Saint Symphorosa (Simforosa) (d. ca. 138 AD) is venerated as a Christian saint. According to tradition, she was martyred with her seven sons at Tibur (Tivoli) towards the end of the reign of Emperor Hadrian (117-138). Events February 25 - Roman emperor Hadrian adopted Antoninus Pius on condition that Antonius would adopt Marcus Annius Aurelius Verus. ... A Christian is a follower of Jesus of Nazareth, referred to as the Christ. ... In traditional Christian iconography, Saints are usually depicted as having halos. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Tivoli, the classical Tibur, is an ancient Italian town in Lazio, some 20 km from Rome, at the falls of the Aniene river, where it issues from the Sabine hills. ... Publius Aelius Traianus Hadrianus (January 24, 76–July 10, 138), known as Hadrian in English, was Roman emperor from 117–138, and a member of the gens Aelia. ...

The story of their martyrdom is told in an old Passio, the reliability of which is seriously questioned by many modern hagiologists. According to this Passio, Symphorosa was a lady living at Tibur, the widow of the tribune, St. Getulius, who had previously been martyred by Emperor Hadrian at Gabii, now Torri, a town of the Sabines. Tribune (from the Latin: tribunus; Greek form tribounos) was a title shared by several elected magistracies and other governmental and/or (para)military offices of the Roman Republic and Empire. ... Sabine (in Latin and in Italian, Sabina) is a sub-region of Latium, Italy, on the North-East of Rome toward Rieti. ...

When Hadrian had completed his costly palace at Tibur and began its dedication by offering sacrifices, he received the following response from the gods: "The widow Symphorosa and her sons torment us daily by invoking their God. If she and her sons offer sacrifice, we promise to give you all that you ask for."

When all the emperor's attempts to induce Symphorosa and her sons to sacrifice to the gods were unsuccessful, he ordered her to be brought to the Temple of Hercules, where, after various tortures, she was thrown into the river Anio, with a heavy rock fastened to her neck. Hercules and the Nemean Lion (detail), silver plate, 6th century BC (Cabinet des Médailles, Paris) Hercules is the Latin name used in Rome for the divinity corresponding to the Greek mythological hero Heracles (or Herakles), the Roman name being a metathesis of the Greek name. ... For other uses, see Torture (disambiguation). ... The Aniene River (in Latin: Anio, formerly called the Teverone) is a 98 km long river in Lazio, Italy. ...

Her brother Eugenius, who was a member of the council of Tibur, buried her in the outskirts of the city.

The next day the emperor summoned her seven sons, and being equally unsuccessful in his attempts to make them sacrifice to the gods, he ordered them to be tied to seven stakes which had been erected for the purpose round the Temple of Hercules. Their members were disjointed with windlasses. Look up Stake in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The penis (plural penises, penes) is an external male sexual organ. ... A windlass is an apparatus for moving a heavy weight. ...

Then, each of them suffered a different kind of martyrdom. Crescens was pierced through the throat, Julian through the breast, Nemesius through the heart, Primitivus was wounded at the navel, Justinus was pierced through the back, Stracteus (Stacteus, Estacteus) was wounded at the side, and Eugenius was cleft in two parts from top to bottom. Anatomy In anatomy, the throat is the part of the neck anterior to the vertebral column. ... A pregnant womans breasts. ... The heart and lungs, from an older edition of Grays Anatomy. ... For the plant of this name, see Umbilicus rupestris. ... The human back is the large posterior area of the human body, rising from the top of the buttocks to the back of the neck and the shoulders. ...

Their bodies were thrown into a deep ditch at a place which the pagan priests afterwards called Ad septem Biothanatos. (The Greek word biodanatos, or rather biaiodanatos, was employed for self-murderers and, by the pagans, applied to Christians who suffered martyrdom). Hereupon the persecution ceased for one year and six months, (during which period the bodies of the martyrs were buried on the Via Tiburtina, eight or nine miles from Rome. Ditches at the Ouse Washes nature reserve. ... Via Tiburtina, an ancient road of Italy, leading east northeast from Rome to Tibur, a distance of about 18 miles. ... Nickname: The Eternal City Motto: SPQR: Senatus PopulusQue Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC Mayor Walter Veltroni Area    - City 1,285 km²  (496. ...

Authenticity

It is difficult to ascertain how much reliability these Acts possess. The opinion that they were written by Julius Africanus (third century) has been almost universally rejected, since neither Eusebius nor any other historian of that period makes the least allusion to any Acts of Roman or Italian martyrs composed by this African writer. Sextus Julius Africanus, a Christian traveller and historian of the 3rd century, was probably born in Libya, and may have served under Septimius Severus against the Osrhoenians in AD 195. ... (2nd century - 3rd century - 4th century - other centuries) Events The Sassanid dynasty of Persia launches a war to reconquer lost lands in the Roman east. ... Eusebius is the name of several significant historical people: Pope Eusebius - Pope in AD 309 - 310. ...

The "Hieronymian Martyrology," which was compiled by an unknown author in the second half of the fifth century, commemorates St. Symphorosa and her sons on 18 July, but here the names of her sons are entirely different from those given in the Acts. One of the manuscripts (codex Bernensis) of this martyrology states that the Acts of these martyrs are extant: "quorum gesta habentur" ("Martyrologium Hieronymianum," edited by De Rossi and Duchesne in Acta SS. Novembris II, I, 93). July 18 is the 199th day (200th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 166 days remaining. ...

Since here the names of Symphorosa's sons are different from those of the Acts which we possess, there must have existed some other "Gesta" to which the author of the martyrology refers. In the same martyrology, on 27 June, are commemorated seven brother- martyrs, whose names are identical with those which our Acts assign to the sons of Symphorosa. It is probable that the author of the Acts, guided by the tradition that Symphorosa had seven sons who were martyred, made her the mother of the seven martyrs, whom he found mentioned in the martyrology on 27 June. If this is the case, we may infer, provided Symphorosa had seven sons at all, that their names were not those mentioned in the Acts. Whether they were those assigned to them in the "Hieronymian Martyrology" will also remain doubtful as long as we have no certainty that the "Gesta" to which the author refers are authentic. Paul Allard dealt with her story uncritically in his work. June 27 is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 187 days remaining. ...

Some hagiologists consider the seven sons of Symphorosa, like those of Felicitas of Rome a mere adaptation of the seven sons of the Maccabean Mother. In the seventeenth century, Bosio discovered the ruins of a basilica at the place popularly called "le sette fratte" (the seven brothers), on the Via Tiburtina, nine miles from Rome. (Bosio, "Roma Sotteranea," 105-9). The Maccabees were a Jewish family who fought against the rule of Antiochus IV Epiphanes of the Hellenistic Seleucid dynasty, who was succeeded by his infant son Antiochus V Eupator. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... Bosio is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 100 km southeast of Turin and about 35 km southeast of Alessandria. ... St. ...

The Acts and the "Hieronymian Martyrology" agree in designating this spot as the tomb of Symphorosa and her sons. Further discoveries, that leave no room for doubt that the basilica was built over their tomb, were made by Stevenson. The remains were transferred to the Church of Sant'Angelo in Pescheria at Rome by Pope Stephen II in 752. A sarcophagus was found here in 1610, bearing the inscription: Hic requiescunt corpora SS. Martyrum Simforosae, viri sui Zotici (Getulii) et Filiorum ejus a Stephano Papa translata. Stephen, elected pope in March of 752 to succeed Pope Zacharias, died of apoplexy three days later, before being consecrated. ... Events Pope Stephen II, pope for 3 days in March. ... Stone sarcophagus of Pharaoh Merenptah Detail of a stone sarcophagus in the Istanbul Archeological Museum showing a hunting scene Anthropoid sarcophagus discovered at Cádiz A sarcophagus is a stone container for a coffin or body. ... // Events January 7 - Galileo Galilei discovers the Galilean moons of Jupiter. ...

The Diocese of Tivoli honours them as patron saints and the whole Church celebrates their feast 18 July. In several forms of Christianity, a patron saint has special affinity for a trade or group. ... July 18 is the 199th day (200th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 166 days remaining. ...

There is a St Symphorosa Elementary School in Chicago, Illinois. Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 606. ...

External links

• Symphorosa at the Catholic Encyclopedia
• Catholic Culture: St. Symphorosa

This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia. The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language encyclopedia published in 1913 by The Encyclopedia Press. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language encyclopedia published in 1913 by The Encyclopedia Press. ...

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