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2. Imperante namque Diocletiano octies et Maximiano septies in urbe Roma, erat quidam vir, nomine Tranquillinus, nobili genere ortus, et habebat filium, nomine Ansanum, qui ab adolescentia sua Deo in omnibus servire studuit et ei placere desideravit. Hic igitur natus in predicta urbe cum esset inter scolares enutritus soli Domino Jesu Christo placere desiderans, et ei in omnibus cotidie prout valebat invitis parentibus clancule serviebat. Cum esset annorum XII occulte ad Ecclesiam confugit quaerens aliquem sacerdotem qui eum baptizaret. Erat autem ibi sacerdos quidam nomine Protasius, qui baptizabat omnes qui pro Christo baptizabantur. Cum vero se sopori dedisset, ecce circa mediam noctem angelus Domini advenit, habens coronam splendidam tanquam nix in manu sua, et tetigit eum dicens. [...] 3. Prostasi, exurge et vade ad secretarium ecclesiae et purifica eum, qui ex toto corde querit me. Haec audiens sanctus Protasius, evigilavit cum gaudio magno, gratia enim et sanctitate is tunc florebat, et cum celeritate abiit ad secretarium, et cum venisset ante hostium illius lux Dei caepit eum procedere, et factus est ibi odor aromatum omnium pretiosorum, et fons aquae inundans. Sanctus Dei Protasius celebravit ea, quae Dei sunt, qui cum baptizaret eum ibi quaedam mulier Maxima cristiana valde quae erat de territorio Olimphynato ipsa enim mater de baptismo effecta est, et caeperunt esse in spiritu et anima una unum agonem pro Domino tolerantes. Reversus namque beatissimus martir Ansanus ad domum patris sui, cotidie Domino Jesu Christo insciis parentibus famulabat.

(ed. Mansi 1764: 61)

2. Imperante namque Diocletiano septies in urbe Roma, erat quidam vir, nomine Tranquillinus, nobili genere ortus, et habebat filium, nomine Amsanum, qui ab adolescentia sua Deo in omnibus servire studuit et ei placere desideravit. Hic igitur natus in praedicta urbe, cum esset inter scholares enutritus, soli Domino Jesu Christo placere desiderans, et ei in omnibus quotidie prout valebat serviens, cum esset annorum duodecim, occulte ad ecclesiam fugit, quaerens aliquem sacerdotem qui eum baptizaret. Erat autem ibi sacerdos quidam, nomine Protasius, qui baptizabat omnes qui pro Christo patiebantur. Cum vero se sopori dedisset, ecce circa mediam noctem angelus Domini advenit, habens coronam splendidam tanquam nix in manu sua, et tetigit eum dicens: "Prostasi, surge et vade ad secretarium ecclesiae et purifica eum qui ex toto corde quaerit me." Haec audiens sanctus Protasius, evigilavit cum gaudio magno: gratia enim et sanctitate is tunc florebat; et cum celeritate abiit ad secretarium. Et cum venisset ante ostium illius, lux Dei coepit eum praecedere, et factus est ibi odor aromatum omnium pretiosorum, et fons aquae inundavit. Sanctus vero Dei Protasius celebravit ea quae Dei sunt. Qui cum baptizaret eum, erat ibi quaedam mulier Maxima, christiana valde, quae erat de territorio Anacritano. Ipsa ei mater de baptismo effecta est. Et coeperunt esse in spiritu et anima una, unum agonem pro Domino tolerantes. Reversus namque beatissimus martyr Christi Amsanus ad domum patris sui, quotidie Domino Jesu Christo insciis parentibus famulabatur.

(Catalogus Codicum Hagiographicum bibliothecae regiae Bruxellensis v. I.1 1886: 129)

2. In the consulship of Diocletian for the eighth time and Maximianus for the seventh [=AD 303], there was a man in the city of Rome named Tranquillinus. He was from a noble family and had a son named Ansanus who from his young years tried to serve God in everything and wished to please Him. He was born in the aforementioned city and although was still in school, he wanted to please only the Lord Jesus Christ and served Him secretly in everything against the will of his parents. When he was twelve, he escaped secretly to the church looking for a priest who could baptize him. There was a certain priest named Protasius who was baptizing all of those who were being baptized for Christ. He felt asleep and then in the middle of the night the angel of the Lord came to him holding a crown bright as snow in his hand. The angel touched him saying: 3. "Protasius, wake up and go the sacristy of the church and make pure the one who seeks me from all his heart". Having heard that Protasius woke up with great joy because the angel flourished with such a grace and sanctity. In great rush he went to the sacristy. And when he arrived to the door, the light of God preceded him and he felt a smell of all the precious aromas, and the [baptismal] font overflowed with water. Holy Protasius celebrated then the divine things. When he was baptizing him, there was a very pious woman named Maxima who was from the Olimphytan territory. She became his godmother, and from that moment they were of one heart and one spirit, and suffered the same affliction for the Lord. The blessed martyrs Amsanus returned to the house of his father, and having told nothing to his parents, he every day served the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. In the consulship of Diocletian for the seventh time [= AD 299], there was a man in the city of Rome named Tranquillinus. He was from a noble family and had a son named Amsanus who from his young years tried to serve God in everything and wished to please Him. He was born in the aforementioned city and although was still in school, he wanted to please only the Lord Jesus Christ and served Him in everything every day as far as he could. When he was twelve, he escaped secretly to the church looking for a priest who could baptize him. There was a certain priest named Protasius who was baptizing all of those who suffered for Christ. He felt asleep and then in the middle of the night the angel of the Lord came to him holding a crown bright as snow in his hand. The angel touched him saying: "Protasius, wake up and go the sacristy of the church and make pure the one who seeks me from all his heart". Having heard that Protasius woke up with great joy because the angel flourished with such a grace and sanctity. In great rush he went to the sacristy. And when he arrived to the door, the light of God preceded him and he felt a smell of all the precious aromas, and the [baptismal] font overflowed with water. Holy Protasius celebrated then the divine things. When he was baptizing him, there was a very pious woman named Maxima who was from the Anacritan territory. She became his godmother. And from that moment they were of one heart and one spirit, and suffered the same affliction for the Lord. The blessed martyrs Amsanus returned to the house of his father, and having told nothing to his parents, he every day served the Lord Jesus Christ.

(trans. M. Szada)

Place of event:

Region

Rome

City

Rome

About the source:

Title: Martyrdom of Ansanus and Maxima, Passio Ansani et Maximae, De ss. Ansano et Maxima, Martyrdom of Amsanus and Maxima, Passio Amsani et Maximae, De ss. Amsano et Maxima
Origin: Siena (Italy north of Rome with Corsica and Sardinia)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian

The Martyrdom of Ansanus and Maxima is one of the late Latin anonymous accounts of the martyrdoms that took place during the Diocletianic persecution. It is difficult to date. Dufourcq (1907: 215-219) proposed that it is a 7th-century work while Scorza Barcellona (1990) placed it in 7th or 8th century. Possibly it was written in Siena as the hagiographer focused mostly on Ansanus` travel north from Rome after the death of Maxima and his arrival to Siena. The text survived in few versions, the present one (BHL 515) seems to be the oldest one. Two modern editions cited in the record give slightly different variants of the text.

For a detailed discussion of the narrative see Pignot 2017.

Edition:

BHL 515: Mansi, J. D., Stephani Baluzii tutelensis miscellanea novo ordine digesta et non paucis ineditis monumentis opportunisque animadversionibus aucta, Tome IV, Lucca, 1764, 61-64

Catalogus codicum hagiographicorum latinorum bibliothecae regiae Bruxellensis, volume I.1, Brussels 1886, 129-132

Bibliography:

M. Pignot, Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity database E02867, 2017.

Categories:

Functions within the Church - Urban presbyter

PR824.

Described by a title - Sacerdos/ἱερεύς

PR824.

Ritual activity - Baptism and instructing catechumens

PR824.

Devotion - Supernatural experience

PR824.

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: M. Szada, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER1829, http://presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=1829