Nazarius and Companions, SAINTS. In the Roman Martyrology and that of Bede for June 12 mention is made of four Roman martyrs, Basilides, Cyrinus, Nabor, and Nazarius, who suffered death under Diocletian. Their names were taken from the “Martyrologium Hieronyanum”, in the Berne MS. of which (ed. De Rossi-Duschesne, Acta SS., November II 177]) we read: Romae, via Aurelia miliario V, Basiledis, Tribuli, Nagesi, Magdaletis, Zabini, Aureli, Cirini, Nabori, Nazari, Donatellae, Secundae. The second name in the list, Tribulus, is derived from a place-name, Tripoli, as is evident from the Echternach MS., and those following it have also an African origin. In an ancient itinerary to the graves of the Roman martyrs (De Rossi, “Roma Sotterranea”, I, 183) mention is made of a mortuary chapel of a martyr Basilides on the Via Aurelia; he is another Roman saint whose feast is on June 10. The group of three Roman saints, Cyrinus, Nabor, Nazarius, to which was added later Basilides, has in the “Sacramentarium Gelasianum” (ed. Wilson, Oxford, 1894, 174-5) its special form of invocation in the Canon of the Mass. The date and the circumstances of the deaths of these Roman martyrs are unknown. The bones of Saint Nazarius and Nabor were transferred by Bishop Chrodegang of Metz to his diocese (Mon. Germ. Hist., Script., II, 268).
J. P. KIRSCH