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December 298 A.D. Cassian
and Marcellus Beheaded for Their Bold Stand
A quick word from Joel Osteen.
And now, back to our story.
Graves, Dan. “Cassian and
Marcellus Beheaded for Their Bold Stand.” Christianity.com. Jul 2007.
http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1-300/cassian-and-marcellus-beheaded-for-their-bold-stand-11629631.html?utm_source=nextArticleBox&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=next-article-box. Accessed 4 Jun 2014.
The merry-making was at its height that July, 298.
The troops in North Africa celebrated Emperor Maximian's birthday with feasting
and drinking. As usual, there were sacrifices to the emperor, who was ranked
with the gods.
But not everyone was in a party
mood. Marcellus, a centurion (officer over a hundred men) surveyed the scene
with disgust. He had reached a crisis. As a convert to Christianity, he knew that Maximian, however powerful, was a mere man. Christ alone
could be ruler of his heart.
Abruptly, he stood. In front of
all the men, he removed his military belt and threw it down. "I serve
Jesus Christ the Eternal King," he said loudly. He also flung down his
vine-switch, the insignia of his rank. "Henceforward I cease to serve your
Emperors, and I scorn to worship your gods of wood and stone, which are deaf
and dumb idols. If such be the terms of service that men are forced to offer
sacrifice to gods and Emperors, behold I cast away my vine-switch and belt, I
renounce the standards, and refuse to serve."
Astonished, his fellow soldiers
seized him. To their ears, Marcellus' words were not only blasphemy but
insubordination and treachery. They dragged him before the local governor,
Anastasius Fortunatus. "Throw him into prison," said Fortunatus.
After the feast was over, he
called Marcellus out. "What did you mean by removing your military gear in
violation of military discipline and throwing away your belt and
vine-switch?"
Marcellus replied boldly.
"...I made answer openly and in a loud voice that I was a Christian and
that I could not serve under this allegiance, but only under the allegiance of
Jesus Christ the Son of God the Father Almighty."
Fortunatus said he could not
pass over this insubordinate conduct. He would report the matter to higher
authorities. That is how Marcellus found himself in Tangier (now a city of
Morocco), on October 30th, standing before Aurelius Agricolan. Agricolan heard
the evidence. "What madness possessed you to cast away the signs of your
allegiance, and to speak as you did?" asked Agricolan.
Marcellus answered: "There
is no madness in those who fear the Lord."
After more arguments and threats,
Agricolan dictated this sentence: "Marcellus, who held the rank of
centurion of the first class, having admitted that he has degraded himself by
openly throwing off his allegiance, and having besides put on record, as
appears in the official report of the governor, other insane expressions, it is
our pleasure that he be put to death by the sword."
According to ancient tradition,
based on an appendix attached to Marcellus' court records, the man taking the
dictation was the stenographer, Cassian. The verdict seemed so unfair to him,
that he threw down his pen with an exclamation and refused to write another
word. Agricolan ordered him thrown into prison, too. On this day, December
3, 298, Cassian followed Marcellus to death, beheaded for
his bold stand.
Bibliography:
1. Fremantle, Anne, ed. A Treasury of Early Christianity. New
York: Viking Press, 1953.
2. "Marcellus and Cassian." http://www.cin.org/marcentu.html
3. "Marcellus of Tangier."
http://users.erols.com/saintpat/ss/1030.htm
4. Petrides, S. "Tingis." Catholic Encyclopedia. New York:
Robert Appleton, 1914.
Last updated June,
2007
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