
4. When Victor had been let out from there, the
Consiliarius Anolinus sent messengers to him saying, "Go and say to Victor
"Fellow, you have badly given up hope of your life, take thought for your
safety, and do not further provke your emperor to anger. Hear my advice,
sacrifice to our gods and seek from the emperor whatever honour you wish: for
by the gods and the welfare of the emperor you are readying many torments for
yourself."" Saint Victor said to those who came to him, "Go and
tell Anolinus. I do not sacrifice to the gods of the pagans because scripture
teaches us that all those who worship idols and glory in their statues will be
destroyed. I worship the living and true God that I may live forever."
When this had been reported to Anolinus it was reported to the emperor also.
Both were extremely angry. On the next day the emperor Maximianus ordered him
to be led out of prison, and Anolinus said to him, "Is your heart so
stubborn that you will not listen to the commands of the emperor and sacrifice
?" Saint Victor replied, "I do not sacrifice to gods which are
unclean and senseless."Then the emperor ordered that all kinds of
instruments of torture be brought before him, and he said to him, "Do you
see, Victor, what great torments await you if you do not sacrifice ?"
Saint Victor replied, "Those torments which you wish to inflict upon me
are nothing: but greater torments will be prepared for you by my god on the day
of righteous judgement." Then the emperor Maximianus, taking it badly that
Victor had openly insulted him, ordered lead to be brought forward, melted, and
poured over the whole of Victor's body. And when he was being covered in this
way, Victor prayed thus to the Lord, saying, "O Lord Jesus Christ, for
whose name I endure these things, help me and free me, just as you freed
unharmed the three boys from the midst of the burning furnace, and confounded
the tyrant: send an aide now in that manner, and free your servant to the
embarassment of Maxi- mianus and his lackeys." And there immediately appeared
an angel of the Lord who made the lead as cold as spring-water, and it did not
burn any part of Victor's body. Then, stretching out his hands, Blessed Victor
gave thanks to the Lord, saying, "I thank you, Jesus Christ, Son of the
Living God, that you deigned to pity your servant, and sent your holy angel who
cooled the lead and soothed with the ointment of your mercy the wounds which
the wicked Maximianus inflicted upon me." Then Maximianus and all those
who were present were amazed that Victor's body had not been burned. Then Saint
Victor said, "I thank you, Lord God, Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, you
who cooled the lead and enabled me to overcome the terrible tortures; do not
allow me, I beg you, to be overcome by those men."
5. Then the emperor Maximianus ordered that he
be led to the Vercelline Gate: and while they awaited the emperor's commands
they paused there. Then the soldiers who were guarding Saint Victor fell
asleep, and rising Victor fled and hid himself in a stable in front of the
theatre. Then the soldiers rose and pursued him, and finding a lone woman they
questioned her, asking "Did you not see a white-haired man with torn
clothing come this way ?" The woman replied, and said, "I did see a
white-haired man with torn clothing flee this way." Then the soldiers
continued their pursuit along the road which was named after the stables, and
they arrived in front of the theatre; and entering the stables they found Saint
Victor hidden in front of the horses. Then the soldiers assaulted him and brought
him outside. When Maximianus heard that Victor had fled he was furious with his
soldiers, and he ordered other soldiers to take them outside the city to a
place called the Garden of Philippus. The emperor himself strolled about in the
hippodrome of the circus, and sent runners to Victor, saying "Go and tell
Victor "you have despaired for your life, and you are not willing to offer
sacrifice: by the gods, if you do not sacrifice I will sentence you to capital
punishment."" To these Victor replied, "Go and tell your emperor
"do quickly what you are about to do because I want to receive my reward
from God, the reward for which I suffer these things, and because it is time:
if it should please him who has given me my soul and spirit."" Then the
emperor Maximianus ordered his servants to be called, and he told them that
Victor was to be led to a small wood named The Elms, where he the emperor had a
garden, and that he was to be beheaded there. And when Saint Victor was being
brought there, he said to the soldiers who were bringing him, "Tell the
emperor Maximianus that he will die this year, and that when he is dead no
grave will accept him unless his legs are broken." When he had said these
things they reached the place, and Victor made a speech, saying, "I thank
you, Lord Jesus Christ, that you have not separated me from your saints, my
fellow citizens, Nabor and Felix. I bless and thank you forever. Amen."
When the speech was complete his head was cut off by a servant.
6. Then the emperor ordered that no-one should
bury his body in order that it might be eaten by the wild animals. And after
six days the emperor sent his quaestor with soldiers in order to see if
it had been eaten by the beasts and serpents. They went and found Victor's body
intact, in no part damaged, and two beasts guarding it, one at his head and the
other at his feet. They returned and reported to the emperor. Then the emperor
ordered that the body should be buried. After permission had been given to bury
the martyr the saintly and most blessed bishop Maternus went for it, and found
two beasts, one guarding his head and the other guarding his feet. The body
itself was as it had been left at the very hour of execution. But the beasts,
when they saw the saintly bishop Maternus, gave way; as long as they had stood
there the body had been protected. Maternus wrapped the corpse in linen,
brought it not far from the little wood, and buried it in peace. Then Anolinus
the consiliarius ordered all the exceptores in the palace to be
seized, and made them swear by their gods that if any of them had any written
record no-one would conceal it. Then they all swore by the gods and by the
safety of the emperor that no-one would conceal such, and all the papers were
brought forward, and Anolinus had them burned before him by a servant. This
greatly pleased the emperor. Saint Victor was beheaded on 8 May, and buried by
the bishop Saint Maternus on 14 May, during the reign of Our Lord Jesus Christ
with the Father and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.
