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Caritas, Martyr

Wace's Dictionary of Early Christian Biography

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Caritas. Charity with her virgin sisters, Faith and Hope, and their mother Wisdom, seem to have been the names of real martyrs. The names were very natural ones for Christians to give to their children. On the Aurelian Way, in the church of St. Pancras, lay Sophia with her three daughters: Sapientia, with her daughters Fides, Spes, and Charitas, as William of Malmesbury calls them; but the Latin names nowhere else occur in this order, the Greek names, when given in full, always do. Sophia, Pistis, Elpis, Agape, are said to have been a mother and daughters who suffered in September, and whose relics were transferred to the church of St. Silvester. On the other hand, Sapienta, Spes, Fides, Caritas, are said by Ado to have suffered Aug. 1, and were buried on the Appian Way, in the crypt of St. Caecilia. In. that crypt has been found the inscription, PISTE SPEI SORORI DULCISSIMAE FECIT. In the same place, if we rightly understand de Rossi, was found AGAPE QVE VXIT ANNIS VGINTI ET SEX IN PACE—Agape, who lived twenty-six years in peace. There is no statement of relationship in the notices of the tombs on the Appian Way. It appears probable that Ado has confounded the widely celebrated martyrs who are said to have suffered in September under Adrian, with the occupants of some Christian tombs in a crypt where there were many celebrations early in August. The Menology gives the ages of Faith, Hope, and Love as 12, 10, and 9. (De Rossi, Rom. Sott. i. 180–183, ii. 171 ff., pl. Leviticus 10; Bede, Mart. July 1, Bede, Mart. Auct. June 23; Usuard, Aug. 1; Menol. Basil. Sept. 16.)

[E.B.B.]