Martyrdom of Irenaeus of Sirmium in the 10th-century Codex Suprasliensis
Martyrdom of Irenaeus of Sirmium in the 10th-century Codex Suprasliensis

Summary/Abstract: The cult of the early Christian martyr and saint Irenaeus of Sirmium, who suffered during Diocletian’s persecutions of Christians in 304 CE, have been attested through archeological and epigraphic testimonies to have existed in Sirmium from 4th – 6th centuries CE. The cult has ceased to exist after the Avar invasions in the region. However, the appearance of the Martyrdom of Irenaeus of Sirmium in the Codex Suprasliensis from the late 10th century, copied in the Preslav literary school, enlivened the conviction of some scholars that the narrative earned its place in the collection due to the agency of Irenaeus’ local cult. Needless to say, the First Bulgarian Empire wielded their territorial pretensions over Sirmium during the 10th century. This article discusses the links between the potential Irenaeus’ cult in Sirmium and the appearance of the narrative about his martyrdom in the Codex Suprasliensis. The juxtaposition of all the available sources demonstrated significant discrepancy and temporal chasm among them. I argue in this article that it was not the local cult that installed Irenaeus in this collection, but his presence in the earlier type of the calendar for March, on the basis of which the Codex Suprasliensis has been aligned.

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