medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
On Sunday, August 8, 2010, at 7:06 am, George Ferzoco wrote (in response to Tom Izbicki):
> On the face of it, the Ancona Ciriaco isn't the Massa Marittima
> Ciriaco, as the former was supposed to be a local bishop, and the
> former was the deacon-martyr described in John's post.
The difference in their current feastdays doesn't argue for a cultic identity either. At Ancona Ciriaco is celebrated on 4. May, which would seem to make him as presently constructed a local variant of now-discredited-as-legendary C. of Jerusalem (see "saints of the day" for 4. May 2010: <http://tinyurl.com/28pa6qt>). His seemingly rather late Passio accommodates to the legend of C. of Jerusalem what probably had been a long-standing view of him as one of Ancona's early bishops (in 1017 remains said to be his were translated into that city's cathedral -- then dedicated to St. Lawrence -- along with relics believed to be those of Ancona's better attested early bishop St. Marcellinus). I don't think we know what his early medieval feastday may have been.
The Ciriaco of Massa Marittima seemingly is celebrated in the third week of March. A quick Google search for "Massa Marittima" AND "San Ciriaco" shows a civic feast held on different days (in different years, presumably, but some of these sites are not so specific), e.g. 13. March and 18. March. That accords very well with the 16. March commemoration in the pre-2001 Roman Martyrology of Cyriacus the (legendary) deacon (i.e. the C. of Cyriacus, Largus, and Smaragdus).
One has to remember too that Cyriacus is a common name in places either once Greek-speaking or at least formerly possessing a community of Greek-speakers (the latter category includes Ancona as well as Rome). There are not a few recorded saints bearing this name and there were probably others whose cults have been absorbed by those of better known homonyms.
Finally, given that the Latin-language equivalent of Greek _Kyriakos_ is _Dominicus_, it's an interesting coincidence that St. Dominic of Caleruega was called to Heaven on a feast of a St. Cyriacus.
Best again,
John Dillon
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