E02517: The Martyrdom of *Valentinus (bishop and martyr of Terni, S00434; see also the martyr of Rome, S00433) is written in Latin, perhaps in Terni, central Italy, at an uncertain date, by the early 8th c. at the latest. It narrates the bishop of Terni, Valentinus’ healing of the son of an orator called Crato in Rome, the conversion of Crato and all his household, together with his Greek students *Proculus, Ephebus and Apollonius (martyrs of Terni, 001549); Valentinus’ arrest, beating and beheading; his burial near Terni in a tomb provided by Proculus, Ephebus and Apollonius; their arrest, beheading and burial next to Valentinus.

Martyrdom of Valentinus (BHL 8460)

Summary:

§ 1: Prologue quoting Ps. 11:9 and praising the bishop of Terni (Interamna) Valentinus.

§ 2: The aristocrats from Athens Proculus, Ephebus (Efibus) and Apollonius, learned men (scolastici viri), stay in Rome to learn Latin studies with Crato, an orator in both languages. The only son of Crato, a young student named Cerimon, is injured: as he bends his back, his head becomes stuck between his knees. No physician in Rome is able to help, but a certain Fonteius, tribunicius, tells that his brother suffered from the same injury and has been cured by the bishop Valentinus of Terni. The boy is asked to come but he refuses to leave Valentinus. Thus Crato sends noble friends to ask Valentinus to come to Rome; he is welcomed and asked for a cure by Crato’s son.

§ 3-5: Valentinus tells Crato that his son can be healed if he wants it. Crato offers Valentinus' wealth but Valentinus replies that he has to believe in Christ instead of worshipping useless gods made of wood or metal. If Crato believes in God and renounces the idols, his son will be healed. He should give the wealth promised to the poor so that they may pray for his son, since Valentinus will accept no reward other than faith. Valentinus further preaches at length to Crato, quoting a number of episodes from the Old and the New Testament demonstrating that his faith is needed for his son to be healed. Crato falls at Valentinus’ feet and states his faith in God. However, Valentinus requires him to demonstrate his faith through deeds: he should renounce idols and be washed in the font to be purified from all sins. Crato wonders how water can wash sins away, Valentinus explains that by invoking the Trinity, the water receives the Holy Spirit that forgives all sins. Crato remarks that they have spent a long time discussing while his son is in danger of death. However Valentinus insists: Crato has to believe in things unseen and unheard of, for his son to be healed; he mentions wonders performed by Jesus Christ (birth from a virgin, walking over water, commanding wind and storms, being crucified, dying, being buried and resurrected on the third day, ascending to heaven, coming again for judgement) and tells Crato to believe and be baptised. Valentinus asks Crato to promise that he will convert with all his household if his son is healed. Crato calls his wife and all his household, all prostrate at Valentinus’ feet and promise to believe in Christ if the boy is healed. Proculus, Ephebus and Apollonius are also present and agree as well to believe.

§ 8: Valentinus orders a room to be prepared, and all to stay silent day and night. He stays in the closed room alone with the boy, who has been totally paralysed for three years. Valentinus takes him off the bed and places him on the goatskin (cilicium) on which he usually prays. After praying for a long time, in the middle of the night, a light appears, so strong that those outside think that there is a fire in the room. After an hour the boy comes out fully healed and praises God. His parents rejoice and want to enter the room but Valentinus refuses to open before ending his prayers and hymns.

§§ 9-10: At dawn, Valentinus finally opens the door; Crato, his wife and all his household believe and are baptised. Cerimon stays with Valentinus and refuses to leave him. Proculus, Ephebus and Apollonius abandon the study of human wisdom and devote their lives to the Lord instead. Through them, many learned men convert to Christianity, among them the son of the urban prefect Abundius, who proclaims his faith publicly. This upsets the whole senate, the bishop Valentinus is arrested, beaten for a long time with sticks and compelled to sacrifice. However he refuses and is put into custody. As Valentinus does not yield and thus comforts Christians, he is taken out of prison in the middle of the night and beheaded on the order of the urban prefect Furius Placidus [an alternative reading gives furiosus Placidus and could be understood as ‘the furious Placidus’]. Proculus, Ephebus and Apollonius take Valentinus’ body and bring it to his church in Terni at night and bury him in a fine tomb not far away from the city in a land that they have bought. They keep daily vigils praising God there, are arrested by pagans and handed to the proconsul Lucentius (alternative reading: Leontius). Lucentius, knowing that they are loved by many, orders them to be brought before his tribunal at night. As he fails to convince them, he orders them to be beheaded and flees. The martyrs are buried by Abundius not far from Valentinus’ body.

Text: D’Angelo 2015, 232-242 (paragraph numbers from the Acta Sanctorum edition). Summary: M. Pignot.