Julius the Veteran
🗓️ May 27th
Julius, which is his family name, served as a legionary for 27 years in the Legio XI Claudia. After he was released to train new recruits as a veteran, he was recalled to service. When he mustered for his recall, he faced punishment for refusing to obey an imperial order to sacrifice to the Roman gods. He and Hesychius were preceded in martyrdom by Pasicrates and Valention, but more attention likely falls to Julius due to his time in service, and therefore, his high rank.
Mandatory Fun:
Butler’s Lives of the Saints, Vol. V (1866) - see below.
Stadler’s Heiligen-Lexikon (“Lexicon of Saints,” NLT 1868) - originally in German, see below.
Analecta Bolliandiana Vol. X (1891), pp.50-52 - short article in Latin.
Greenberg, My Share of God's Reward: Exploring the Roles and Formulations of the Afterlife in Early Christian Martyrdom, Reihe: Studies in Biblical Literature 121 (2009), pp. 195–198.
Vitae
BUTLER (1866):
This martyr was a veteran soldier, and was impeached by his officers for the Christian faith, before Maximus governor of the Lower Mœsia, which was afterward called Bulgaria. Pasicrates and Valention, both of the same regiment, had received the crown of martyrdom a little before. The judge employed caresses, promises, and threats; but Julius professed that to die for Christ, in order to live eternally with him, would be the accomplishment of all his desires. Whereupon he was condemned to lose his head, and led forth to the place of execution. As he went, Hesychius, a Christian soldier, who was also a prisoner, and suffered martyrdom a few days after him, said: “Go with courage, and run to the crown which the Lord hath promised; and remember me, who shall shortly follow you. Commend me to the servants of God, Pasicrates and Valention, who, by confessing the holy name of Jesus, are gone before us.” Julius, embracing Hesychius, said, “Dear brother, make haste to come to us; they whom you salute have already heard you.” Julius ☧ bound his eyes with a handkerchief, and presenting his neck to the executioner, said,—“Lord Jesus, for whose name I suffer death, vouchsafe to receive my soul in the number of thy saints.” His martyrdom happened on the 27th of May, two days after that of St. Pasicrates, about the year 302, in the reign of Dioclesian, at Durostoro on the Danube, in the second Mœsia. See his genuine acts in Ruinart, p. 615. Tillem. t. 5.
STADLER (1868):
S. Julius, (May 27), a soldier and martyr at Silistria (Dorostorum) on the Danube in Bulgaria (Moesia inferior), whose acts the Bollandists give according to a Marcus Welser codex obtained from Augsburg, while Ruinart gives them according to a in Rheim's found handwriting is somewhat more detailed. Essentially, both Latin manuscripts are the same, and according to them, St. Julius an old soldier who was secretly attached to Christ. But then he was publicly denounced as a Christian to President Maximus. We want to cite the brief judicial interrogation that follows as an example for other similar ones, here especially after the Bollandists. Maximus asked him: “What are you saying, Julius! is this true what they say about you? "Julius replied: "Yes, I am a Christian.” "What now? Do you not know the orders of kings to sacrifice to the gods?” “Yes, I know them; but I am a Christian and therefore cannot do what you want; for I must not deny my God, the living and true one.” "What difficulty is it then, to sprinkle incense and then go away? " "I cannot be unfaithful before God. I have now been honored for 26 years in earthly military service and have never been punished. I went to war seven times and I was not inferior to anyone in bravery. My superiors have never seen a fault in me, and how can you now believe that I, to whom I was loyal in less, now want to become unfaithful in greater?” "Julius! I see that you are a clever and good man; therefore sacrifice to the gods. Sin falls on me. If you give in to violence you have no sin. Then you can take your money and go home, and no one will bother you any more.” "Neither this Satan's money nor your false, deceptive teaching can deprive me of the light; because I cannot deny the eternal God. So condemn me as a Christian." "If you do not follow the kings and sacrifice, I will have your head cut off.” "You were right. I ask you to do what you have in mind and condemn me so that my wishes may be fulfilled." "If you do not change your mind, I will do what you ask." "I thank my God." Maximus thereupon pronounced: "Because Julius does not want to obey the orders of the kings, he is to be beheaded." When he was taken to the usual place of execution, everyone kissed him. Hesychius, who was also guarded. The latter said to Julius: “I beg you, fulfill your promise with joy and receive the crown which the Lord promises to his confessors. Remember me too; because I will follow you too. Greet me the servants of God Pasikrates and Valentio, who by a good confession have already made us the Lord." Julius kissed him and replied, "Brother, come soon. Your orders have already been heard by those whom you greet." Then he took his handkerchief, blindfolded his eyes, stretched his neck and said: "Lord Jesus Christ, for whose name I suffer this, honor you, my spirit with your saints to unite”, whereupon he received the fatal sword blow, namely according to Ruinart on May 27th. The year of his martyrdom is uncertain. After the mart. Rome. and otherwise he would have been executed under the emperor Alexander Severus; Others, however, place his death in the time of the emperors Diocletian and Maximian, which should be all the more probable since more than one "king" is being spoken of here. When in Mart. Rome. Mysia is mentioned, we have already mentioned above in S. Hesychius notices how this is sometimes confused with Moesia. - On this May 27th, a St. Martyr Julius venerated, whose body rests in the abbey there, and who is said to have suffered as a youth, although no one knows a time. It seems to have set its feast day on May 27th because of our St. Soldiers Julius, from whom this youth is in any case different. (V. 660).
