Nazarius

Holy Martyr Nazarius was a martyr venerated at Milan, by tradition a soldier, born in Rome in the first century and killed at Milan. His commemoration is on 28 July, according to the Roman calendar; a Ukrainian source commemorates him on 14 October (27 October by the old calendar) together with his disciple Celsus and the twin martyrs Gervasius and Protasius. He is venerated chiefly by the Roman Catholic Church; we have no Orthodox act of canonization, so we call him a saint of the undivided Church in the West. Our record gives the years 1 and 56, the Ukrainian source the years 37 (?) and 76, which do not agree.

According to the story, he was the son of the Christian Perpetua and the Jew Africanus and was born in Rome, and was baptized by Bishop Linus. From youth he resolved to dedicate his life to preaching the teaching of Christ and helping persecuted Christians. For this he left Rome and came to Milan. Visiting the Christians in the prison of Mediolanum, he met there the twins Protasius and Gervasius. The twin brothers were born at Mediolanum into the family of rich Roman citizens, Vitalis and Valeria. Left orphans (their parents had been put to death for the Christian faith), the brothers distributed their property to the poor, freed their slaves and gave themselves to fasting and prayer. For the confession of Christ the pagans shut them in prison. Saint Nazarius grew fond of the twins and eased their sufferings as he could. For this the pagans beat him and expelled him from Mediolanum. He went to Gaul and preached Christianity successfully, converting many pagans.

In the city of Cimiez he baptized the son of a Christian woman, named Celsus, and, raising him, won for himself a faithful disciple and companion in missionary work. For preaching Christianity the pagans gave them to be torn by wild beasts, but the beasts did not touch the saints. Then they tried to drown them in the sea, but they walked on the water as on dry land. The soldiers carrying out the sentence were so astonished that they themselves accepted Christianity and let them go. Freed, Nazarius and Celsus returned to Mediolanum and visited the martyrs Gervasius and Protasius in prison. Nero learned of it and ordered the heads of Nazarius and Celsus cut off. Soon after, the brothers Gervasius and Protasius were also put to death.

Many years later, in the time of the emperor Theodosius (408 to 450), according to the story, Saint Ambrose, bishop of Milan, by a revelation from heaven, found the relics of the holy martyrs. The holy relics, which were glorified by many healings, were solemnly moved to the cathedral of Milan. The years do not fit together on their own: Ambrose lived in the fourth century, not in the time of Theodosius II.