The Presbyters Project

V. 1. Ea vero nocte per uisum commonitus est quidam presbyter, Sebastianus nomine, dixitque ad eum sanctus Iustus martyr: "Surge in hac hora et inuenies corpus meum in litore maris, foris ab aqua, uolutans in arena: recollige et sepeli me cum diligentia in occulto loco propter tyrannorum inlusionem.". 2. Qui consurgens beatissimus Sebastianus presbyter, nocte pergyrans per domos fidelium adnuntiauit eis corpus beatissimi sancti Iusti martyris. 3. Qui exeuntes omnes coeperunt quaerere per circuitum litoris maris. 4. Quem cum inuenissent, Domino gratias egerunt. 5. Colligentes uero corpus eius, cum aromatibus condientes, inuoluerunt eum in linteaminibus dignis et ualde pretiosis, et sepelierunt eum non longe ab eodem litore, ubi inuentum est sancti martyris corpus. 6. Vniuersi autem post sepulturam eius Domino gratias egerunt quod digni habiti sunt sanctum corpus beatissimi martyris Iusti reuelatum sibi gratulari. 7. Passus est autem beatissimus Iustus sub die quarto nonas Nouembris, regnante Domino nostro Iesu Christo, cui est honor et gloria, uirtus et potestas in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

(ed. Di Brazzano 2013: 345)

V. 1. The very same night, a certain presbyter, named Sebastianus had a vision. The holy martyr Justus said to him: "Raise in this hour and you will find my body at the seashore, not in water but lying in the sand. Pick me up and bury me in the secret place in order to deceive the tyrant." 2. The most blessed presbyter Sebastianus get up and went around the houses of the faithful, and proclaimed them [the news] about the body of the most blessed and holy martyr Justus. 3. They all left [their houses] and started to look around [for the body] at the seashore. 4. When they found it, they gave thanks to the Lord. 5. They took his body, embalmed it with spices, wrapped in the suitable and precious linens, and buried it not far from the shore where they found the body of the holy martyr. 6. After his burial, all gave thanks to the Lord because they were found worthy to rejoice at the revelation of the body of the holy and most blessed body of the martyr Justus. 7. The most blessed Justus was martyred on the fourth day before the Nones of November in the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom be honour and glory, power and domination for ever and ever. Amen.

(trans. M. Szada)

Place of event:

Region

Italy north of Rome with Corsica and Sardinia

City

Trieste

About the source:

Title: Martyrdom of Iustus of Trieste, Martyrdom of Justus of Trieste, Passio Iusti tergestini, Passio Justi tergestini
Origin: Trieste (Italy north of Rome with Corsica and Sardinia)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian

The Martyrdom of Justus of Trieste is an anonymous hagiographical account composed certainly before the 9th c. (the earliest manuscripts date from the 9th c., see Di Brazzano 2005 and 2013). Many scholars opt for the 6th-century dating (Di Brazzano 2013; Gryson 2007) but others, particularly on the basis on the borrowings from other martyrdoms, propose to postpone the dating to the 7th, 8th or even 9th century. For the detailed summary of the text, discussion and further reading see Pignot 2017.

Edition:

Di Brazzano, S. (ed.), Passio Iusti tergestini, in: Le passioni dei martiri aquileiensi e istriani, vol. II*, Roma 2013, 257-349 (with Italian translation)

Bibliography:

Di Brazzano, S., "Nuovi contributi per lo studio della tradizione manoscritta della Passio sancti Iusti martyris", in Cuscito, G., (ed.), San Giusto e la tradizione martiriale tergestina len XVII centenario del martirio di San Giusto e per il Giubileo d’oro sacerdotale di Mons. Eugenio Ravignani Vescovo di Trieste, Atti del convegno internazionale (Trieste, 11-12 novembre 2004), Trieste 2005, 83-110

M. Pignot, Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity, E02760, http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E00769

Categories:

Burial/Funerary inscription

PR901.

Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος

PR901.

Ritual activity - Burying the dead

PR901.

Reverenced by

PR901.

Devotion - Veneration of saints and relics

PR901.

Devotion - Supernatural experience

PR901.

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: M. Szada, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER1973, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=1973