Nazarius and Celsus
{{Short description|Child martyrs}}
{{Other uses|Nazarius (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox saint
|honorific_prefix= Saints
|name= Nazarius and Celsus
|birth_date=
|death_date=
|feast_day= 28 July
|venerated_in= Catholic Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
|image= Abbazia San Nazzaro (NO) Affresco Chiesa Nazario.jpg
|imagesize= 250px
|caption= Giovanni Antonio Merli, Saint Nazarius on a horse, 1480. St. Nazarius and Celsus Abbey, San Nazzaro Sesia.
|birth_place= Rome (Nazarius); Gaul (Celsus)
|death_place=Milan
|titles=Martyrs
|beatified_date=
|beatified_place=
|beatified_by=
|canonized_date=
|canonized_place=
|canonized_by=
|attributes=depicted as a man and boy walking on the sea{{Cite web |url=http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0728.shtml#naza |title=Archived copy |access-date=2012-03-04 |archive-date=2015-07-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150711145829/http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0728.shtml#naza |url-status=dead }}
|patronage=
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}}
Nazarius and Celsus ({{langx|it|San NazaroAlso Nazzaro, Nazario e San Celso;}} German: Nazarius) were two martyrs of whom little is known beyond the discovery of their bodies by Ambrose of Milan.
According to Paulinus the Deacon's Vita Ambrosii, Ambrose, at some time within the last three years of his life, after the death of the Emperor Theodosius (d. 395), discovered in a garden outside the walls of Milan the body of Nazarius, with severed head. Nazarius's blood was reportedly still liquid and red when his body was exhumed by Ambrose. Ambrose had it carried to the Basilica of the Apostles. In the same garden Ambrose likewise discovered the body of Celsus, which he had transported to the same place. The Catholic Encyclopedia states: "Obviously a tradition regarding these martyrs was extant in the Christian community of Milan which led to the finding of the two bodies."[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10728a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), "Sts. Nazarius and Celsus"] Retrieved 2012-03-04.
Legend
Nazarius was a citizen of Rome whose father was Jewish{{cite web |url=http://www.roca.org/OA/53-54/53f.htm |title=Four Martyrs of Milan - Nazarius, Gervasius, Protasius and Celsus |publisher=Roca.org |date= |accessdate=2014-05-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924091654/http://www.roca.org/OA/53-54/53f.htm |archive-date=2015-09-24 |url-status=dead }} or pagan. His mother was Perpetua.[https://web.archive.org/web/20021104005243/http://magnificat.ca/cal/engl/07-28.htm Lives of the Saints, July 28, Saints Nazarius and Celsus] Nazarius was a student of the apostle Peter and was baptized by Pope Linus. During the persecutions of Nero, Nazarius fled Rome and preached in Lombardy, visiting Piacenza and Milan, where he met the brothers Gervase and Protase, who had been imprisoned and who inspired Nazarius by their example.{{cite web|url=http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/64650 |title=Santi Nazario e Celso |publisher=Santiebeati.it |date=2001-02-01 |accessdate=2014-05-01}}
Nazarius was whipped and condemned to exile by the authorities. He traveled to Gaul, where a young boy of nine, Celsus, was entrusted to his care after the boy's mother asked Nazarius to teach and baptize her son. Nazarius raised him as a Christian. The two were arrested, tortured, and imprisoned for their faith. They were released on condition they would not preach at this place any longer. They preached in the Alps and built a chapel at Embrun, and then continued on to Geneva, and then Trier. They preached in Trier, and converted many to Christianity, and they were imprisoned once again there. Celsus was entrusted to the care of a pagan lady, who attempted to make him abjure his faith. Celsus refused, and was eventually returned to Nazarius.
File:Legendari di sancti istoriado uulgar, 1497 – (Nazario e Celso) - BEIC IE4411197.jpg (1497)]]
An additional legend that describes their time at Trier states that they were tried by Nero there, who ordered the two to be drowned. Nazarius and Celsus were taken in a ship and thrown overboard, but a storm suddenly arose, frightening the sailors. The sailors pulled the two back on board.
Nazarius and Celsus left Trier and reached Genoa, and then returned to Milan, and were arrested again. They refused to sacrifice to the Roman gods, and were beheaded.
Historicity
Image:Tizian 005.jpg. The kneeling figure is a donor named Altobello Averoldi.]]
This legend, written much later, is without historical foundation and places the martyrdom of Nazarus and Celsus during the persecution of Nero, and describes with many details the supposed journeyings of Nazarius through Gaul and Italy. However, Paulinus says distinctly that the date on which Nazarius suffered martyrdom is unknown. Gregory of Tours{{cite book|author=Saint Gregory (Bishop of Tours)|editor=Raymond Van Dam, tr.|title=Glory of the Martyrs|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YDMPv5F_ILoC&pg=PA70|year=1988|publisher=Liverpool University Press|location=Liverpool|isbn=978-0-85323-236-0|pages=69–70}} states that they were martyred at Embrun.
Veneration
The discourse eulogizing the two saints which has been attributed to Ambrose (Sermo lv, in Patrologia Latina, XVII, 715 sqq.) is not genuine, according to some critics.
Ambrose sent some of Nazarius and Celsus's relics to Paulinus of Nola, who placed them in honor at Nola. Paulinus of Nola speaks in praise of Nazarius in his Poema xxvii (Patrologia Latina, LXI, 658). A magnificent silver reliquary with interesting figures, dating from the 4th century, was found in the church of San Nazaro Maggiore in Milan (Venturi, "Storia dell' arte italiana", I, Milan, 1901, fig. 445–49). The Milanese church of San Celso is dedicated to Celsus. There is a sanctuary dedicated to Nazarius at Monte Gargano.
Camillo Procaccini painted his Martirio dei santi Nazaro e Celso around 1629.[http://www.museodiocesano.it/catalogo.asp?sez=2&link=7&Tipo=9 Museo Diocesano di Milano] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080220093250/http://www.museodiocesano.it/catalogo.asp?sez=2&link=7&Tipo=9 |date=February 20, 2008 }}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Catholic|title=Sts. Nazarius and Celsus}}
Books
- {{cite book|title=Bibliotheca hagiographica latina antiquae et mediae aetatis|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i5A3AQAAMAAJ&pg=PT197|volume=II (K-Z)|year=1900|publisher=Société de Bollandistes|location=Bruxelles|language=Latin|pages=881–882}}
- {{cite book|author=Jacobus (de Voragine, abp. of Genoa.)|editor=Graesse, Th.|title=Jacobi a Voragine Legenda aurea, vulgo Historia Lombardica dicta|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LcUUAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA354|volume=Second |year=1801 |publisher=Arnold |location=Leipzig |language=Latin |pages=439–442}}
- {{cite book|author=Jacobus de Voragine |translator=William Granger Ryan |title=The Golden Legend: Readings on the Saints |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GNWZgIL5ZCoC |year=2012 |publisher=Princeton University Press |location=Princeton |isbn=978-0-691-15407-7 |pages=404–407}}
- {{cite book|author=Jacobus de Vorágine |translator=W. G. Ryan |title=The Golden Legend: Readings on the Saints|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iqHPHTKTyKIC|volume=II|year=1995|publisher=Princeton University Press|location=Princeton NJ USA|isbn=0-691-00154-5|pages=18–21}}
- {{cite book|last=Pinio|first=Joannes|title=Acta sanctorum quotquot toto orbe coluntur. Julii|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h6FOAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA516|volume=Tomus 6. Dies XXV-XXVIII.|year=1868|publisher=V. Palmé|location=Paris|language=Latin|pages=503–533}}
External links
- {{in lang|it}} [http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/64650 Santi Nazario e Celso]
{{authority control}}
Category:Ante-Nicene Christian martyrs
Category:Christian child saints
Category:Saints from Roman Italy
Category:Year of birth unknown
Category:Year of death unknown