Ss. Chrysanthus and Daria

Chrysanthus and Daria are Roman martyrs whose names were preserved in ancient sacramentaries and in the martyrologies of both East and West. Butler places their Latin commemoration on October 25. Their burial on the Salarian Way and the honour paid at their tomb belong to the enduring record of their cult.

The fuller story says that Chrysanthus came from Alexandria and Daria from Athens, and that they agreed to live in continence after their marriage. It also describes their arrest, sufferings, and the conversions of others. Butler is explicit that the detailed acts available to him are not an authoritative basis for the biography. He records competing suggestions for the period of their martyrdom rather than establishing a secure year.

Their tomb was honoured by Pope Damasus, and later churches and monasteries received relics associated with them. Butler distinguishes some of these translations from those of their companions. The early and lasting veneration of the martyrs should therefore be kept separate from confidence in every episode of their later passion narrative.