28:
217:
174:
the guards. Shortly thereafter John and Paul are secretly killed and buried in their home. Crispus, Crispinianus, and
Benedicta reacted to this news by "mourning in their home, and praying each day, and the tears from their eyes did not cease, both day and night." They then pray to receive some sign of where John and Paul had been buried. Shortly thereafter, God reveals the location of the martyrs' bodies to them (
190:("a priest and a sinner"). Ordered to sacrifice to the pagan gods, Crispus refuses, saying, "I offer sacrifice always to my Lord God Jesus Christ, day and night; but to your idols, I do not sacrifice." Enraged, Julian moves on to Crispinianus, who likewise confesses his role in the Church, which he describes as being
203:
Following their profession of faith, Crispus, Crispinianus, and
Benedicta are put to death and their bodies left for the dogs. Secretly in the night, however, their bodies are saved by three men: two priests, named John and Pimeneus, and a layman named Fabianus. They are then buried in the home of
173:
for them, and so that they can relate the story of their sufferings to the other
Christians. John and Paul are being kept under house arrest. Ten days after their first visit, Crispus and his companions attempt to see John and Paul again to comfort them. This time, however, they are turned away by
185:
then changes into an account of a court proceeding against the three
Christians. They had evidently been surprised while in prayer at the burial site of John and Paul and taken prisoner to be tried by Julian. When Julian interrogates Crispus, he admits the nature of his office in the Church,
196:("the servant of the servants of Christ"). Crispinianus likewise refuses to offer sacrifice to the idols. Finally turning his attention to Benedicta, Julian orders her to sacrifice to the idols and, further, to accept a husband. To this command, Benedicta answers "in a loud voice" (
241:
position, probably John and Paul. Another scene shows the arrest of three people, identifiable with
Crispus, Crispinianus, and Benedicta. Consonant with the martyrdom account, a dog is shown by the side of the Roman authorities carrying out the execution.
147:
According to the martyrologies, the martyrdom of
Crispus, Crispinianus, and Benedicta occurred in conjunction with that of Saints John and Paul, two soldiers who were put to death by the order of the emperor
563:
225:
36:(martyrdom shrine) of Saints John and Paul on the Caelian Hill, shows Crispus, Crispinianus, and Benedicta. Behind them are Roman magistrates or soldiers.
169:
In the martyrdom account, John and Paul, condemned and awaiting their death, send for
Crispus, Crispinian, and Benedicta so that the priest can offer
474:
states that their companions — Crispus, Crispinianus and
Benedicta — were martyred and buried 'in the apse of the basilica built by Byzans' in 364.
204:
John and Paul, "not far away" from the bodies of the martyrs who preceded them in death. Their burial is recorded as having occurred on June 28 (
553:
228:. Archaeological excavations carried out under the basilica in the nineteenth century revealed a complex of Roman homes, with evidence of a
422:
432:
27:
200:): "I am a Christian, and I have Christ as my spouse; and I reject your gods, as if they were the dirt upon which my feet tread."
573:
489:
192:
235:
The wall decoration of the shrine area is datable to the end of the fourth century. The frescoes show two male figures in
516:
105:. This would place their deaths during the years 361 to 363 AD. The traditional date of their martyrdom is 27 June 362.
558:
220:
This plaque marks the room in which Saints John and Paul were buried, along with
Crispus, Crispinianus, and Benedicta.
130:
450:
The structures below the church have long been linked with Saints John and Paul. A document dated 499 refers to a
292:
Lamentabantur in domo sua, & orabant quotidie, & non cessabant lacrymae ab oculis eorum, die noctuque.
216:
303:
Christiana sum ego, & Christum habeo sponsum: deos autem tuos, acsi lutum quod pedibus calcatur, abjicio.
548:
462:
in the Roman houses and of the church built above. What is important here is the identification of the
361:"De sanctis martyribus Romanis Crispo vel Crispino Presbyt., Crispiniano Clerico, et Benedicta Virgine"
160:("venerable woman"). The Bollandist account refers to her as a virgin, whereas Antonio Bosio calls her
282:("On the holy Roman martyrs Crispus or Crispinus, priest; Crispinian, cleric; and Benedicta, virgin").
280:
De sanctis martyribus
Romanis Crispo vel Crispino Presbyt., Crispiniano Clerico, et Benedicta Virgine
568:
149:
360:
438:
428:
382:
84:
102:
60:
170:
121:
97:
542:
224:
The reputed burial place of John and Paul was later transformed into the present-day
138:
92:
493:
387:(in Latin and Italian). Vol. III. Rome: Lodovico Grignani. pp. 535–536.
88:
305:
The Bollandists' conclusion that Benedicta was a virgin is based on this reply.
116:
399:
162:
424:
The Churches and Catacombs of Early Christian Rome: A Comprehensive Guide
137:). Their story is also recounted, alternately in Italian and Latin, by
91:
accounts, their death followed as a result of the martyrdom of Saints
153:
237:
215:
178:). The means by which this revelation occurred is not specified.
246:
232:(a devotional shrine) marking the place of the martyrs' burial.
367:(in Latin). Vol. V. Antwerp: Peter Jacobs. p. 258.
458:
together which may be a confusion between the name of the
253:
have been interpreted as the burial site of the martyrs.
492:(in Italian). Archart. January 29, 2011. Archived from
87:, venerated after their death as saints. According to
125:
using two sources: the Acts of Saints John and Paul (
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46:
41:
18:
523:(in Italian). Centro Ricerche Speleo Archeologiche
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8:
564:Groups of Christian martyrs of the Roman era
20:Saints Crispus, Crispinianus, and Benedicta
15:
484:
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32:This fourth-century fresco, found in the
398:Borrelli, Antonio (December 12, 2003).
376:
374:
359:Henschen, Godfrey; et al. (1709).
318:
267:
156:of indeterminate rank, and Benedicta a
152:. Crispus was a priest, Crispinianus a
101:, they were killed during the reign of
427:. Sussex Academic Press. p. 103.
7:
517:"Basilica dei SS. Giovanni e Paolo"
115:Their story was synthesized by the
208:), the day after their martyrdom.
14:
278:(historical summary) is entitled
226:Basilica of Saints John and Paul
26:
119:into a unified account in the
1:
554:4th-century Christian martyrs
131:Martyrology of Saint Jerome
590:
245:Three niches dug into the
135:Martyrologium S. Hieronymi
402:(in Italian). Santi Beati
186:confessing himself to be
127:Acta SS. Ioannis et Pauli
25:
400:"Santi Giovanni e Paolo"
574:4th-century Roman women
490:"Roma: Domus del Celio"
381:Bosio, Antonio (1650).
193:servus servorum Christi
176:manifestavit illis Deus
421:Webb, Matilda (2001).
221:
219:
365:Acta Sanctorum Junii
257:Notes and references
521:Sotterranei di Roma
150:Julian the Apostate
95:. According to the
559:4th-century Romans
472:Acts of the Saints
276:syllogis historica
222:
188:peccator presbyter
158:venerabilis femina
206:V Kalendas Iulias
85:Christian martyrs
66:
65:
57:Venerated in
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515:Placidi, Marco.
512:
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496:on March 5, 2017
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468:titulus Byzantis
456:titulus Pammachi
452:titulus Byzantis
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143:Roma Sotteranea.
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61:Catholic Church
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122:Acta Sanctorum
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98:Acta Sanctorum
89:hagiographical
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441:on 2017-03-12
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434:9781902210575
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139:Antonio Bosio
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110:Acta martyrum
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549:Saints trios
525:. Retrieved
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498:. Retrieved
494:the original
471:
470:because the
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443:. Retrieved
439:the original
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404:. Retrieved
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249:rock of the
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77:Crispinianus
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117:Bollandists
83:were Roman
50:27 June 362
569:362 deaths
543:Categories
445:2017-03-10
313:References
198:magna voce
129:) and the
251:confessio
230:confessio
81:Benedicta
73:Crispinus
34:confessio
527:March 5,
500:March 5,
454:and the
406:March 5,
466:as the
464:titulus
460:titulus
163:matrona
69:Crispus
42:Martyrs
431:
154:cleric
103:Julian
274:This
262:Notes
238:orans
529:2017
502:2017
429:ISBN
408:2017
247:tuff
183:acta
181:The
171:Mass
79:and
71:(or
52:Rome
47:Died
141:in
75:),
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481:^
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373:^
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133:(
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