Agapitus and Anastasius

This is part four in a series on Daniel Farleti’s Illyricum Sacrum: Volume 1.

Agapitus, also called Amabilis, is 15th on the list of Solanan bishops. He is remembered together with Anastasius, who was said to have converted to Christianity after witnessing Agapitus face persecution. Their lives are dated to the reign of emperor Aurelian in the late third century.

As recorded in the Martyrology of Ado:

In civitate Salona natalis Anastasii Martyris, qui cum videret B. Agapitum inter tormenta fortiter Christum consitentem, exclamavit, Magnus est Deus Christianorum, et non est alius preter eum.

Details of the life of Agapitus are unknown. Farlati believed that the acts of Venantius of Camerino were actually a combination of Agapitus’ life and a second Agapitus, from Palestrina. Venantius was said to be 15 years old, the same age as Agapitus of Palestrina. Just like the Solanan Agapitus, an Anastasius witnesses Venantius being persecuted and converts to Christianity.

As with Agapitus, little is known of Anastasius outside of the martyrologies. His name is mentioned among the relics that were received by the Abbott Martin and transferred to Rome in the 7th century.