Seven Apostolic Men | |
|---|---|
 St. Hesychius, one of the Seven Apostolic Men | |
| Martyrs | |
| Born | Uncertain, perhaps Spain, or some other part of the Roman Empire |
| Died | ~47 AD Spain |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church |
| Feast | May 1, May 15 (general); but each saint also has his own particular feast day |
According to Christian tradition, the Seven Apostolic Men (siete varones apostólicos) were seven Christian clerics ordained in Rome by Saints Peter and Paul and sent to evangelize Spain. This group includes Torquatus, Caecilius, Ctesiphon, Euphrasius, Indaletius, Hesychius, and Secundius (Torcuato, Cecilio, Tesifonte, Eufrasio, Indalecio, Hesiquio y Segundo).
It is not clear whether the seven men were Romans, Greeks, or natives of Hispania.[1]
The legend probably dates from the 8th century.[2] The Martyrology of Lyon (806 AD) incorporated text from a fifth-century source, and the seven saints are mentioned in the Mozarabic liturgy.[1]
According to manuscripts of the 10th century, which in turn recorded information from the 8th or 9th centuries, these seven clerics arrived at Acci (Guadix) during the celebrations in honor of Jupiter, Mercury, and Juno. The pagans chased them to the river, but the bridge collapsed miraculously and the seven men were saved. A noblewoman named Luparia, interested in their mission, hid them and converted to Christianity after building an altar in honor of John the Baptist.
The Dominican writer Rodrigo de Cerrato also wrote about the Seven Apostolic Men during the 13th century.
- ^ a b "San Torcuato y los 7 Varones Apostólicos". Aciprensa. n.d. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
- ^ "Ctesiphon von Vergium", Ökumenisches Heiligenlexikon