Saints Chrysanthus and Daria
Chrysanthus ( ancient Greek Chrysanthos, Germanized also Chrysanth ) was a Christian martyr who died probably during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian around the year 304, according to other data already 283/284 under his predecessor Numerian or even whose father and predecessor, Carus ( Emperor of 282 to 283 ).
Life
Chrysanthus to have been the son of a Polemius or Polimius from Alexandria ( Egypt). After he had come with his father to Rome, he embraced the Christian faith. He met the vestal Daria, converted her and married her. By order of the prefect shall both of them have been arrested for their faith, but also converted the magistrate, his family and other people. Chrysanthus has now been imprisoned and tortured; Daria is forced into a brothel, however, have been protected by a lion. In a pit on the Via Salaria both said to have been then buried alive. The saint's legend by Chrysanthus as Daria died on October 25. Their common grave was then in the necropolis of Thrason at the Via Salaria Nuova.
Name Meaning
The ancient Greek name Chrysanthos ( Latinized to Chrysanthus ) is composed of Chrysos ( Ο χρυσος = gold ) and anthos ( Το ανθος = the blossom, flower); see also chrisánthemo ( χρυσάνθεμο ): chrysanthemum.
Worship
Already Pope Damasus I (in office 366-384 ), the grave was provided with an inscription. In the 7th century a church existed at both worship. The first known depiction of the saint's legend, dated at about 560, were found on the wall mosaics in the church of Saint Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna ( in the representation of a procession of Christian martyrs or martyrs ).
In the year 844 was the third abbot of Prüm, who later beatified Mark Ward, transfer by order of Emperor Lothar the abbot donated by Pope Sergius II on a visit to Rome bone - relics of the two martyrs to Prüm, 848 to his daughter monastery in the Eifel ( Münstereifel ). The Collegiate Church of Münstereifel from the 1100s was dedicated to St. Chrysanthus and Daria. Relics of the two martyrs are also present in other churches, as in St. Chrysanthus and Daria in Haan and a relic of St. Chrysanthus in Mönchengladbach.
Chrysanthus is image artistically usually depicted as a young martyr or a knight, both saints with the attributes of palm, lions, torches and ax.
The saint is invoked in rural areas, especially for the prevention of livestock diseases. Chrysanthus and Daria but are also patrons of the judges.
As a feast of two martyrs usually October 25 is in the Roman Catholic Church committed in the Orthodox churches March 19, but other data are preserved.
Artistic processing of Legend substance
The Spanish poet Pedro Calderón de la Barca wrote about the martyrs pair in the early 17th century, a spiritual drama entitled " Los dos amantes del cielo " ( The Two Lovers of Heaven ).