Simplicius, Constantius, and Victorianus

Saints Simplicius, Constantius and Victorinus
Martyrs
Born	Bourgogne, Gaul
Died	~159 AD Celano, Italy
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church
Feast	August 26
Patronage	Celano

Simplicius, Constantius and Victorinus (Victorian(us)) (Italian: Simplicio, Costanzo e Vittoriano) are venerated as Christian martyrs of the 2nd century. Simplicius, was, according to tradition, a Christian of the Abruzzi region who was executed along with his two sons, Constantius and Victorian, during the reign of Marcus Aurelius. Their Passio contains all of the tropes of the genre. It is believed that the martyrdoms are genuine but that the three martyrs were not necessarily related to one another, but were executed together at Marsica.

The earliest source on their life actually dates from a Passio of 1406. The Passio states that Simplicius and his entire family, natives of Bourgogne, were baptized by Saint Januarius (not, according to Antonio Borrelli, the famous saint of Naples) during the reign of Antoninus Pius (138-161). Gaudentia, the wife of Simplicius, became a nun and withdrew to a monastery, while Simplicius and his two sons Constantius and Victorinus preached on behalf of their new religion. Pontius, the prefect in Gaul, was ordered to arrest all Christians; Simplicius and his two sons were arrested and led in front of the court, where they preached the Trinity and the Absolution. They were flogged and sent to Rome in order to be condemned to death.

According to the legend, during the journey, the saints cured a child of blindness. At Rome, they wished to visit the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul, but the guards prohibited this. However, God liberated them from their chains, allowing them to make the pilgrimage to the tombs with a group of Christians. The pilgrimage resulted in a fight erupting between the Christians and pagans; the pagans suffered many losses. The three saints were once again arrested and brought to Antoninus Pius at Marsica.

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