Saint Pamphile de Césarée
Martyr à Césarée de
Palestine (+ 309)
Martyr à Césarée de Palestine (fêté le 1er juin).
Un savant qui étudia à Alexandrie et enseigna à l'école fondée par Origène à Césarée. Il y réunit une extraordinaire bibliothèque pour l'époque, avec plusieurs milliers de livres où Eusèbe viendra puiser pour son "Histoire ecclésiastique". Arrêté, il fut oublié en prison pendant deux ans, ce qui lui permit d'écrire une "apologie" d'Origène. Eusèbe, qui raconte son martyre, avait une telle vénération pour lui qu'il accola le nom de Pamphile au sien.
Saint Pamphile et ses compagnons, Porphyre, Valens, Paul et Séleucus, martyrs en Palestine (fêtés le 16 février).
Originaire de Béryte, l'actuelle Beyrouth, Pamphile vient à Alexandrie pour
étudier les Saintes Écritures. Devenu prêtre à Césarée de Palestine, il y
dirige l'école théologique locale, créée par Origène. Parmi ses élèves se
trouve Eusèbe de Césarée, futur historien de l'Église. En 310, éclate la
persécution de Maximin Daïa. Pamphile est arrête. On tente en vain de lui faire
renier sa foi, en lui faisant subir divers sévices. Pendant deux ans, il demeure
en prison. Eusèbe vient visiter son maître; ils parlent de théologie. A cette
époque, la pensée de leur maître Origène commence à être suspectée d'hérésie.
Pamphile et Eusèbe rédigent une défense de la théologie d'Origène, dans
laquelle ils montrent qu'on a durci et déformé des hypothèses formulées comme
des suppositions par le théologien alexandrin du siècle précédent. Cependant
Pamphile refuse toujours de sacrifier aux idoles. Il finit par être supplicié
avec plusieurs compagnons.
SAINT PAMPHILE
Prêtre et Martyr
(308)
Pamphile était né à
Béryte, en Phénicie, de l'une des premières familles de la province. Devenu
prêtre de l'Église de Césarée, après de brillantes et profondes études aux
écoles d'Alexandrie, il fut l'un des beaux modèles de l'alliance de la
philosophie avec le dogme chrétien. Nul ne sut mieux unir l'amour de la science
à ces vertus évangéliques qui font le caractère des vrais disciples de Jésus-Christ.
Pamphile s'était formé
une immense bibliothèque composée des meilleurs auteurs, surtout
ecclésiastiques; il n'avait pour but de ses études que la défense de la foi. On
doit à cet homme illustre la correction de la version de la Sainte Écriture dite
des Septante; c'est de sa bibliothèque précieuse que l'historien Eusèbe, son
disciple, tira tous les documents dont il se servit pour écrire son histoire
des premiers siècles.
A tous ses travaux
intellectuels, Pamphile ajoutait les exercices de la piété et de la pénitence.
Son seul bien, c'étaient ses livres; il avait distribué aux pauvres tout son
riche patrimoine et vivait dans la solitude, se reposant du poids du jour par
les prières de la nuit.
Le pieux savant était
préparé aux saints combats du Christ. Arrêté comme l'un des principaux docteurs
chrétiens, au temps de la persécution de l'empereur Maximin Daïa, il comparut
devant le gouverneur. Les promesses et les séductions n'ayant aucun succès, il
fallut en venir aux menaces et aux tortures. Pamphile fut inébranlable. On lui
déchire les côtes avec des ongles de fer; il est flagelle si affreusement,
qu'on est obligé de le transporter, épuisé de sang et demi-mort, dans sa
prison. Le gouverneur attendait que les plaies du martyr fussent fermées pour renouveler
le supplice, quand il devint lui-même victime de la férocité de l'empereur, qui
le condamna à mort: juste châtiment de ses crimes et de ses débauches, qui
l'avaient rendu odieux à tous.
Sous le nouveau
gouverneur, Pamphile demeura quelques temps oublié dans sa prison, et il en
profita pour écrire de savants ouvrages. Il y avait deux ans qu'il souffrait
pour la foi, quand il fut condamné avec plusieurs autres chrétiens. L'exécution
eut lieu sur le soir, et le corps resta toute la nuit exposé à l'endroit même
du supplice. Mais aucun animal ne s'étant approché pendant la nuit pour le
dévorer, les fidèles purent lui donner une sépulture honorable. C'est en l'an
308 que le philosophe chrétien, émule de saint Justin, de saint Lucien et de
tant d'autres, consomma son martyre.
Abbé L. Jaud, Vie
des Saints pour tous les jours de l'année, Tours, Mame, 1950.
SOURCE : http://magnificat.ca/cal/fr/saints/saint_pamphile.html
Saint Pamphile
Pamphile est né au Liban
dans la ville de Beyrouth vers l'an 250 de notre ère. A cette époque Beyrouth
était la seule ville après Rome à posséder une célèbre école publique de droit,
c'est à dire une école financée par l'administration romaine pour former les
hauts fonctionnaires de l'Empire. Elle était aussi un centre culturel
important. Les parents de Pamphile comme tous les parents Libanais
d'aujourd'hui, donnèrent à leur fils une éducation soignée d'autant plus qu'il
avait un fort attrait pour la recherche de la vérité et des dispositions
exceptionnelles pour les sciences et les lettres. Il apprit rapidement toutes
les règles de la rhétorique et approfondit tous les systèmes philosophiques de
son temps. L'historien Eusèbe dit de lui qu'il était un "homme très
éloquent". Très jeune il devint un magistrat important de la ville de
Beyrouth mais il ne tarda pas à comprendre la vanité de la gloire de ce monde
et décida de tout quitter pour suivre le Christ.
Sous le règne de l'empereur
Dioclétien, comme à toutes les époques, les idées chrétiennes étaient mal vues
du pouvoir politique. "Les premiers seront les derniers... Bienheureux les
pauvres... Malheur à vous les riches.. etc." ne sont pas des idées pour
plaire à ceux qui ont tous donné, jusqu'à leur âme, pour avoir, gloire,
puissance et fortune.
Dans sa quête de la
vérité, le jeune Pamphile parti en l'an 275 à Alexandrie où Piérius connu pour
son éloquence et qui vivait dans une pauvreté volontaire, enseignait la
théologie naissante du christianisme. Alexandrie était alors la capitale
philosophique de l'Empire Romain où toutes les philosophies de l'antiquité
faisaient école. Disciple de Piérius qui l'ordonna prêtre, Pamphile revint à
Beyrouth où il distribua tous ses biens aux pauvres, ce qui excita la colère de
ses parents, de ses anciens collègues et surtout du sous-préfet romain. Il
partit alors s'installer à Césarée, un port florissant, ouvert sur le monde
méditerranéen où le souvenir du passage du prisonnier Paul, était encore
vivace.
En ce temps là, Césarée
était le centre administratif oriental de l'empire romain. Très vite son savoir
et son éloquence lui attirèrent beaucoup de disciples, Pamphile aimait surtout
prêter ou même donner aux fidèles les livres dont ils pouvaient avoir besoin.
On comprendra la grandeur de ce sacrifice à cette époque, où, l'imprimerie
n'existant pas encore, les livres étaient des objets rares et de grande valeur.
Non content de fournir des manuscrits, il se dépouillait encore de tout ce
qu'il pouvait, afin de venir en aide aux pauvres. C'est grâce à Pamphile que
les oeuvres d'Origène purent parvenir à Saint Jérome. Pamphile approfondit tous
les traités d'Origène sur les Saintes Ecritures et en copia une grande partie
de sa propre main, entre autres les vingt-cinq volumes de commentaires sur les
douze petits prophètes que posséda plus tard saint Jérôme. Il fit exécuter de
nombreuses copies de la Bible sur les Hexaples, afin d'en faire cadeau à tous
ceux qui les demanderaient, et non seulement aux hommes, mais encore aux femmes
en qui il voyait du goût pour la lecture. Aussi, dit saint Jérôme, dans toute
la Palestine et l'Egypte, on lisait dans les églises les exemplaires de
l'Ecriture Sainte commentée par Origène et publiés par Pamphile.
Non content de répandre
l'usage de la lecture parmi ses contemporains, Pamphile voulut encore
développer la riche bibliothèque créée par Origène à Césarée. Il y mit un soin
délicat et y rassembla un grand nombre d'auteurs ecclésiastiques qu'il faisait
rechercher dans le monde entier. Cette précieuse bibliothèque eut à souffrir
durant la persécution de Dioclétien, qui avait donné l'ordre de brûler
impitoyablement tous les livres de prières et de lectures des chrétiens.
Néanmoins, elle put être en partie soustraite aux recherches des émissaires
impériaux, puisque saint Jérôme l'avait visitée. On y voyait, entre autres,
l'Evangile de saint Matthieu en hébreu et d'autres manuscrits très rares.
A côté de sa
bibliothèque, Pamphile fonda encore une école pour les fidèles qui désiraient
s'instruire, ainsi qu'une sorte d'Académie, ouverte aux chrétiens instruits et
soucieux de parfaire leurs connaissances. Tous ces savants habitaient la même
maison et consacraient leur temps à la prière et à l'étude des sciences
divines. C'est ainsi que la ville de Césarée au IIIe siècle était devenue un
centre des plus importants de culture chrétienne. Plusieurs de ces hommes
illustres confessèrent généreusement leur foi à l'exemple de leur maître et
moururent martyrs.
Telle était néanmoins la
modestie de Pamphile que, malgré sa science, son éloquence, les livres et les
amis fidèles dont il était entouré, il refusa toujours de composer et de signer
un ouvrage. La célébrité ne le tentait pas. Il se contentait d'écrire quelques
lettres.
Une vie si belle méritait
de se terminer avec la couronne du martyre. La persécution de Maximin faisait
alors de nombreuses victimes, en Palestine surtout. Le gouverneur de cette
province, nommé Urbain, appliquait les décrets impériaux dans toute leur
rigueur.
Pamphile fut arrêté en
novembre 307, et jeté en prison.
Urbain tenta de
l'éprouver d'abord dans les connaissances littéraires et les sciences
.philosophiques; puis, il en vient à le contraindre à sacrifier aux idoles. Ce
gouverneur cruel, voyant que Pamphile refuse et qu'il ne tient pas du tout
compte des menaces, exaspéré au plus haut point, donne l'ordre de le faire
souffrir par des tortures plus cruelles. On lui inflige des coups terribles au
moyen des ongles de fer appliqués aux flancs avec une persévérance féroce, en
vain. Cependant, Urbain, malgré son zèle contre les chrétiens, était tombé en
disgrâce auprès de l'empereur Maximin qui le priva de ses dignités et le chassa
honteusement du palais.
Firmilien, le successeur
d'Urbain comme gouverneur de Césarée, voyant la ville presque entièrement
peuplée de chrétiens, ne voulut pas se les aliéner dès le début de ses
fonctions par une obéissance aveugle aux ordres impériaux. Il préféra attendre
et Pamphile fut presque oublié dans sa prison et ses amis eurent la faculté
durant deux ans de venir le visiter comme bon leur semblait. On dit qu'aidé
d'Eusèbe, qui partageait sa cap¬tivité, il employa ses loisirs à composer cinq
livres de l'Apo¬logie d'Origène. Mais Firmilien attendait une occasion propice
pour terroriser les chrétiens de Césarée. L'occasion lui fit donnée quand cinq
fonctionnaires de l'empire se convertir publiquement au christianisme.
Firmilien fit appelé Pamphile, le vieux Valens qui connaissait la parfaitement
Bible et Paul un jeune chrétien plein de fougue. Firmilien commençà son
interrogatoire avec Paul pensant qu'il pourrait le faire renier le Christ, mais
Paul résista héroiquement même aux fers rouges. Ayant échoué avec le Paul,
Firmilien savait qu'il n'avait aucune chanse de pouvoir contraindre Pamphile et
Valens à renier le Christ alors il les codamna à mort et ils furent exécuter le
soir même.
Le souvenir de Pamphile a
totalement disparu du Proche-Orient, y compris de sa ville natale Beyrouth,
mais en Occident, son souvenir n'a pas totalement disparu. Au Québec, il existe
même une petite ville qui porte le nom de Saint Pamphile...
SOURCE : http://orient.chretien.free.fr/pamphile.htm
Saint Pamphile de Césarée
Écrivain ecclésiastique
Fête le 1er juin
Beyrouth, Liban, 240 – †
Césarée de Palestine 309 ou 310
Groupe « Pamphile, Paul
de Jamnia, Valens et Séleucus »
Autre graphie :
Pamphilius
Originaire de Béryte,
près de l’actuelle Beyrouth, il fut décapité à Césarée de Palestine avec Paul
de Jamnia, Valens et Séleucus, pour avoir refusé d’apostasier ; d’autres
chrétiens qui leur avaient exprimé leur sympathie furent également exécutés.
Natif de Berytos en
Phénicie (anc. Colonia Julia Augusta Berytus, puis Antoniana, auj. ruines près
de Beyrouth), il vint à Alexandrie pour y étudier les Saintes Écritures ;
devenu prêtre à Césarée de Palestine, il y fonda une école de théologie, qui
diffusa les œuvres et la pensée d’Origène (185-253). Parmi ses élèves se
trouvait Eusèbe de Césarée, futur historien de l’Église (260-340). En 310
éclata la persécution de Maximin Daia. Pamphile fut arrêté et pendant deux ans
il demeura en prison. On tenta en vain de lui faire renier sa foi, en lui
faisant subir divers sévices. Cependant, Pamphile refusa toujours de sacrifier
aux idoles. Il finit par être supplicié avec plusieurs compagnons.
Saint Pamphile est le
patron des cordonniers. Saint Pamphile de Césarée est fêté en Occident le 1er
juin et en Orient le 16 février.
SOURCE : http://www.martyretsaint.com/pamphile-de-cesaree/
Also
known as
Pamphilus of Caesarea
Panfilo…
1 June on
some calendars
Profile
Pamphilus studied in Alexandria, Egypt where
he became a great defender of the works of Origen. Ordained a priest in
Caesarea Maritima, Palestine (in
modern Israel). Bishop. Imprisoned and
sentenced to forced labour in the mines of
Cilicia for two years during the persecutions of Diocletian,
after which he was tortured and executed. Martyr.
16
February 309 in
Cilicia, Asia
Minor (in modern Turkey)
Additional
Information
Book
of Saints, by the Monks of
Ramsgate
Book
of Saints, by the Monks of
Ramsgate
Lives
of the Saints, by Father Alban
Butler
books
Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
other
sites in english
sitios
en español
Martirologio Romano, 2001 edición
fonti
in italiano
Martirologio Romano, 2005 edition
spletne
strani v slovenšcini
MLA
Citation
“Saint Pamphilus of
Cilicia“. CatholicSaints.Info. 13 February 2023. Web. 15 February 2023.
<https://catholicsaints.info/saint-pamphilus-of-cilicia/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saint-pamphilus-of-cilicia/
St. Pamphilus of Cæsarea
Martyred 309. Eusebius's life of Pamphilus
is lost, but from his "Martyrs of Palestine" we learn
that Pamphilus belonged to a noble family of Beirut (in
Phœnicia), where he received a good education,
and that he quitted his native land after selling all his property and
giving the proceeds to the poor. He attached himself to the
"perfectmen". From Photius (cod. 118), who took his
information from Pamphilus's "Apology for Origen", we learn that
he went to Alexandria where his teacher was Pierius, then the
head of the famous Catechetical School. He eventually settled
in Cæsarea where he was ordained priest,
collected his famous library,
and established aschool for theological study
(Eusebius, Church
History VII.32.25). He devoted himself chiefly to producing accurate
copies of the Holy
Scripture. Testimonies to his zeal and
care in this work are to be found in the colophons of Biblical manuscripts (for
examples see EUSEBIUS
OF CÆSAREA). St.
Jerome (De Vir. Ill., lxxv) says thatPamphilus "transcribed
the greater part of the works of Origen with
his own hand", and that "these are still preserved in the library of Cæsarea."
He himself was a possessor of "twenty-five volumes
of commentaries ofOrigen",
copied out by Pamphilus, which he looked upon as a most precious relic of
the martyr. Eusebius (Church
History VI.32) speaks of the catalogue of the library contained
in his life of Pamphilus. A passage from the lostlife, quoted by St.
Jerome (Adv. Rufin., I, ix), describes how Pamphilus
supplied poor scholars wtih the necessaries of life,
and, not merely lent, but gave them copies of the Scriptures, of which he
kept a large supply. He likewise bestowed copies on women devoted
to study. The great treasure of the library at Cæsarea was Origen's own
copy of the Hexapla,
probably the only complete copy ever made. It was consulted by St.
Jerome("In Psalmos comm.", ed. Morin, pp. 5, 21; "In
Epist. ad Tit."). The library was
certainly in existence in the sixth century, but probably did not
long survive the capture of Cæsarea by the Saracens in
638 (Swete, "Introd. to O.T. in Greek", 74-5).
The Diocletian persecution began
in 303. In 306 a young man named
Apphianus—a disciple of Pamphilus "while no one was aware;
he even concealed it from us who were even in the same house" (Eusebius,
"Martyrs of Palestine")—interrupted the governor in
the act of offering sacrifice, and paid for his boldness
with a terriblemartyrdom.
His brother Ædesius, also a disciple of Pamphilus,
suffered martyrdom about
the same time atAlexandria under similar circumstances
(ibid.). Pamphilus's turn came in November, 307. He was brought before the
governor and, on refusing to sacrifice, was cruelly tortured, and then
relegated to prison.
In prison he
continued copying and correcting manuscripts (see EUSEBIUS
OF CÆSAREA). He also composed, in collaboration with Eusebius,
an "Apology for Origen"
in five books (Eusebius afterwards
added a sixth). Pamphilus and other members of his
household, men "in the full vigour of mind and
body", were without further torture sentenced to be beheaded in
Feb., 309. While sentence was being given a youth
named Porphyrius—"the slave of Pamphilus",
"the beloved disciple of Pamphilus",
who "had been instructed in literature and
writing"—demanded the bodies of the confessors for burial.
He was cruelly tortured and put
to death, the news of his martyrdom being
brought toPamphilus before his own execution.
Of the "Apology
for Origen"
only the first book is extant, and that in a Latin version made
by Rufinus. It begins with describing the extravagant bitterness of the
feeling against Origen.
He was a man of deep humility,
of great authority in the Church of
his day, and honoured with
the priesthood.
He was above all things anxious to keep to the rule
of faith that had come down from the Apostles.
The soundness of his doctrine concerning
the Trinity and the Incarnation is then vindicated by
copious extracts from his writings. Then nine charges against his teaching are
confronted with passages from his works. St.
Jerome stated in his "De Viris illustribus" that there were
two apologies—one by Pamphilus and another by Eusebius.
He discovered his mistake when Rufinus's translation appeared in the
height of the Origenistic controversy,
and rushed to the conclusion that Eusebius was
the sole author. He charged Rufinus, among other things,
with palming off under the name of the martyr what
was really the work of the heterodox Eusebius,
and with suppressing unorthodox passages. As to the first accusation
there is abundant evidence that the "Apology" was the joint work
of Pamphilus and Eusebius.
Against the second may be set the negative testimony of Photius who
had read the original; "Photius, who was severe to excess towards the
slightest semblance of Arianism,
remarked no such taint in the Apology of Origen which
he had read in Greek" (Ceillier). The Canons of the
alleged Council of the Apostles at Antioch were
ascribed by their compiler (late fourth century) to Pamphilus (Harnack,
"Spread of Christianity", I, 86-101). The ascription
to Pamphilus, by Gemmadius, of a treatise "Contra mathematicos"
was a blunder due to a misunderstanding of Rufinus's preface to the
"Apology". A Summary of the Acts
of the Apostles among the writings associated
with Euthalius bears in its inscription the name
of Pamphilus (P.G., LXXXIX, 619 sqq.).
Sources
BARDENHEWER, Gesch.
der altkirch. Lit., II, 242 sqq.; HARNACK, Altchrist. Lit., 543
sqq.; CEILLIER, Hist. des aut., III, 435 sqq.; TILLEMONT, Hist.
ecclés., V, 418 sqq.; ROUTH, Relig. sac., III, 258 sqq.;
RUFINUS's Translation of the Apology for Origen will be found in
editions of the works of Origen.
Bacchus, Francis
Joseph. "St. Pamphilus of Cæsarea." The Catholic
Encyclopedia. Vol. 11. New York: Robert Appleton
Company, 1911. 11
Apr. 2015 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11436b.htm>.
This article was transcribed for New Advent by
WGKofron. With thanks to Fr. John Hilkert and St.
Mary's Church, Akron, Ohio.
Ecclesiastical
approbation. Nihil Obstat. February 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D.,
Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.
Copyright © 2021 by Kevin Knight.
Dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
SOURCE : http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11436b.htm
St. Pamphilus, Priest and
Martyr
From Eusebius, St. Jerom,
&c. See Ceillier, t. 3, p. 435
A.D. 309.
LEARNING is truly valuable when sanctified by piety, and consecrated to the
divine honour, to which St. Pamphilus devoted himself and all his labours. He
was of a rich and honourable family, and a native of Berytus; in which city, at
that time famous for its schools, he in his youth ran through the whole circle
of the sciences, and was afterwards honoured with the first employments of the
magistracy. After he began to know Christ, he could relish no other study but
that of salvation, and renounced every thing else that he might apply himself
wholly to the exercises of virtue, and the studies of the holy scriptures. This
accomplished master in profane sciences, and this renowned magistrate, was not
ashamed to become the humble scholar of Pierius, the successor of Origen in the
great catechetical school of Alexandria. He afterwards made Cæsarea in
Palestine his residence, where, at his private expense, he collected a great
library, which he bestowed on the church of that city. St. Isidore of Seville
reckons that it contained near thirty thousand volumes. Almost all the works of
the ancients were found in it. The saint established there also a public school
of sacred literature, and to his labours the church was indebted for a most
correct edition of the holy Bible, which, with infinite care, he transcribed
himself; many copies whereof he distributed gratis; for he was of all men the
most communicative and beneficent, especially in encouraging sacred learning. 1 He
set a great value on the works of Origen, many of which he copied with his own
hand. During his imprisonment, he, with Eusebius, composed an Apology for
Origen in five books; of which the first, in Rufinus’s Latin translation, is
extant among the works of St. Jerom, and is a finished piece. 2 But
nothing was more remarkable in this saint than his extraordinary humility, as
Eusebius often observes; which the saint himself feelingly expresses in his
preface to an abridgment of the Acts of the Apostles. His paternal estate he at
length distributed among the poor: towards his slaves and domestics his
behaviour was always that of a brother or tender father. He led a most austere
life, sequestered from the world and its company; and was indefatigable in
labour. Such a virtue was his apprenticeship to the grace of martyrdom.
In the year 307, Urbanus, the cruel governor of Palestine, caused him to be
apprehended, and after hearing an essay of his eloquence and erudition,
commanded him to be most inhumanly tormented. But the iron hooks which tore the
martyr’s sides, served only to cover the judge with confusion. After this the
saint remained almost two years in prison, with several fellow-confessors, of
whom two, who were only catechumens, were at the same time purified and crowned
by the baptism of fire. Soon after the torturing of St. Pamphilus, Urbanus the
governor was himself beheaded by an order of the Emperor Maximinus; but was
succeeded by Firmilian, a man not less barbarous than bigoted and
superstitious. After several butcheries, he caused St. Pamphilus and Valens,
deacon of the church of Jerusalem, a venerable old man, who could repeat the
whole Bible by heart, and Paul of Jamnia, a man of extraordinary zeal and
fervour, to be brought before him; and finding them still firm in their faith,
without putting them again to the rack, passed sentence of death upon them; yet
several others suffered before them; for one Porphyrius, a virtuous slave of
St. Pamphilus, whom the saint had always treated as a son, and who, out of
humility, concealed his abilities, and his skill in writing, asked the judge’s
leave to bury their bodies when they should have undergone their punishment.
Firmilian, more like a tiger than a man, inquired if he was a Christian, and
upon his confessing it, ordered the executioners to torment him with their
utmost strength. But though his flesh was torn off to the very bones, and his
naked bowels exposed to view, and the torments were continued a long time
without intermission, he never once opened his mouth so much as to fetch one
groan. He finished his martyrdom by a slow fire, and died invoking Jesus the
Son of God. Thus, though he entered the lists after the rest, he arrived first
at the crown. Seleucus, a Cappadocian, for carrying the news of the triumph of
Porphyrius to St. Pamphilus, and for applauding the martyr’s constancy, was
condemned to be beheaded with the rest. He had formerly borne several
employments in the army, and had been scourged for the faith in 298; after
which time he had lived a father and protector of the poor. Firmilian had in
his family a servant, named Theodulus, whom he loved above all the rest of his
domestics, for his probity and virtue; but being informed that he was a
Christian, and had embraced one of the martyrs, he condemned him to be
crucified on the same day. Julian, a zealous Cappadocian catechumen, for
embracing the dead bodies of the martyrs in the evening, was burnt at a slow
fire, as Porphyrius had been. St. Pamphilus, with his companions above named,
was beheaded on the 16th of February, 309; the others here mentioned all suffered
on the same day. The bodies of these martyrs were left exposed to be devoured
by wild beasts; but were not touched by them, and after four days, were taken
away and decently buried. Eusebius of Cæsarea, the church historian, who had
been fellow-prisoner with St. Pamphilus, out of respect to his memory, took the
surname of Pamphili. Besides what he has said of this martyr in his history, he
compiled three books of his life, which are much commended by St. Jerom, who
calls them elegant, and says, that in them he excellently set forth the
virtues, especially the extraordinary humility of St. Pamphilus. But this work
is now lost, though Metaphrastes seems to have borrowed from it his account of
this saint.
A cloud of witnesses, a noble army of martyrs by which we are encompassed,
teach us by their constancy to suffer wrong with patience, and strenuously to
resist evil. Yet so far are we from bearing the crown which is purchased by
patience and constancy, and so slothful in watching over ourselves, that we every
day suffer the least dust of flies to ruffle our souls and rob us of our
treasure. The daily trials we meet with from others or from ourselves, are
always sent us by God, who sometimes, like a tender parent, trains us up by
strict discipline to virtue and glory; sometimes throws difficulties into our
way on purpose to reward our conquest; and sometimes, like a wise physician,
restores us to our health by bitter potions. If he at any time punishes our
contempt of his love and mercy by severity and chastisements, even these he
inflicts in mercy to awake us from our dangerous spiritual lethargy, and to
procure us many other spiritual advantages.
Note 1. Montfaucon has published (Biblioth. Coislin. pp. 78, 79, 80, 81,
82,) a short exposition of the Acts of the Apostles, made by St. Pamphilus, who
employed almost his whole life in writing and adorning the books of the holy
scriptures. See ib. c. 20, an account of a copy of the epistles of St. Paul,
written in the fifth or sixth century, (kept among the Greek MSS. of the
Coislinian library, comprised in that of the abbey of S. Germain-des-Prez at
Paris,) collated with a copy of St. Paul’s epistles in the hand-writing of St.
Pamphilus, kept in the fifth age in the library of Cæsarea. [back]
Note 2. St. Jerom sometimes ascribes this Apology for Origin to Eusebius,
sometimes to others, being persuaded that St. Pamphilus had no share in it. But
Eusebius, Socrates, Photius, &c., assure us that St. Pamphilus was the
principal author of this piece, though Eusebius had some share with him in it
whilst his fellow-prisoner; which is demonstrated by Dom Charles Vincent Le
Rue, in his preliminary remarks on his accurate new edition of the first book
of this Apology, (Op. Origenis, t. 4, part 2, p. 13,) the other five being
lost. Of these, only the last was composed by Eusebius, after the martyrdom of
St. Pamphilus, as Photius assures us. See Huet, Origeniana, l. 2, quæst. 14, c.
3, and Ch. Vinc. Le Rue, ib. p. 257. [back]
Rev. Alban Butler (1711–73). Volume VI: June. The Lives of
the Saints. 1866.
SOURCE : http://www.bartleby.com/210/6/012.html
Pamphilus, presbyter of
Caesarea
Pamphilus (1), presbyter
of Caesarea, the intimate friend (Hieron. de Script. Eccl. 75) and
literary guide of Eusebius the church historian, who adopted his name as a
surname, calling himself Εὐσέβιος Παμφίλου. Eusebius composed his friend's
biography in three books. The work is entirely lost, and our only knowledge of
this chief among the Biblical scholars of his age is derived from a few
scattered notices in the existing writings of Eusebius, Jerome, and Photius.
Pamphilus was a native of Phoenicia, and, if we accept the doubtful authority
of Metaphrastes, born at Berytus, of a wealthy and honourable family. Having
received his earlier education in his native city, he passed to Alexandria,
where he devoted himself to theological studies under Pierius, the head of its
catechetical school (Routh, Rel. Sacr. iii. 430; Phot. Cod. 118).
Pamphilus afterwards settled at Caesarea, of which church he became a
presbyter, probably during the episcopate of Agapius. Here he commenced the
work of his life, hunting for books illustrative of Holy Scripture from all
parts of the world. The library thus formed was subsequently repaired, after
its injuries during the persecution of Diocletian, by Acacius and Euzoïus, the
successors of Eusebius in the see of Caesarea (Hieron. Ep. xxxiv. vol.
i. p. 155). Eusebius had catalogued it (H. E. vi. 32). It was especially
rich in codices of the Scriptures, many transcribed or corrected by Pamphilus's
own hand. In this Eusebius was a zealous coadjutor (Hieron. de Script.
Eccl. c. 81). Jerome speaks of Palestinian manuscripts of the LXX current
in the Syrian church, which, having been carefully prepared by Origen, were
published by the two friends (Hieron. Praef. in Paralip.; adv. Rufin. ii.
27, t. ii. p. 522). Among other priceless literary treasures now lost was a
copy of the so-called Hebrew text of the Gospel of St. Matthew (Hieron. de
Script. Eccl. c. 3) and the Tetrapla and Hexapla of
Origen in the original copy (Hieron. in Tit. iii. 9, t. vii. p. 734).
In the catechetical school of Alexandria Pamphilus had conceived a most ardent
admiration for Origen, with whose works he made it his special object to enrich
his library, copying the greater part himself (Hieron. de Script. Eccl. c.
75). Jerome gloried in the possession of Origen's commentaries on the Minor
Prophets in 25 volumes in Pamphilus's autograph. Pamphilus proved his affection
for the memory and fame of Origen by devoting the last two years of his life to
composing, in prison, with the assistance of Eusebius, an Apology,
or Defence of Origen, addressed to the "Confessors condemned to
the mines in Palestine." Five books were completed before his death, the
sixth being added by Eusebius (Photius, Cod. 118). Photius gives a
brief summary of the work, of which we have bk. i. alone in the inaccurate
Latin version of Rufinus (Routh, Rel. Sac. iv. pp. 339, 392). What
Pamphilus knew and had acquired he regarded as the common property of those who
desired to share it. Eusebius describes him as ever ready to help all in need,
either in the matters of the body, the mind, or the soul. The copies of the
Scriptures he caused to be made by his students he distributed gratuitously,
while he liberally supplied the temporal wants of those in distress (Eus. de
Martyr. Palaest. c. 11; Hieron. adv. Rufin. i. 9, t. ii. p.
465).
In 307 Pamphilus was
committed to prison by Urbanus, the persecuting governor of the city, and for
two years was closely confined, cheered by the companionship of his second
self, Eusebius (Hieron. ad Pammach. et Ocean. Ep. 84). Pamphilus
sealed his life-long confession of his Master with his blood—"the centre
of a brave company, among whom he shone out as the sun among the stars"—in
309, when Firmilianus had succeeded Urbanus as governor. The library he
collected was destroyed when Caesarea was taken by the Arabs in the 7th cent.
[E.V.]
SOURCE : https://www.ccel.org/ccel/wace/biodict.html?term=Pamphilus,%20presbyter%20of%20Caesarea
Il
martirio di Panfilo in una miniatura del menologio di Basilio
Памфил
Кесарийский Константинополь. 985 г. Миниатюра Минология Василия II. Ватиканская
библиотека. Рим.
San Panfilo e
compagni Martiri di Cesarea di Palestina
† Cesarea, 16 febbraio
309
Martirologio
Romano: A Cesarea in Palestina, santi martiri Elia, Geremia, Isaia,
Samuele e Daniele: cristiani di Egitto, per essersi spontaneamente presi cura
dei confessori della fede condannati alle miniere in Cilicia, furono arrestati
e dal governatore Firmiliano, sotto l’imperatore Galerio Massimiano,
crudelmente torturati e infine trafitti con la spada. Dopo di loro ricevettero
la corona del martirio anche Panfilo sacerdote, Valente diacono di Gerusalemme,
e Paolo, originario della città di Iamnia, che già avevano trascorso due anni
in carcere, e anche Porfirio, domestico di Panfilo, Seleuco di Cappadocia, di
grado avanzato nell’esercito, Teodúlo, anziano servitore del governatore
Firmiliano, e infine Giuliano di Cappadocia, che, tornato proprio in quel
momento da un viaggio, dopo aver baciato i corpi dei martiri, si rivelò come
cristiano e per ordine del governatore fu bruciato a fuoco lento.
In un periodo di persecuzione contro i cristiani, Panfilo, sacerdote di Cesarea di Palestina, e altri 12 compagni, tra cui cinque egiziani, Giuliano, Seleucio, Porfirio, Teodulo, Valente e Paolo, furono arrestati, torturati e decapitati il 16 febbraio 309. I loro corpi furono esposti alle bestie, ma rimasero intatti e furono poi sepolti in una tomba. I dodici martiri sono venerati dalla Chiesa cattolica e ortodossa il 16 febbraio.
L'episodio dei dodici martiri di Cesarea di Palestina è un esempio della fede e della tenacia dei primi cristiani, che furono disposti a sacrificare la propria vita per la loro religione. I loro nomi sono ancora oggi ricordati e celebrati come testimoni della fede cristiana.
Il periodo storico in cui avvenne il martirio dei dodici martiri di Cesarea di Palestina è quello della persecuzione di Diocleziano, che iniziò nel 303 e terminò nel 313 con l'Editto di Milano. In questo periodo, l'imperatore Diocleziano e il suo collega Galerio ordinarono una serie di misure repressive contro i cristiani, tra cui l'arresto, la tortura e la morte.
Panfilo era un sacerdote di Cesarea di Palestina, città in cui si trovava una delle più importanti scuole teologiche dell'epoca. Era un discepolo del filosofo Origene e si era dedicato allo studio della Bibbia e della teologia cristiana.
I cinque egiziani che furono martirizzati insieme a Panfilo erano membri di un gruppo di cristiani che erano stati condannati alle miniere di Cilicia.
Juliano era un ragazzo originario della Cappadocia che, al ritorno da un viaggio, si avvicinò ai corpi dei martiri per baciarli. Fu arrestato e poi arso a fuoco lento.
Seleucio era un soldato romano che, dopo aver assistito alle torture e al martirio di Porfirio, un adolescente servo, fu arrestato e crocifisso.
Porfirio fu il primo dei dodici martiri a essere decapitato.
Teodolo era un vecchio cristiano che era servitore della casa del governatore
di Cesarea. Fu crocifisso.
Valente, Paolo e Panfilo furono decapitati dopo due anni di acuta e tormentata
prigionia.
I corpi dei dodici martiri furono esposti alle bestie, ma rimasero intatti. Furono poi sepolti in una tomba e la loro tomba divenne un luogo di pellegrinaggio per i cristiani.
I dodici martiri di Cesarea di Palestina sono venerati dalla Chiesa cattolica e
ortodossa il 16 febbraio.
Autore: Franco
Dieghi
San Panfilo presbitero fa parte di un gruppo di 12 martiri di Cesarea di Palestina, commemorati tutti insieme al 16 febbraio, anche nel moderno ‘Martirologio Romano’ e tradizionalmente s. Panfilo è posto a capolista, avendo avuto un culto distinto nei diversi calendari, specie in Occidente.
Il sacerdote Panfilo è citato soprattutto da Eusebio di Cesarea, nella sua “Storia Ecclesiastica”; al tempo dell’imperatore Galerio († 311), con Urbano come governatore di Cesarea, la persecuzione contro i cristiani, infuriava con estrema durezza; fra questi perseguitati vi era Panfilo che Eusebio classifica “il più caro dei miei amici e per il suo valore, il più glorioso dei martiri della nostra età”.
Egli era di nobili origini e sembra che fosse nativo di Berito, poi trasferitosi a Cesarea, dove si dedicò alle scienze religiose, venendo ordinato sacerdote; fu discepolo del filosofo Origene (185-254).
Urbano lo interrogò, volendo conoscere prima le sue cognizioni letterarie e di filosofia e poi lo obbligò a sacrificare agli dei. Panfilo si rifiuta nonostante le minacce e la furia di Urbano, il quale dà ordine di sottoporlo a durissime torture, personalmente dispone che gli vengano applicate delle unghie di ferro ai fianchi, con insistenza e cattiveria; alla fine lo fa gettare in prigione, dove erano detenuti altri cristiani.
Subito dopo Urbano viene destituito dalla carica e sostituito da Firmiliano, comunque Panfilo ed i compagni di cella, restano in prigione circa due anni; dopo questo tempo arrivano cinque cristiani egiziani Elia, Geremia, Samuele, Isaia e Daniele, i quali insieme a Panfilo e altri due compagni di prigione, Valente e Paolo, vengono condotti davanti al giudice e come ormai è risaputo per tutti i martiri, essi sono sottoposti all’interrogatorio, alle torture, prima gli egiziani e poi gli altri e alla fine condannati alla decapitazione.
Il racconto di s. Eusebio prosegue nominando Porfirio, che protesta pubblicamente per la condanna, il quale viene arrestato e subirà per primo la decapitazione. Successiva vittima fu Seleucio che veniva a comunicare a Panfilo la morte di Porfirio, arrestato e condannato anche lui, viene giustiziato sbrigativamente; dopo viene l’esecuzione di tutti gli altri; i martiri vittime della persecuzione sono diventati dieci, a loro si aggiungono Teodulo e Giuliano.
I corpi dei dodici martiri, per ordine di Firmiliano restano esposti alla fame delle bestie per quattro giorni e quattro notti, ma dopo tale tempo essi rimasero intatti, così ebbero dei funerali adeguati e deposti in una tomba. I martiri rimasero vittime della persecuzione iniziata nel 307, quindi morirono tutti insieme il 16 febbraio dell’anno 309, ma alcuni studiosi calcolano che fosse il 310.
Il gruppo pur subendo le prevedibili contraddizioni, legate alla lontananza nel tempo e degli errori che lungo i secoli e millenni, si sono verificati nelle traduzioni e trascrizioni, sono riportati in tutti i Martirologi Orientali ed Occidentali.
Anche le reliquie sono state poi divise, di alcuni di essi Panfilo, Teodulo, Porfirio, Paolo, le reliquie furono portate a Costantinopoli per la dedicazione della prima chiesa di S. Sofia ai tempi dell’imperatore Costante (320-350).
A conclusione, ricordiamo i nomi dei dodici santi martiri di Cesarea di Palestina, cui l’odio anticristiano di ottusi governatori della zona, tolse loro la vita terrena, ma aprendo per sempre il godimento eterno dei cieli e il ricordo perenne del loro sacrificio, che dopo 2000 anni, viene ancora celebrato.
I cinque egiziani Elia, Geremia, Isaia, Samuele e Daniele che avevano accompagnato un gruppo di cristiani condannati alle miniere della Cilicia; Giuliano originario della Cappadocia che al ritorno da un viaggio si avvede dei corpi dei martiri e si avvicina per baciarli, venendo arrestato e poi arso a fuoco lento; Seleucio dal fisico eccezionale, che fa da nunzio per la morte di Porfirio e che già soldato dell’armata romana, era divenuto emulo degli asceti; Porfirio adolescente servo, decapitato e fatto a pezzi; Teodulo vecchio cristiano, servitore della casa del governatore che venne crocifisso; Valente, Paolo e Panfilo decapitati dopo due anni di acuta e tormentata prigionia.
Autore: Antonio Borrelli
