Seven Apostolic Men
Encyclopedia
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
.
The Martyrology of Lyon
(806 AD) incorporated text from a fifth century source, and the seven saints are mentioned in the Mozarabic liturgy.
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.
), Hesychius to Carcere (Cazorla
), Indalecius went to Urci
(Pechina
), Secundius to Abula (identified as Ávila or Abla
), Euphrasius to Iliturgis (a site near Andújar
), and Caecilius to Iliberri or Iliberis (Elvira/Granada
).
The identification of these places is imprecise: other sources state that Carcere or Carcesi is not Cazorla but Cieza
, and that Urci is Torre de Villaricos, and Iliturgis is Cuevas de Lituergo. The only identification considered certain is that of Iliberis with Elvira, seat of the Synod of Elvira
, whose first bishop, according to the Glosas Emilianenses
, was Caecilius.
in a text known as Translatio S. Iacobi in Hispaniam. According to this text, seven disciples of James brought his body to the Roman province of Hispania
after his martyrdom at Jerusalem. The seven disciples, pursued by a pagan king in Spain, hid in a fountain protected by a crypt; when the pagan soldiers entered the crypt, it collapsed, killing them all. A woman, named Luparia, converted to Christianity and had James’ body placed in a building previously dedicated to the Roman gods. This tradition also states that three of these disciples, Torquatus, Athanasius (a name that does not correspond to the usual list of names of these seven name), and Ctesiphon, were buried with James.
Pope John Paul II
, during his first trip to Spain in 1982, remarked that Spain “was conquered for the faith by the missionary zeal of the Seven Apostolic Men.”
Saint Euphrasius’ relics were taken to Santa María de Mao in the diocese of Lugo
.
River.
Torquatus' relics and those of Euphrasius were translated
to Galicia. Torquatus’ relics remained for a long time in the Visigothic church of Santa Comba de Bande.
In the 10th century, Torquatus' relics were translated to San Salvador de Celanova (in Celanova
, Orense
) .
In 1592, the sepulcher was opened and part of Torquatus’ relics were distributed to Guadix, Compostela
, and Orense, and also to El Escorial
, and to the Jesuit college at Guadix, and in 1627, to Granada
. The relics that remained in San Salvador de Celanova were placed in the main chapel of the church of the monastery, together with those of Saint Rudesind, the monastery’s founder.
The cathedral of Guadix conserves three relics associated with Saint Torquatus: his arm, his jawbone, and his calcaneus (this last relic is not on display).
Christian
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...
tradition, the Seven Apostolic Men (siete varones apostólicos) were seven Christian clerics ordained in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
by Saints Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
and Paul
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
and sent to evangelize Spain. This group includes Torquatus, Caecilius, Ctesiphon, Euphrasius, Indaletius
Indaletius
Saint Indaletius is venerated as the patron saint of Almería, Spain. Tradition makes him a Christian missionary of the 1st century, during the Apostolic Age. He evangelized the town of Urci , near the present-day city of Almería, and became its first bishop. He may have been martyed at Urci...
, Hesychius
Hesychius of Cazorla
Saint Hesychius is venerated as the patron saint of Cazorla, Spain. Tradition makes him a Christian missionary of the 1st century, during the Apostolic Age. He evangelized the town of Carcere, Carteia, or Carcesi, identified as Cazorla, became its first bishop, and was martyred there by being...
, and Secundius
Secundus of Abula
Saint Secundus or Secundius is venerated as a Christian missionary and martyr of the 1st century, during the Apostolic Age. He evangelized the town of Abula, which has been identified as either Ávila or Abla, and became its first bishop....
(Torcuato, Cecilio, Tesifonte, Eufrasio, Indalecio Hesiquio y Segundo).
It is not clear whether the seven men were Romans
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, Greeks, or natives of Hispania
Hispania
Another theory holds that the name derives from Ezpanna, the Basque word for "border" or "edge", thus meaning the farthest area or place. Isidore of Sevilla considered Hispania derived from Hispalis....
.
The Martyrology of Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
(806 AD) incorporated text from a fifth century source, and the seven saints are mentioned in the Mozarabic liturgy.
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
Guadix
Guadix, a city of southern Spain, in the province of Granada; on the left bank of the river Guadix, a sub-tributary of the Guadiana Menor, and on the Madrid-Valdepeñas-Almería railway...
) during the celebrations in honor of Jupiter
Jupiter (mythology)
In ancient Roman religion and myth, Jupiter or Jove is the king of the gods, and the god of the sky and thunder. He is the equivalent of Zeus in the Greek pantheon....
, Mercury
Mercury (mythology)
Mercury was a messenger who wore winged sandals, and a god of trade, the son of Maia Maiestas and Jupiter in Roman mythology. His name is related to the Latin word merx , mercari , and merces...
, and Juno
Juno (mythology)
Juno is an ancient Roman goddess, the protector and special counselor of the state. She is a daughter of Saturn and sister of the chief god Jupiter and the mother of Mars and Vulcan. Juno also looked after the women of Rome. Her Greek equivalent is Hera...
. 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
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
.
The Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
writer Rodrigo de Cerrato
Rodrigo de Cerrato
Rodrigo de Cerrato or Rodrigo Cerratense, Rodrigo Manuel Cerratense or de Cerrato or El Cerratense was a Castilian historian and hagiographer of the second half of the 13th century.Not much is known of his life...
also wrote about the Seven Apostolic Men during the 13th century.
The seven cities
The seven missionaries decided to evangelize various parts of the region of Baetica: Torquatus remained in Acci (Guadix), Ctesiphon went to Vergium or Bergi (BerjaBerja
Berja is a municipality of Almería province, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. It is located on the south-eastern slope of the Sierra de Gádor, 10 miles north-east of Adra by road.-History:...
), Hesychius to Carcere (Cazorla
Cazorla
Cazorla is a city located in the province of Jaén, Spain. According to the 2006 census , the city had a population of 8,173 inhabitants.-Description:Cazorla lies at an elevation of 836 metres on the western slope of the Sierra de Cazorla...
), Indalecius went to Urci
Urci
Urci was an ancient settlement in southeastern Roman Hispania mentioned by Pomponius Mela, Pliny the Elder, and Claudius Ptolemy. The writings of these historians indicate that the city was located in the hinterland of what is now Villaricos, Spain, in the lower basin of the Almanzora river...
(Pechina
Pechina
-External links: - Sistema de Información Multiterritorial de Andalucía - Diputación Provincial de Almería...
), Secundius to Abula (identified as Ávila or Abla
Abla
-External links: - Diputación Provincial de Almería...
), Euphrasius to Iliturgis (a site near Andújar
Andújar
Andújar is a Spanish municipality of 38,539 people in the province of Jaén, in Andalusia. The municipality is divided by the Guadalquivir River. The northern part of the municipality is where the Natural Park of the Sierra de Andújar is situated. To the south are agricultural fields and...
), and Caecilius to Iliberri or Iliberis (Elvira/Granada
Granada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
).
The identification of these places is imprecise: other sources state that Carcere or Carcesi is not Cazorla but Cieza
Cieza, Murcia
Cieza is a town and municipality in Spain, in the autonomous community of Murcia. It is the capital of the Vega Alta comarca, an old form of provincial subdivision). Its current population is around 40,000...
, and that Urci is Torre de Villaricos, and Iliturgis is Cuevas de Lituergo. The only identification considered certain is that of Iliberis with Elvira, seat of the Synod of Elvira
Synod of Elvira
The Synod of Elvira was an ecclesiastical synod held in Elvira, now Granada, in what was then the Roman province of Hispania Baetica, which ranks among the more important provincial synods, for the breadth of its canons. Its date cannot be determined with exactness, but is believed to be in the...
, whose first bishop, according to the Glosas Emilianenses
Glosas Emilianenses
The Glosas Emilianenses are glosses written in a Latin codex. These marginalia are important as early examples of writing in Basque and a form of Spanish...
, was Caecilius.
Associations with Saint James the Great (Santiago)
Traditions attributed to them actions other say were carried out James the Great. An author of the ninth century linked this tradition of the Seven Apostolic Men with that of Saint James the GreatSaint James the Great
James, son of Zebedee was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was a son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of John the Apostle...
in a text known as Translatio S. Iacobi in Hispaniam. According to this text, seven disciples of James brought his body to the Roman province of Hispania
Hispania
Another theory holds that the name derives from Ezpanna, the Basque word for "border" or "edge", thus meaning the farthest area or place. Isidore of Sevilla considered Hispania derived from Hispalis....
after his martyrdom at Jerusalem. The seven disciples, pursued by a pagan king in Spain, hid in a fountain protected by a crypt; when the pagan soldiers entered the crypt, it collapsed, killing them all. A woman, named Luparia, converted to Christianity and had James’ body placed in a building previously dedicated to the Roman gods. This tradition also states that three of these disciples, Torquatus, Athanasius (a name that does not correspond to the usual list of names of these seven name), and Ctesiphon, were buried with James.
Veneration
There are statues of all seven saints, in addition one of Saint Peter, at the cathedral of Guadix.Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
, during his first trip to Spain in 1982, remarked that Spain “was conquered for the faith by the missionary zeal of the Seven Apostolic Men.”
Saint Euphrasius’ relics were taken to Santa María de Mao in the diocese of Lugo
Lugo
Lugo is a city in northwestern Spain, in the autonomous community of Galicia. It is the capital of the province of Lugo. The municipality had a population of 97,635 in 2010, which makes is the fourth most populated city in Galicia.-Population:...
.
Torquatus' relics
Torquatus' relics were rediscovered in the eighth century during the Moorish invasion of Spain, in a church built in his honor, near the LimiaLimia
Limia is a genus of livebearing freshwater fishes belonging to the cyprinodontiform family Poeciliidae, which includes other livebearers such as platys, swordtails , guppies and mollies...
River.
Torquatus' relics and those of Euphrasius were translated
Translation (relics)
In Christianity, the translation of relics is the removal of holy objects from one locality to another ; usually only the movement of the remains of the saint's body would be treated so formally, with secondary relics such as items of clothing treated with less ceremony...
to Galicia. Torquatus’ relics remained for a long time in the Visigothic church of Santa Comba de Bande.
In the 10th century, Torquatus' relics were translated to San Salvador de Celanova (in Celanova
Celanova
Celanova is a village and municipality located in the province of Orense, Galicia, Northern Spain. Situated near the border with Portugal, the village is bordered by Ramirás, Cartelle, A Merca, A Bola, Verea and Quintela de Leirado....
, Orense
Ourense (province)
Ourense is a province of northwestern Spain, in the southeastern part of the Autonomous Community of Galicia. It is bordered by the provinces of Pontevedra in the west, Lugo in the north, León and Zamora in the east, and by Portugal in the south. With an area of 7,278 square km it is the only...
) .
In 1592, the sepulcher was opened and part of Torquatus’ relics were distributed to Guadix, Compostela
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain.The city's Cathedral is the destination today, as it has been throughout history, of the important 9th century medieval pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James...
, and Orense, and also to El Escorial
El Escorial
The Royal Seat of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is a historical residence of the king of Spain, in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, about 45 kilometres northwest of the capital, Madrid, in Spain. It is one of the Spanish royal sites and functions as a monastery, royal palace, museum, and...
, and to the Jesuit college at Guadix, and in 1627, to Granada
Granada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
. The relics that remained in San Salvador de Celanova were placed in the main chapel of the church of the monastery, together with those of Saint Rudesind, the monastery’s founder.
The cathedral of Guadix conserves three relics associated with Saint Torquatus: his arm, his jawbone, and his calcaneus (this last relic is not on display).