Baring-Gould’s sources: Greek Menaea and Roman Martyrology; by the Greeks on April a8th* The forger of the pseudo Dexter (under date 290), Higuera inserted these martyrs as suffering in Spain, on the strength of which Tamajus Salazar inserted them in his Spanish Martyrology. Authorities: — The Greek Acts, which are genuine.] In the second year of the joint rule of Diocletian and Maximian, Tarquinius and Gabinus were proconsuls in Bulgaria. A decree having gone forth against the Christians, three men, Maximus, Quintilian, and Dada, were denounced to him as refusing to join in idolatrous worship. He immediately sent for them to Dorostolum or Silistria, on the Danube. The questioning was as follows, literally translated: — Tarquinius, — “Are these the fellows who have despised our mandate and follow their own religious caprices ?” Then turning to them he asked, “ In the first place, give your names.”

Maximus, — “I, according to the faith of Christ, am called a Christian, as are these my brothers; but according to men, am called Maximus.”

Tarquinius, — “ Thou hast answered as becomes a priest serving some others chan the gods. And this man who follows thee, and opposes me in this matter, what is his name?”

The second replied “lam Dadas. We are all one with our brother, who answered first” Tarquinius, — “ And the third yonder V Quintilian, — “ I am called Quintilian, and am a Christian.”

Then Magnilian the notary having taken down their words, the proconsul Gabinus said, “ Hast thou got all their names ?” Magnilian the notary replied, “If thy power orders, I will read the text” Gabinus the proconsul said, “Read then.” Then Magnilian the notary read out, “These are the names we have taken down, Maximus, Dadas, and Quintilian.” Then said the governor Tarquinius, “Now, sirs, you are in our hands. If you want to live, go along and sacrifice to the mother of the gods, and be their priests; and know that if one of their priests dies who honours their mother, he is taken to the heavenly king, the great Jove, to minister to him.” S. Maximus answered, “Most wicked and impudent man, dost thou not shrink from calling an adulterer such as Jove by the name of God, and call him the heavenly king? Know, mad ones ! that Christ is our heavenly king, foreseeing all, and holding all things in His hand. Be well assured that we will not obey thy damnable mandate, for we adore the God of heaven, the work of whose hands are we.”

Gabinus, the pro-consul, calling to him Dadas and Quintilian, endeavoured by persuasion to bend them to compliance. But Dadas and Quintilian said to him, “ We agree with all that our brother Maximus says, for he is a reader of the Catholic Church, and understands well the Holy Scriptures, and knows just what we ought to do.” They were then re-conducted to prison, where they dreamt that an angel came and told them that they were to die for Christ Next day they were recalled before the proconsuls. Then said Gabinus, “Now you are here again, go and sacrifice to the gods, and we will do you no little honour, if you comply, and avoid the death prepared for you. Our gods appeared to us last night to urge this.” The martyrs replied, “And our God deigned to reveal Himself to us in sleep and tell us that we must suffer for him.”

6 ". Hertnenigild. Then Tarquinius said to Gabinus, “Unless these fellows are tortured, it will be impossible to persuade them.” Gabinus said, “ If they will choose death, the guilt be on their shoulders.” Then they ordered the ministers to tie them on the ground and beat them. The servants did so. Then Tarquinius said, “ question them and see if they will yield before we proceed to extremities.” But the martyrs replied with one voice, “ We are strengthened by God, and despise your torments, we will not listen to your counsel, nor sacrifice to your gods.” So Tarquin the proconsul said, “If they will not obey, send them back to prison; for it is dinner time.” When the proconsuls returned from dinner, at the seventh hour, they again endeavoured to persuade the three brothers to yield, and when they were unable to carry their point, they reluctantly condemned them to lose their heads; a sentence which was carried into execution at their own village of Ozobia* on the 28th of April 1