Martyrs of Africa

The collective name given to the martyrs who died for the faith in Africa Latina, the northwestern region of Africa. The martyrs vary according to year and feast day.

(date unknown) Two hundred and twenty mar­tyrs of Africa of whose martyrdoms no details are extant. Feastday: October 16 (date unknown) + A group of martyrs, numbering from one hundred to two hundred; no details of their deaths have survived. Feastday: October 30 (date unknown) + A group, called the Martyres Massylitani, put to death at Masyla in North Africa. The fourth-century Latin poet Prudentius wrote a hymn in their honor. Feastday: April 9 (d.c. 210) + Christians of both sexes who died in the persecution under Emperor Septimius Severus. They were burned at the stake. Feastday: January 6 (d.c. 303) + Martyrs called the “Guardians of the Holy Scriptures.” These Christians refused to turn over the sacred Christian books to the authorities to be burned. Several “Guardians” groups were martyred. St. Augustine had high praise for those in Nicomedia. Feastday: February 11 (d. 459) + Large group martyred by the Arian heretical king Geiseric of the Vandals. He had them slain at a celebration of the Eucharist on Easter Sunday. A lector was shot by an arrow through the throat while chanting the Alleluia verse. Feastday: April 5 (d. 482) + Women martyrs put to death by the Vandal king Hunneric for refusing to accept Arian Christianity. Feastday: December 16