Saint Quiricus and Saint Julietta
Encyclopedia
Saint Julietta and her son Saint Quiricus (also known as Kērykos (Greek
: ), Cyriacus, Qyriacus, Cyricus, Ciricus and Cyr) were martyr
ed in AD
304 in Tarsus
.
http://www.icon.lt/saints/julitta.htm. It is believed that the legends about Saints Quiricus and Julietta refer to him. There are places named after Cyricus in Europe and the Middle East, but without the name Julietta attached. Cyricus is the Saint-Cyr found in many French toponyms. The cult of these saints was strong in France
after Saint Amator
, Bishop of Auxerre, brought relics back from Antioch in the 4th century. It is said that Constantine I
discovered their relics originally and built near Constantinople
a monastery
, and not far off from Jerusalem was built a church. In the 6th century the Acts of Cyricus and Julitta were rejected in a list of apocryphal documents by the pseudo-Gelasius, called as such since the list was erroneously attributed to Pope Saint Gelasius I
.
Feast day June 16
s. Julietta was tortured, and her three year old son, being held by the governor of Tarsus, scratched the governor's face and was killed by being thrown down some steps. Julietta did not weep but celebrated the fact that her son had earned the crown of martyrdom. In anger, the governor then decreed that Julietta’s sides should be ripped apart with hooks
, and then she was beheaded. Her body, along with that of Cyricus, was flung outside the city, on the heap of bodies belonging to criminals, but the two maids rescued the corpses of the mother and child and buried them in a nearby field.
An alternative version of the story is that Julietta told the governor that his religion could not be accepted by a three year old child, whereupon Quiricus testified to his faith, and mother and child were tortured before being decapitated
.
states that one night Charlemagne
dream
ed he was saved from death by a wild boar during a hunt
. He was saved by the appearance of a child, who had promised to save the emperor from death
if he would give him clothes to cover his nakedness.
The bishop of Nevers interpreted this dream to mean that he wanted the emperor to repair the roof of the cathedral dedicated to Saint Cyricus
.
In Italy, where they are known as Quirico (or Quilico, or Chirico) and Giulitta (or Giuletta or Giulietta ), the place most commonly linked with the saints is the village of San Quirico d’Orcia in the Val d’Orcia area of Tuscany
. There a twelfth- or thirteenth-century church (pictured right), based on an eighth-century baptistery, is dedicated to them. The cult, however, is common in many parts of country and more than 200 churches, monasteries, localities, etc with signs of devotion to one or both of the saints have been identified. Other communes named after them are Corvino San Quirico
(Province of Pavia
), San Chirico Nuovo
(Province of Potenza
), San Chirico Raparo
(Province of Potenza), San Quirico d’Orcia (Province of Siena
), Serra San Quirico
(Province of Ancona
), and Santa Giuletta
(Province of Pavia). Communes of whom they are patron saints include Borgo San Martino
(Province of Alessandria
), Cavaria in the municipality of Cavaria con Premezzo
(Province of Varese
), Cisternino
(Province of Brindisi
), Collesalvetti
(Province of Livorno
), and Trofarello
(Province of Torino).
In parts of Piedmont
, including Centallo
, Asti
and Murisengo
, an unconnected Saint Quirico is venerated, regarded as a member of the Theban Legion
.
dedicated to Saint Quiricus and Saint Julietta, including one found at Tickenham
and another at Swaffham Prior
, in Cambridgeshire. In Cornwall
, they can be found in the villages of Luxulyan
and St Veep
, and there was also once a chapel at Calstock
dedicated to these two saints.
as attested in the large collection of prayers and services known as the Hudra. The mention of a saint from Tarsus in such East Syrian traditions suggests that there was considerable early sharing of martyrological traditions despite doctrinal differences between churches.
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
: ), Cyriacus, Qyriacus, Cyricus, Ciricus and Cyr) were martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
ed in AD
Anno Domini
and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
304 in Tarsus
Tarsus (city)
Tarsus is a historic city in south-central Turkey, 20 km inland from the Mediterranean Sea. It is part of the Adana-Mersin Metropolitan Area, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in Turkey with a population of 2.75 million...
.
Cyricus
Some evidence exists for an otherwise unknown child-martyr named Cyricus at AntiochAntioch
Antioch on the Orontes was an ancient city on the eastern side of the Orontes River. It is near the modern city of Antakya, Turkey.Founded near the end of the 4th century BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals, Antioch eventually rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the...
http://www.icon.lt/saints/julitta.htm. It is believed that the legends about Saints Quiricus and Julietta refer to him. There are places named after Cyricus in Europe and the Middle East, but without the name Julietta attached. Cyricus is the Saint-Cyr found in many French toponyms. The cult of these saints was strong in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
after Saint Amator
Saint Amator
Saint Amator Amadour or Amatre was bishop of Auxerre from AD 388 until his death on May 1, 418. He is also confused with a hermit of legend whose feast day is August 20. A tradition in Autun also designates him as its first bishop, with an occupancy date of AD 250 that is intended to tie him to...
, Bishop of Auxerre, brought relics back from Antioch in the 4th century. It is said that Constantine I
Constantine I
Constantine the Great , also known as Constantine I or Saint Constantine, was Roman Emperor from 306 to 337. Well known for being the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, Constantine and co-Emperor Licinius issued the Edict of Milan in 313, which proclaimed religious tolerance of all...
discovered their relics originally and built near Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
a monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
, and not far off from Jerusalem was built a church. In the 6th century the Acts of Cyricus and Julitta were rejected in a list of apocryphal documents by the pseudo-Gelasius, called as such since the list was erroneously attributed to Pope Saint Gelasius I
Pope Gelasius I
Pope Saint Gelasius I was pope from 492 until his death in 496. He was the third and last bishop of Rome of African origin in the Catholic Church. Gelasius was a prolific writer whose style placed him on the cusp between Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages...
.
Feast day June 16
Legends
According to legend, Julietta and her three-year (sometimes described as three-month) old Cyricus had fled to Tarsus and were identified as ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s. Julietta was tortured, and her three year old son, being held by the governor of Tarsus, scratched the governor's face and was killed by being thrown down some steps. Julietta did not weep but celebrated the fact that her son had earned the crown of martyrdom. In anger, the governor then decreed that Julietta’s sides should be ripped apart with hooks
Grappling hook
A grappling hook is an anchor with multiple hooks , attached to a rope; it is thrown, dropped, sunk, projected, or fastened directly by hand to where at least one hook may catch and hold. Generally, grappling hooks are used to temporarily secure one end of a rope. They may also be used to dredge...
, and then she was beheaded. Her body, along with that of Cyricus, was flung outside the city, on the heap of bodies belonging to criminals, but the two maids rescued the corpses of the mother and child and buried them in a nearby field.
An alternative version of the story is that Julietta told the governor that his religion could not be accepted by a three year old child, whereupon Quiricus testified to his faith, and mother and child were tortured before being decapitated
Decapitation
Decapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
.
Cyricus and Charlemagne
A story from NeversNevers
Nevers is a commune in – and the administrative capital of – the Nièvre department in the Bourgogne region in central France...
states that one night Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
dream
Dream
Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood, though they have been a topic of scientific speculation, philosophical intrigue and religious...
ed he was saved from death by a wild boar during a hunt
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
. He was saved by the appearance of a child, who had promised to save the emperor from death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
if he would give him clothes to cover his nakedness.
The bishop of Nevers interpreted this dream to mean that he wanted the emperor to repair the roof of the cathedral dedicated to Saint Cyricus
Cathédrale Saint-Cyr-et-Sainte-Julitte de Nevers
Nevers Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral, dedicated to Saints Cyricus and Julitta, and a national monument of France, located in the town of Nevers. It is the seat of the Bishop of Nevers....
.
Italy
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
. There a twelfth- or thirteenth-century church (pictured right), based on an eighth-century baptistery, is dedicated to them. The cult, however, is common in many parts of country and more than 200 churches, monasteries, localities, etc with signs of devotion to one or both of the saints have been identified. Other communes named after them are Corvino San Quirico
Corvino San Quirico
Corvino San Quirico is a comune in the Province of Pavia in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 50 km south of Milan and about 20 km south of Pavia...
(Province of Pavia
Province of Pavia
The Province of Pavia is a province in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. Pavia is the capital.It has an area of 2,965 km², and a total population of 493,753...
), San Chirico Nuovo
San Chirico Nuovo
San Chirico Nuovo is a town and comune in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata....
(Province of Potenza
Province of Potenza
The Province of Potenza is a province in the Basilicata region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Potenza.-Geography:It has an area of 6,545 km² and a total population of 387,107 . There are 100 comuni in the province .-History:In 272 B.C. the province was conquered by the Greek army...
), San Chirico Raparo
San Chirico Raparo
San Chirico Raparo is a town and comune in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata....
(Province of Potenza), San Quirico d’Orcia (Province of Siena
Province of Siena
The Province of Siena is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Siena.It has an area of 3,821 km² , and a total population of 252,288 . There are 36 comuni in the province...
), Serra San Quirico
Serra San Quirico
Serra San Quirico is a comune in the Province of Ancona in the Italian region Marche, located about 45 km southwest of Ancona.-External links:*...
(Province of Ancona
Province of Ancona
The Province of Ancona is a province in the Marche region of central Italy. Its capital is the city of Ancona. The province has an area of 1940 km² and a 2006 population of 465,906 in 49 comuni , see Comunes of the Province of Ancona....
), and Santa Giuletta
Santa Giuletta
Santa Giuletta is a comune in the Province of Pavia in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 50 km south of Milan and about 15 km south of Pavia...
(Province of Pavia). Communes of whom they are patron saints include Borgo San Martino
Borgo San Martino
Borgo San Martino is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 60 km east of Turin and about 20 km northwest of Alessandria....
(Province of Alessandria
Province of Alessandria
The Province of Alessandria is an Italian province, with a population of some 430,000, which forms the southeastern part of the region of Piedmont. The provincial capital is the city of Alessandria....
), Cavaria in the municipality of Cavaria con Premezzo
Cavaria con Premezzo
Cavaria con Premezzo is a comune in the Province of Varese in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 40 km northwest of Milan and about 13 km south of Varese...
(Province of Varese
Province of Varese
The Province of Varese is a province in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Varese but its largest city is Busto Arsizio....
), Cisternino
Cisternino
Cisternino is a comune in the province of Brindisi in Puglia, on the south-east Italy coast approximately 50 kilometers north-west of the city of Brindisi...
(Province of Brindisi
Province of Brindisi
The Province of Brindisi is a province in the Apulia region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Brindisi. Surrounded by vineyards and artichoke fields, Brindisi is a major sailing port for the southern part of Italy....
), Collesalvetti
Collesalvetti
Collesalvetti is a comune in the Province of Livorno in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 70 km southwest of Florence, 20 km northeast of Livorno and only 16 km south from Pisa...
(Province of Livorno
Province of Livorno
The Province of Livorno or Leghorn is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. It includes several islands of the Tuscan Archipelago, including Elba and Capraia. Its capital is the city of Livorno....
), and Trofarello
Trofarello
Trofarello is a comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 10 km southeast of Turin. As of 1 January 2009, it had a population of 11,125 and an area of 12.3 km²....
(Province of Torino).
In parts of Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
, including Centallo
Centallo
Centallo is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 60 km south of Turin and about 13 km north of Cuneo...
, Asti
Asti
Asti is a city and comune of about 75,000 inhabitants located in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy, about 55 kilometres east of Turin in the plain of the Tanaro River...
and Murisengo
Murisengo
Murisengo is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 35 km east of Turin and about 40 km northwest of Alessandria....
, an unconnected Saint Quirico is venerated, regarded as a member of the Theban Legion
Theban Legion
The Theban Legion figures in Christian hagiography as an entire Roman legion — of "six thousand six hundred and sixty-six men" — who had converted en masse to Christianity and were martyred together, in 286, according to the hagiographies of Saint Maurice, the chief among the Legion's...
.
England
There are a few churches in EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
dedicated to Saint Quiricus and Saint Julietta, including one found at Tickenham
Church of SS Quiricus & Julietta, Tickenham
The parish Church of St. Quiricus and St. Julietta in Tickenham, Somerset, England, has 11th century origins, with the nave and chancel being extended by the addition of aisles and the south chapel in the early 13th century...
and another at Swaffham Prior
Swaffham Prior
Swaffham Prior is a village in East Cambridgeshire, England.Lying 5 miles west of Newmarket, and two miles south west of Burwell, the village is often paired with its neighbour Swaffham Bulbeck, and are collectively referred to as 'The Swaffhams'. Swaffham Prior was often known as Great Swaffham in...
, in Cambridgeshire. In Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, they can be found in the villages of Luxulyan
Luxulyan
Luxulyan , also spelled Luxullian or Luxulian, is a village and civil parish in central Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village lies four miles northeast of St Austell and six miles south of Bodmin...
and St Veep
St Veep
St. Veep is a civil parish in Cornwall, United Kingdom situated above the east bank of the Fowey Estuary about three miles southeast of Lostwithiel....
, and there was also once a chapel at Calstock
Calstock
Calstock is civil parish and a large village in south east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, on the border with Devon. The village is situated on the River Tamar south west of Tavistock and north of Plymouth....
dedicated to these two saints.
Middle East
Cyriacus in particular is mentioned numerous times in the daily office of the Church of the EastChurch of the East
The Church of the East tāʾ d-Maḏnḥāʾ), also known as the Nestorian Church, is a Christian church, part of the Syriac tradition of Eastern Christianity. Originally the church of the Persian Sassanid Empire, it quickly spread widely through Asia...
as attested in the large collection of prayers and services known as the Hudra. The mention of a saint from Tarsus in such East Syrian traditions suggests that there was considerable early sharing of martyrological traditions despite doctrinal differences between churches.
External links
- "St. Julitta, Martyr", Butler's Lives of the Saints
- Catholic Encyclopedia
- Saint Julitta
- Church of St Quiricus and St Julietta, TickenhamTickenhamTickenham is a village and civil parish near Clevedon and Nailsea, North Somerset, England. The parish has a population of 909. It has a primary school and a village hall, but no shops, although it formerly had a post office....
, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... - Cyriac Family History Project - Saints Cyr & Julitta page
- Orthodox Church of America
- St. Cyricus page at Christian Iconography
- "Saint Quiricus and His Mother Saint Julitta" from the Golden Legend