From The Lives of the Popes from the Time of our Saviour Jesus Christ to the Accession of Gregory VII. Written Originally in Latin by B. Platina, Native of Cremona, and translated into English (from an anonymous translation, first printed in 1685 by Sir Paul Rycaut), Edited by William Benham, Volume I, London: Griffith, Farran, Okeden & Welsh, [1888, undated in text]; pp. 64-65.
The Lives of the Popes,
BY
B. Platina
Volume I.
ST MARCELLUS.
A.D. 308-310.
MARCELLUS, a Roman, of the region called Via Lata, the son of Benedict, was in the chair from the time of Constantius and Galerius to Maxentius; for Diocletian and Maximian, having laid down their authority, Constantius and Galerius undertook the government and divided the provinces between them. Illyricum, Asia, and the East fell to the share of Galerius; but Constantius, being a person of very moderate desires, was contented with only Gallia and Spain, though Italy also was his by lot. Hereupon Galerius created two Cæsars, Maximinus, whom he made governor of the East, and Severus, to whom he intrusted Italy, he himself holding Illyricum, as apprehending that the most formidable enemies of the Roman State would attempt their passage that way. Constantius, a man of singular meekness and clemency, soon gained the universal love of the Gauls, and the rather for that now they had escaped the danger they had been in before from the craft of Diocletian, and the cruelty of Maximian. But in the thirteenth year of his reign, he died at York in England, and by general consent of all men was placed in the number of the gods.
Marcellus being intent upon the affairs of the Church, and having persuaded Priscilla, a Roman matron, to build at her own charge a cemetery in the Via Salaria, constituted twenty-five titles or parishes in the city of Rome for the more advantageous and convenient administration of baptism to those Gentiles who daily in great numbers were converted to the faith, having a regard likewise to the better provision which was thereby made for the sepultures of the martyrs. But Maxentius, understanding that Lucina, a Roman lady, had made the Church her heir, was so incensed thereat, that he banished her for a time, and, seizing Marcellus, endeavoured by menaces to prevail with him to lay aside his Episcopal dignity and renounce Christianity; but finding his commands despised and slighted by the good man, he ordered him to be confined to a stable, and made to look after the Emperor’s camels and horses. Yet this ignominious usage did not so discourage the good bishop, but that he kept constantly to stated times of prayer and fasting, and though he was now disabled 65 in person yet he neglected not by epistle to take due care for the regulating of the churches. But before he had been there nine months, his clergy by night rescued him from this loathsome restraint; whereupon Maxentius, being yet more enraged, secured him the second time, and condemned him to the same filthy drudgery again, the stench and nastiness of which at length occasioned his death. His body was buried by Lucina in the cemetery of Priscilla in the Via Salaria on the sixteenth of January. In time following when Christianity flourished, a church was built upon the ground where this stable stood, and dedicated to St Marcellus, which is to be seen at this day. We read, moreover, that Mauritius, together with his whole legion of Christian soldiers, suffered themselves to be tamely cut off near the river Rhone; to whom may be added Marcus, Sergius, Cosmas, Damianus, with multitudes more who were slain in all places. Marcellus being in the chair two years, six months, twenty-one days, at several Decembrian ordinations made twenty-six presbyters, two deacons, twenty-one bishops; and by his death the see was vacant twenty days.
Previous Pope: 30. St. Marcellinus. 31. St. Marcellus. Next Pope: 32. St. Eusebius.