E02771: The Martyrdom of *Erasmus (bishop of Antioch and martyr of Formia, S00867) is written in Latin or Greek (and then translated into the other language), possibly in Formia (southern Italy), existing in Latin by the early 9th c. at the latest. It narrates Erasmus' trials, tortures, miracles, and travels in Antioch, Ohrid, Sirmium and Curratium, ending with his death in Formia.

Martyrdom of Erasmus (BHL 2578-2582)

Summary:

§ 1: There is a persecution of Christians at the time of the emperor Diocletian [manuscript variants have: ‘in the city of Antioch’]. Hearing of this, Erasmus goes to the desert for seven years to the mount named Libanus, performing many miracles: he receives food from a raven, speaks with angels, wild beasts come to his feet. Then he hears a voice from heaven telling him to go to the city. As he arrives in Antioch, he lays his hands over many people who are suffering from unclean spirits, healing them, and baptising many of them.

§ 2: Hearing about Erasmus, Diocletian summons him, interrogates him and learns that Erasmus is a Christian. Erasmus is of handsome appearance. He is confident and refuses to sacrifice, except to the living God creator of all things.

§ 3: Full of rage, the emperor orders his sides to be beaten with lead. As he is beaten, Erasmus thanks Jesus Christ and asks for his help. The emperor offers gold, silver, precious clothing and honours to the beautiful young Erasmus, who refuses.

§ 4: Full of rage, the emperor orders Erasmus to be beaten with sticks, but Erasmus’ back remains free of marks; the people are amazed at the power of the God of the Christians, but the emperor states that it is magic. Erasmus replies that the emperor is a devil, and that the magic is Christ, the son of God, born from the Virgin Mary, announced by the prophets, who redeems the sins of the world, lightens the darkness of ignorance and will strike him for all eternity. Full of rage, the emperor orders Erasmus’ flesh to be ripped off with iron claws (ungulae). Erasmus thanks God and chants Psalm 78.

§ 5: Full of rage, the emperor orders lead, pitch, sulphur and resin to be melted and poured over Erasmus. An angel refreshes him. Erasmus tells the emperor that his tortures have no effect, the people ask for him to be released, the bishop of the city. There is a powerful earthquake with lightning and thunder, killing a third of the people (tertia pars populi). The angel stays with Erasmus and brings blind men to the light of Christ. The emperor flees, thinking that it is the gods who are punishing the city because of Erasmus’ blasphemy.

§ 6: Full of rage, the emperor orders Erasmus to be sent to prison, and his neck and hands to be bound to iron weights, and no food or water to be given to him. The emperor marks the door of the prison with his seal-ring. In the middle of the night Erasmus prays to Jesus Christ asking for help; suddenly the prison is full of light and perfume, twelve burning chandeliers appear in front of the martyr and bishop Erasmus. An angel comes, the iron weights melt. He blesses the Lord with a long prayer, recalling the examples of the three young Hebrews in the furnace, and of Daniel, Abacuc, and Susanna. Then the angels tell Erasmus to go to Italy (Italia) where he will earn eternal life. Flying like a dove, he arrives in Sidugridum. When the emperor finds out that Erasmus has disappeared, and as the whole city is in turmoil and as the Christians search for him, the emperor tells everyone that Erasmus has been taken to heaven.

§ 7: In Sidugridum, Erasmus baptises many people, and heals the sick and the blind. A noble and distinguished citizen named Anastasius is bringing his dead son to the grave, when the Lord tells Erasmus to resurrect him. Erasmus arrives at the tomb and tells Anastasius that if he believes in Jesus Christ his son will be returned to him in good health. The crowd is amazed, Anastasius asks if Erasmus can resurrect his son, but Erasmus tells him that it is the Lord Jesus Christ who can do it. Anastasius tells him that he will believe with all his household and all the people, if his son is returned to him. Erasmus prays over the body and resurrects the boy, who shouts that the God of Christians is great and that the gods that they had adored are nothing: he has seen them in hell. Anastasius and all his household and all the people believe. Forty thousand people are baptised, Erasmus thanks Jesus Christ quoting Jesus’ saying in the Gospels that those who ask shall receive. A voice from heaven tells Erasmus that he will be granted all that he asks. The people are blessed by the Lord and idols are removed. For seven years Erasmus teaches the people about Christianity.

§ 8: The emperor Maximian hears what happened in Sidugridum from a certain Probus. The emperor orders Erasmus to be brought to his court and there he interrogates him about his religion (religio). Erasmus does not reply, the emperor orders his jaw to be crushed, then Erasmus tells him that he confesses Jesus Christ the son of God, who was crucified in Judea. The emperor suggests that he will die in the same way, Erasmus is pleased. The emperor tries to convince him to sacrifice; Erasmus asks to see the gods.

§ 9: The emperor goes, with all the people, to the temple of Jupiter where musical instruments are prepared, while Erasmus is brought to Sirmium (civitas Sirmitana). Erasmus prays to Christ asking for an angel to be sent to help him against the Devil. When he is brought to the temple, he asks to see the god; the emperor brings him inside the temple and shows him a twelve-cubit-high statue of bronze. Immediately the statue falls and is reduced to ash, and a huge dragon (draco) comes out of it and kills a third of the people (tertia pars populi). The emperor mounts a horse and goes to his palace, cursing. Half of the people (media pars populi) ask Erasmus to pray for them to be spared from the dragon, he tells them that he will do so, if they believe in the Lord. Then Erasmus forces the dragon to stop corrupting (contaminare) anyone.

§ 10: Christians praise Christ and Erasmus baptises almost forty thousand people; there was a fight in heaven between angels and the Devil. Erasmus proclaims the Glory of God, those who are turned to the Lord (conversi ad Dominum) reply ‘Amen’. The whole civitas Sirmitana is in disorder, and the emperor sends armed men to punish with the sword all those who converted to God. Three hundred and thirty men are martyred; they are sent by Erasmus to the holy city prepared by the Lord, before he will join them. Angels receive their souls in heaven, and chants are heard up to heaven. Erasmus sees this, and is pleased as a good shepherd who brought his sheep to Christ.

§ 11: Full of rage, the emperor orders Erasmus to be arrested and tortured. He orders Erasmus to be dressed in a bronze and burning-hot tunic. Erasmus tells the emperor that he does not fear tortures, signs himself with the cross and puts on the tunic, chanting Psalm 65 and Wisdom 3. The tunic immediately becomes cold as snow, leaving him free of marks. Erasmus tells the emperor that he has been defeated and will burn with his father the Devil. The people shout that the God of the Christians is great, but the emperor says that it is magic. Erasmus replies that it is Christ the Son of God who did these miracles. He is amazed at the emperor's lack of shame (verecundia).

§ 12: The emperor, full of rage, orders a cooking pot (olla) of twenty jars (urnae) to be prepared, and lead, pitch, wax, resin and oil to be melted, put into it and heated. Erasmus says that this is a cooling for him (refrigerium), he makes the sign of the cross and enters the pot. Immediately, like the Lord over the waters, the Lord’s power is shown: a wave pours out of the pot and burns the emperor, who asks for Erasmus’ help. Erasmus curses him but agrees to help him for the sake of the people who are present. Immediately the emperor ceases to suffer and many believe.

§ 13: The emperor orders the martyr of God (martyr Dei) to be put into custody, bound to a huge iron weight. As Erasmus prays, the angel Michael appears to him and tells him that he will lead him to the province of Campania (campania provincia) to the city of Formia, to teach the people. He takes him out of the civitas Sirmitana, comes to Curratium, where he finds a small boat ready, which brings him to the province of Campania. The next day the emperor is troubled as he does not find Erasmus and he says that God has taken him away. The martyr comes to Formia and rests for seven days thanks to divine grace. An angel gives him his daily bread. Then a voice is heard from heaven, telling Erasmus to come and rest in the city prepared by God for his brothers the martyrs and prophets, and receive the fruit of his labour. Erasmus looks to heaven, sees a crown and a multitude of apostles and prophets, bows his head, tells the Lord to receive his soul, and gives up his spirit. His soul is seen, white as snow, brought by angels with great glory in heaven, on the 4th day of the Nones of June [= 2 June].

Tunc beatus Erasmus pro viduis et orphanis precabatur: Domine, unigenite Dei Patris, qui me fecisti requiescere in loco meo, qui est locus habitationis tuæ, concede, ut qui me petierit in nomine tuo, recipiat suam mercedem Sabbato et Dominica. Non recedam a loco isto.

‘Then the blessed Erasmus prayed for widows and orphans: “Lord, only-begotten son of God the Father, who brought me to rest in this place of mine, which is a place of dwelling of yours, grant that anyone who prays to me in your name, shall receive his reward on Saturday and Sunday. I will not withdraw from this place.’

[This passage is constructed by the editors of Acta Sanctorum on the basis of manuscript variants, Mombritius and the Greek version. Mombritius (1910), I, 488 has: ‘Tunc beatus Erasmus pro viduis et orphanis deprecabatur dicens: Domine Iesu Christe unigenite fili dei patris qui me fecisti requiescere in loco meo qui est locus habitationis tuae concede ut qui me petierit in nomine tuo recipiat mercedem suam sabbato et dominica. Ego Erasmus de hoc loco non recedam.’ The manuscript Paris, BNF, lat. 10861, f. 75v (9th c.) has a similar passage: ‘Tunc sanctus era