Baring-Gould’s sources: Ancient Roman Martyrology, attributed to Jerome, in which, however, he is called Armiger. The lesser Roman Martyrology has: — “At Aquileja, Hermagoras, B., disciple of S. Mark.” Ado, Usuardus, Wandelbert, Notker, &c. Modem Roman Martyrology. The Acts, of very late date, and by an unknown writer, are not trustworthy; they are probably based on floating traditions of slender value.] The apocryphal Acts of S. Hermagoras relate, that after the Resurrection of Our Lord, the Apostles drew Lives oj the Saints.
…lots into what parts of the world they were to go and preach the Word. SS. Peter and Paul went to Rome, taking with them S. Mark, the first disciple of S. Peter. Then, when they had tarried some while in Rome, S. Peter said to S. Mark, “ Arise ! why tarriest thou ? Go into the city called Aquileja, a province of Austria, 1 and there thou wilt find a youth named Alulf Ulfsson, 2 a leper. S. Mark took his staff, and went to Aquileja, and found the premature Lombard, and he healed him. Then his father, Ulf, and much people believed; and they asked for a pastor, so Mark chose out one named Hermagoras, “an elegant person," and took him with him to Rome, where he was ordained bishop by S. Peter, who put into his hands the pastoral staff and veil, and then sent him back to Aquileja, where he ordained priests. And S. Hermagoras was first bishop of all Italy, and he sent his missionaries preaching in all cities.
At this time, say the Acts, Nero was emperor, and Agrippa, nephew of Herod, was prefect of the city of Rome. 3 He sent Sebastus to be governor of Aquileja, to root out the Christian faith thence. When Sebastus came to Aquileja, Hermagoras was summoned before him, and tortured, and cast into prison. But at midnight there shone a bright light in the prison, and Pontianus, the jailor, rushing in, was dazzled, and believed; then he fell down and asked what he must do to be saved. And Hermagoras preached to him the Word, and baptized him that same night Then Pontianus ran forth into all the streets, crying, “Great is the God of Hermagoras I come and see the wonders He has wrought" So when a great 1 Aquileja is, however. In Friuli; the Acts do not say Istria but Austria, a mistake of a copyist. It did not come into the possession of the Dukes of Austria till late in the Middle Ages, and was wrested from them by the Venetians. *S\S’. Paulinus and Comp.
July m.] multitude was gathered together, he led them to the prison, and there they saw the wondrous light, and many believed, when they beheld how that Hermagoras was healed of all the wounds dealt him on the rack. And a certain man, named Gregory, brought his lunatic son to Hermagoras, and he cast the devil out of the boy, and the father believed, and he and his son were baptized. Then the governor sent an executioner by night into the prison to slay Hermagoras, and his archdeacon, Fortunatus, who was with him. And he struck off their heads. Relics of S. Hermagoras are at Aquileja, at S. Hermagor in the Gailthal, and an arm at Prague, given by Charles IV.
