Contextul istoric al pătimirii sfinților martiri Hermes, Aggeus și Gaius din Dacia Ripensis
The historical context of the sufferings of Saints Martyrs Hermes, Aggeus and Gaius of Dacia Ripensis

Summary/Abstract: As a consequence of the laws of Diocletian, some Christians have been executed in Dacia Ripensis, in Ratiaria and in Bononia. It is assumed that they must have fallen victims to the edicts of AD 303-304. It is to be expected that the documented demonstrated aggressiveness and hyper-activeness of the local authorities was provoked by the few inspections visits of the Emperor Diocletian to the Lower Danube fortresses in AD 293/294/303/304. In this respect it is overtly argued that during the fierce prosecutions against the Christians in the Eastern provinces in the second half of the 3rd century many settled in the Lower Danube lands. According to the Hieronymian martyrology exorcist Hermes suffered a martyr's death on 31 December in Ratiaria, the capital city of Dacia Ripensis. At the same time, the brief Syriac calendar of martyrs associated him with Bononia on 30 December. It can be considered fully acceptable that Hermes was celebrated in two neighbouring towns as Ratiaria and Bononia, similarly to St. Dasius, who was likewise associated with two neighbouring towns along the Danube - Durostorum (Silistra) and Axiopolis (Cernavoda). On the basis of this analogy we can assume that St. Hermes suffered a martyr's death in Ratiaria on 30 December, while he was associated with Bononia as a result of the carrying of his relics to some of the churches in the town on 31 December. Again according to Hieronymus St. Gaius (Gagus) was celebrated in Bononia on the same date, 31 December. Again there the following was recorded in the beginning of January, 1 and 4, in oriente, civitate Bononia Hermetis, Aggei, Ga(g)i.

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