Edistus

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Saint Edistus
Image of Saint Edistus on coat-of-arms for Sant'Oreste
Died ~60 AD, near present day site of Sant'Oreste
Venerated in Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church
Feast October 12
Attributes Young, clean-shaven soldier; palm of martyrdom; white flag with red cross
Patronage Sant'Oreste
Saints Portal

Saint Edistus (Italian: Sant'Edisto) (also known as Aristus, Orestes, Horestes) is venerated as a martyr and saint by the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. His legend states that he was martyred on the Via Laurentina and his passio places his martyrdom, unreliably, during the reign of Nero, on October 12, 60 AD.[1]

His companions are named as Thermantia (Termanzia), Christina, his servant Victoria, and the priest Priscus.[2]

Contents

[edit] Veneration

During the papacy of Gregory the Great, there existed at San Paolo fuori le Mura a monastery dedicated to Edistus. In the seventh century, his relics, as well as those belonging to Christina and Victoria, were still venerated there. The sepulcher of Edistus was located at the sixteenth milestone of the Via Ardeatina. A church in honor of him existed there, which was restored during the papacy of Adrian I (772-795). There also existed a papal estate (domusculta) there called Sancti Edisti.[3][4]

He is patron of an old church on the Monte Soratte, near which a town, Sant'Oreste, is named after him. The first mention of Sant’Oreste is made by Benedict of Soratte (Benedetto del Soratte) in his Chronicon in 747 AD, in which he mentions Curtis Sancii Heristi.[5] One source states that the toponym derives from the family of the Aristi or Edisti. A member of this family was martyred for his faith around 68 AD. Linguistic corruptions transformed the name from Sanctus Edistus to Sanctus Heristus, Santo Resto, San Tresto, Sant'Oreste. [6]

[edit] Legend

Mount Soratte seen from Via Flaminia.
Mount Soratte seen from Via Flaminia.

According to the legendary account of his martyrdom, he was a soldier who had been christened by Saint Peter. At a site called Laurento, a sandpit (arenario), Edistus participated in a mass at which Priscus was officiating. Thermantia, Christina, and the servant Victoria were present. When they were discovered by the authorities, they were buried alive in the same sandpit, with the exception of Victoria, who managed to escape, but who was later killed in a nearby forest.[7][8]

A church and village grew on the site of sandpit. This was the curtis Sancti Heristi, The village later moved to the slopes of Mount Soratte for better defense against raiders. This became the Castrum Sancti Heristi, later Sant'Oreste. The Romanesque church of Sant'Edisto still exists.[9][10]

[edit] Orestes of Cappadocia

There was another Orestes who was martyred at Cappadocia during the reign of Diocletian. St Orestes confessed himself a Christian and stood trial for this "crime." He was sentenced to be stretched out upon a red-hot iron bed, and became frightened when he approached it. Encouraged by St Eustratius, he made the Sign of the Cross and got onto the heated bed, where he surrendered his soul to God. Saint Orestes was one of the Five Companions who suffered for Christ under the emperor Diocletian (284-305).St Eustratius was a Roman general in the city of Satalios, Eugene was one of his comrades in arms and Orestes likewise a respected soldier. Auxentius was a priest and Mardarius a simple citizen who came, like Eustratius, from the town of Aravraca. The imperial governors, Lysias and Agricola, tortured Auxentius first as he was a priest. Beholding the innocent suffering of the Christians, Eustratius presented himself before Lycias and declared that he also was a Christian. While Eustratius was being tortured, Eugene stood up before the judge and cried out: 'I am a Christian too, Lycias!' When they were driving Eustratius and the other martyrs through the town, Mardarius saw them from the roof of his house, and he took leave of his wife and two frail daughters and hastened after them, shouting into the faces of their tormentors: 'I am a Christian too, like the Lord Eustratius!' Orestes was a young and handsome soldier, who stood head and shoulders above all the other soldiers. One day, when he was at target practice in Lycias's presence, the Cross he was wearing fell from his breast, and Lycias realised that he was a Christian. Orestes openly confessed his faith, and was martyred with the others. Auxentius was beheaded, Eugene and Mardarius died under torture, Orestes was exposed on a red-hot iron grid and Eustratius died in a flaming furnace. St Blaise (see Feb. 11th) gave Communion to St Eustratius in prison before his death. Their relics were later taken to Constantinople, and are preserved in the church dedicated to them -The Holy Five Companions. They were seen alive in that church, and St Orestes appeared to St Dimitri of Rostov (see Oct. 28th). A beautiful prayer by St Eustratius is extant, which is read at the Midnight Service on Saturdays: 'I glorify Thy majesty, O Lord for Thou hast regarded my lowliness and hast not shut me up in the hands of my enemies, but hast saved my soul from want...'

His feast day is November 9.[11]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ EDISTUS (Aristus, Orestes, Horestes)
  2. ^ EDISTUS (Aristus, Orestes, Horestes)
  3. ^ EDISTUS (Aristus, Orestes, Horestes)
  4. ^ sant'edisto - un patrono che viene da lontano
  5. ^ Comune di Sant'Oreste
  6. ^ Comune di Sant'Oreste
  7. ^ EDISTUS (Aristus, Orestes, Horestes)
  8. ^ http://www.prolocosantoreste.com/edisto.htm. Monte Soratte is characterized by the so-called Meri, pits which can be up to 115 m-deep.
  9. ^ EDISTUS (Aristus, Orestes, Horestes)
  10. ^ sant'edisto - un patrono che viene da lontano
  11. ^ Patron Saints Index: Saint Orestes

[edit] External links