Some African Confessors

Confessorum autem ingens et plurima multitudo, ex quibus multitudo, ex quibus aliquos narrare tentabo. Erant tunc servi cuiusdam Vandali: fuit autem hic Vandalus de illis, quos Millenarios vocant, Martinianus, Saturianus, et eorum duo germanii; erat et quaedam conserva eorum egregia Christi ancilla nomine Maxima, corpore simul et corde decora. Et quia Martinianus armifactor erat, et domino suo satis videbatur acceptus, et Maxima universae domui dominabatur, creditit Vandalus, ut fideles sibi magis memoratus faceret famulos, Martinianum Maximamque coniugali consortio sociare. Martinianus adolescentulorum saecularium more coniugium affectabat; Maximaque, iam Deo sacrata, humanas nuptials refutabat. At ubi ventum est ut cubiculi adirentur secreta silentia, et Martinianus nesciens fiducia quasi cum coniuge cuperet cubitare, viva voce ei memorata famula Christi respondit: Christo ego, o Martiniane frater, membra mei corporis dedicavi, nec possum humanum sortiri coniugium, habens iam coelestem et verum sponsum. Sed dabo consilium. Si velis, poteris et ipse tibi praestare, dum licet, ut cui ego concupivi nubere, delecteris et ipse servire. Ita factum est, Domino procurante, ut obediens Virgini etiam adolescens suam animam lucraretur. Nesciente igitur Vandalo spiritalis secreti commercium, compunctus atque mutatus Martinianus, etiam suis fratibus persuasit ut thesaurum quem invenerant haberent, ut pote germani, communem. Conversus itaque cum tribus fratribus suis, Dei quoque puella comitante, nocte clam egredientes, Tabraceno monasterio, cui praeerat tunc nobilis pastor Andreas, sociantur. Illa vero haud procul monasterium incoluit puellarum. Sciscitante igitur barbaro inquisitionibus et muneribus crebris, quod gestum erat celari non potuit. Inveniens itaque iam non sua, sed Christi mancipia, coniicit in vinculis, et variis tormentis Dei famulos insectatur; agens cum eis non tantum ut pariter miscerentur, sed, quod gravius est, per rebaptizationis coenum, fidei suae ornamenta turparent. Pervenit hoc ipsum usque ad notitiam Geserici regis, qui praecepit ut tandiu implacabilis herus servos affligeret, quanddiu illius succumberent voluntati. Iubet in modum ferarum fustes robustos veluit palmatos cum stirpibus fieri, qui quatientibus tergis non solum ossa confringerent, sed etiam tenebrantes aculei intrinsecus remanerent. Qui dum sanguis efflueret, et dissipatis carnibus viscera nudarentur, sequenti die, Christo medente, semper incolumes reddebantur. Hoc saepius ac multo factum est tempore et nulla plagarum vestigia videbantur, sancto Spiritu subinde curante. Post hoc arctantur maxime dura custodia, compedeque crudeli extenduntur, quibus eum Dei servorum visitantium non deesset frequentia videntibus cunctis ingentium lignorum putrescens soluta est fortitudo. Miraculum hoc et voce omnium celebratur, et nobis ille ad quem custodia pertinebat, cum sacramento testatus est ita fuisse. At ubi Vandalus virtutem neglexit cogoscere divinam, coepit in domo eius vindicatrix ira grassari. Moritur ipse simul et filii; familiae atque animalium, quaecunque optima erant, pariter intereunt. Remanens itaque domina vidua, marito, filiis, et substantia destituta, servos Christi cognato regis Srsaoni gratia muneris offert, Qui cum eos, utpote oblatus, cum gratulatione minia suscepisset, filios et domesticos eius sanctorum merito male coepit daemon variis motibus agitare. Ex ordine ille cognatus, ut gestum erat, suggerit regi. Dercenit statim rex cuidam gentili regi Maurorum cui nomen inerat Capsur, religandos debere transmitti. Maximam vero Christi famulam confusus et victus propriae voluntati dimisit; quae nunc superest virgo, mater multarum virginum Dei, nobis etiam nequaquam ignota. Victor Vitensis, Historia Persecutionis Africae Provinciae, Liber I Source: Migne PL 58.193b-195b

From the great multitude of the confessors, from such a multitude, I shall try to tell of a few. There were some slaves of a certain Vandal, one of those Vandals called the 'Millenari', named Martinianus, Saturianus, and their two brothers, and also a fellow female slave, a most excellent handmaid of Christ named Maxima, fair in both body and heart. And because Martinianus was a weapon maker and was well liked by his master and Maxima held office over the whole house, the Vandal believed that by marrying Martinianus and Maxima he would make them more faithful servants. Martinianus was a young man of worldly ways and wanted to marry, but Maxima, already consecrated to God, had spurned human nuptials. When it came about that they approached the private silence of the bedroom and Martinianus, not knowing, desired to lie with her as a husband, the aforementioned handmaid of Christ, with lively voice responded, 'To Christ, brother Martinianus, I have dedicated the members of my body and I cannot partake of human marriage, for I have a heavenly and true spouse. But I will give you some advice: if you wish, He can also stand over you, while it is allowed, so that He who I have desired to marry you might also delight to serve.' So it was that by the Lord's care the young man's soul was enriched by obedience to a maiden. With the Vandal being ignorant of the commerce of their spiritual secret, Martinianus, now changed and compunctious, persuaded his brothers that as they were brothers they should have in common the treasure he had discovered. Then the converted man, with his three brothers and with the young lady of God accompanying them, stole away by night, and they entered the monastery of Tabraca, which was then presided over by the noble shepherd Andreas, and the young lady entered a convent of maidens nearby. The barbarian began to investigate the matter and handed over many gifts, and so what had occurred could not be hidden.  Discovering that they were not his but belonged to Christ, he had them thrown into chains and inflicted various torments on them, acting so not so that they would be bound together, but, far worse, that through the filth of rebaptism they might sully the ornaments of their faith. The matter came to the notice of King Geiseric and he ordered that the implacable master should continue to afflict the slaves for as long as it took them to surrender to his will. He commanded that strong clubs shaped like palm fronds should be made, which when used in beating the back would not only break bones but the jagged edges would remain within. So blood flowed and torn flesh revealed the viscera, and yet on the following day, by the medicine of Christ, they were discovered healthy. This happened very often over a long time and no vestiges of wounds were to be seen, for the Holy Spirit instantly cured them. After this a harsh imprisonment was imposed and they were cruelly stretched out in shackles, and frequently visited by the servants of God all of them saw the heavy wood of the racks rotting away. This miracle was celebrated by every voice, and he who was responsible for their custody testified that it was so under oath. The Vandal refused to recognise the Divine power and vengeance began to prowl about his house. He and his children died at the same time, and also the finest among his servants and animals perished. The wife now widowed, destitute of husband and children and property, offered the servants of Christ to a relation of the king named Sersa. He happily took them, but then, by the merit of the saints, his sons and servants began to be troubled by the various acts of a demon. In his turn a relative of his reported the matter to the King and instantly he decided that they should be sent away into exile to Caspur the king of the Moors. Apart that is from Maxima, the handmaid of Christ, she who had confounded and conquered. He dimissed her to do as she wished, and even now the maiden lives, a mother to many maidens, and she is not unknown to us. Victor Vitensis, History of the Persecution of the African Province, Book 1