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Hippólytus, a sancto Lauréntio baptizátus, domi suæ,
dum Eucharístiam súmeret, comprehénsus, et ad Valeriánum imperatórem
addúctus, ab eo de suæ religiónis professióne interrogátus, líbere se
Christiánum proféssus est. Quam ob rem fústibus cæditur ; quibus in
verbéribus cum ejus fides constántior invenirétur, munéribus et honórum
promíssis tentátur. Quæ cum ómnia frustra diceréntur, præfécto
occidéndus tráditur. Qui, domum Hippólyti véniens, ut ejus
facultátes publicáret, totam famíliam christiánam esse cognóscit ; atque,
iis a christiána fide frustra detérritis, primum plumbátis cæsa Concórdia,
Hippólyti nutríce, quæ céteros confírmábat, réliquos extra portam
Tiburtínam occídi jubet. Hippólytus, indómitis equis raptátus per
loca tríbulis et cárduis cónsita, laceráto córpore, spíritum Deo réddidit,
unáque cum réliquis a Justíno presbytero ad agrum Veránum sepúltus est.
Eádem die, ad Forum Syllæ, crudelíssimo supplício afféctus est Cassiánus
Martyr ; qui, vinctis post terga mánibus, puerórum, quos erudiébat,
férreis stylis confígéndus excarnificandúsque tráditur. Quorum
quanto erat infírmior vis, tanto ejus pœna martyrii grávior ac diutúrnior,
palmáque illústrior. |
Hippolytus was one of those baptized by St. Lawrence.
He was arrested in his own house while he was taking the Holy Communion.
He was brought before the Emperor Valerian, and, when he was asked by him
touching his religious profession, he freely confessed that he was a
Christian. Wherefore he was beaten with clubs, but when his faith
was found only the bolder under the blows, he was temped with promises of
gifts and honours. Then when words were found only to be thrown away
upon him, he was given over to the Prefect to be put to death. The
Prefect went to the house of Hippolytus to take possession of his goods,
and there found that all the household were Christians. He strove in
vain to awe them into the denial of their faith, and then ordered
Concordia, the nurse of Hippolytus, who was encouraging the rest, to be
beaten to death with whips loaded with lead, and afterward the others to
be slain outside the gate that leadeth toward Tivoli. Hippolytus was
tied to wild horses which dragged him through rough places full of briars
and thistles, until with a mangled body he resigned his soul to God.
Justin the Priest buried him along with the others. On the same day,
at Imola, the martyr Cassian was put to a most cruel death. He was a
schoolmaster, and was given up to his scholars, with his hands bound
behind his back, to be stabbed and torn to death with steel pens.
Owing to the weakness of the means, the suffering of his martyrdom was
very grievous and long, and his palm all the more glorious. |
