The Passion of Montanus and Lucius · §10 · Acts of the Martyrs

Montanus preaches against idols and division on the way to die

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The editor completing the account describes what Montanus said as he went to execution after the other confessors.

But Montanus was strong in body and mind. Even before his martyrdom he had won glory, for he always said whatever the truth demanded, firmly and boldly, without favoring any person. Now he grew greater as his martyrdom drew near, and he cried out with a prophetic voice: "He who sacrifices to gods will be rooted out unless to the Lord alone" (Exodus 22:20). He repeated this again and again, pressing and driving home that once God is abandoned, no one is permitted to turn to images and figures made by hands.

He also beat back the pride and shameless defiance of breakaway Christians, calling on them to recognize from the very number of martyrs the truth of the Church, to which they ought to return. Then he checked the headlong haste of those who gave in under pressure. He put off their bargaining for peace until full repentance and the judgment of Christ. He also urged those who still stood whole to guard their wholeness. "Stand firm, brothers, and serve steadfastly as soldiers," he said. "You have examples before you. Do not let the treachery of those who gave in under pressure drag you down to ruin, but let our endurance build you up toward the crown."

He urged each virgin separately to guard her holiness. As a rule he taught everyone to honor their leaders. To the leaders themselves he pressed the unity of peace, saying nothing is better than leaders of one mind. Only then, he said, could the people be stirred to obey the priests and be quickened into the bond of love, if the rulers of the people kept peace. This is what it means to suffer for Christ, to imitate Christ even by the example of speech, and it is the greatest proof of faith. O great example for belief!

Greek

XIV. Sed enim Montanus corpore et mente robustus, quamquam ante martyrium gloriosus quicquid semper veritas postularet constanter et fortiter dixerit sine ulla exceptione personae, tamen de martyrio proximo crescens prophetica voce clamabat: Sacrificans diis eradicabitur nisi domino soli. et hoc frequenter iterabat, insinuans et inculcans non licere deserto deo ad simulacra et manufacta figmenta accedere. haereticorum quoque superbiam et improbam contumaciam retundebat, contestans eos ut vel de copia martyrum intelligerent ecclesiae veritatem, ad quam redire deberent; deinde lapsorum abruptam festinantiam. negotiationem pacis ad plenam paenitentiam et Christi sententiam differebat, nec non integros quoque ad tutelam integritatis exhortans: State fortiter, fratres, et constanter militate, dicebat. habetis exempla, nec vos perfidia lapsorum destruat ad ruinam, sed nostra tolerantia magis aedificet ad coronam. virgines quoque singulas admonebat ut sanctitatem suam tuerentur. generaliter omnes docebat ut praepositos venerarentur. praepositis quoque ipsis concordiam pacis insinuans, nihil esse melius aiebat, quam praepositorum unanimem voluntatem. tunc et plebem posse ad sacerdotum obsequia provocari et ad vinculum dilectionis animari, si rectores plebis pacem tenerent. hoc esse propter Christum pati, Christum etiam exemplo sermonis imitari, et probationem maximam fidei. o exemplum grande credendi!

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About this text

Lucius, Montanus, Flavian and their companions write from prison at Carthage of their arrest, hunger and visions. A fellow Christian then tells how they died and what Flavian taught the church on his last day.

Montanus, Lucius and their fellow prisoners wrote this in prison at Carthage about 259, to fellow Christians they call dearest brothers, including brothers still to come. After arrest and imprisonment at Carthage they write to leave testimony of the greatness of God and of their suffering and endurance for the Lord for brothers who will come after.

Its argument is that God protects his servants in prison where threatened burning is extinguished by prayer and darkness becomes light and hunger and thirst are relieved through help brought by fellow Christians, and visions of lamps and a guiding child and milk filled bowls and white garments and promise of a more glorious crown assure them that Christ is with them, so they must hold unity and love and peace and unanimity since division forfeits sonship and inheritance. The reader meets fellow confessors Flavian and Julian and Victoricus and Primolus and Renus and Donatian and Victor the presbyter and Quartillosia and her martyred son and Cyprian who taught the faith and Leucius seen with him and Lucian and Herennian and Januarius who bring food. Their own words are quoted for Renus on lamps and Victor with the shining boy and the Lord in his vision and Quartillosia with her son and the youth with bowls and Montanus on his vision and Lucius at execution, and an editor completes the account in which Montanus preaches against idols and schism and hasty reconciliation of those who gave in under pressure and disrespect for leaders.

Here struggle means the whole trial of arrest and prison and execution and crown means heavenly reward and testimony means open declaration of faith and suffering means suffering and execution for Christ and hardship means affliction of prison want and endurance means patient endurance and unity means united love and peace means reconciliation after quarrel and leaders means appointed church leaders and those who gave in under pressure means Christians who failed under persecution and breakaway Christians means Christians outside the church and person preparing for baptism means one under instruction not yet baptized. The author uses Old Latin wording with LXX style book names and Psalm numbering, so Psalms give the LXX number alongside the modern number and quotations are woven in without modern references including Daniel 3 for the three youths in the fire and Psalm 119:105 LXX 118:105 and Psalm 50:15 LXX 49:15 and Matthew 18:19 and Matthew 5:9 and Romans 8:16 to 17 and Exodus 22:20. Primolus is an arrested Christian whose earlier declaration served as baptism and Renus is a fellow prisoner who dreams of lamps and Herennian is a subdeacon who carries food and Cyprian is the church teacher and Leucius is the figure seen with him.

Printed text used

Translated from Oscar von Gebhardt, Acta martyrum selecta (Berlin: A. Duncker, 1902) (Latin)

This work has passed our source check. We made this study translation with AI help. No scholar has yet certified it as faithful and complete. Open Greek on any section to see the source text. It is not a critical edition.

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