SPAIN
177
SPAIN
Apostles Paul and James came to the country, as well
as the Seven Apostolic Men (Torquatus, Ctesiphon,
Secundus, Indaleeius, Caecilius, Hesychius, and Eu-
phrasius) to whom the foundation of various churches
is attributed. Connected with the coming of St.
James is the verj' ancient tradition of Our Lady of the
Pilhir (la Virgen del Pilar) of Saragossa. Prudentius
says that there were mart>TS in Spain in every one of
the persecutions. Of uncertain date are the martyr-
doms of Sts. Facundus and Primitius in Galieia; of
St. Firminus and Sts. Marcellus and Nonia, with their
twelve children, in Leon ; of Sts. Acisclus and Victoria
at Cordova. Sts. Hemeterius and Celedonius suf-
ferc<l in the Decian persecution, as did Sts. Justa and
Rufina, St. Laurence, St. Fructuosus, St. Augurius,
and St. Eulogius. The most famous of Spanish mar-
tyrs, however, are those who suffered in the persecu-
tion of Diocletian, when Dacian was prefect; among
hordes, urged forward by the pressure of the Huns in
their rear, hurled themselves for the first time upon
the Pyrenean Peninsula — the Alani, a people of Scyth-
ian, or Tatar, race; the Vandals and Suevians, CJer-
manic races. The Alani were, for the most part,
quickly brought into subjection. The Vandals, after
establishing themselves in B;etica, to which they gave
the name of \'andalusia (Andalusia), passed on into
Africa, while the Visigoths hemmed in the Suevi in
Gahcia until the latter were completely brought un-
der control. These Visigoths, or \\'estern Goths, after
sacking Rome under the leadership of Alaric (410),
turned towards the Iberian Peninsula, with Ataulf for
their leader, and occupied the north-eastern portion,
which thereafter received the name of Gotha-landia
(Catalaunia, later Catalonia). Valia extended his
rule over most of the Peninsula, keeping the Suevians
shut up in Gahcia. Theodoret took part, with the
them were Sts. Cucufatis, Eulalia, and Severus,
Bishop of Barcelona, Sts. Fehx, Poncius, and Victor,
Narcissus, Bishop of Gerona, Engratia, Valerius,
Bishop of Saragossa, and his deacon, Vincentius,
Justus and Pastor of Alcald, Leocadia of Toledo, Eu-
laUa of Merida, Cyricus and Paula of Malaga, Vin-
centius, Sabina, and Cristeta of Talavera. During
this period, too, man}' councils were held in Spain, the
most important being those of Elvira (or lUiberis) and
of Saragossa, and the First Council of Toledo. At
that of Elvira (300) the Acts, which are still extant,
were signed by nineteen bishops, and, among other
things, the cehbacy of the clergy w;is insisted upon.
At the Council of Saragossa (380) Priscillianism was
condemned. The PrisciUianists abjured their heresy
at the Council of Toledo (400), where, also, the sym-
bol was pronounced with the Filiniiur. .\inong illus-
trious Spaniards of the period may be mentioned Pope
St. Damasus, the great Hosius, St. Pacianus, Bishop
of Barcelona, anil his son, Flavins Dexter, Juvencus,
and Pruilentius.
D. V isiijnihic S/Hiin. — WTicn the Ciermanic peoples invaded the pnninces of the Roman Empire, the XIV,— li
Romans and Franks, in the battle of ChSlons, where
Attila was routed. Euric (466), 'who put an end to the
last remnants of Roman power in the Peninsula, may
be considered the first monarch of Spain, though the
Suevians still maintained their independence in Ga-
hcia. Euric was also the first king to give written
laws to the Visigoths.
In the following reigns the Catholic kings of France assumed the role of protectors of the Hispano-Roman Catholics against the Arianism of the Visigoths, and in the wars which ensued ."Vlaric II and .\malric lost their Uves. Atanagild, having risen against King .'\gilas, called in the Byzantine Greeks and. in payment for the succour they gave him, ceded to them the maritime places of the .South-E.ast (.5.54). Leovigild restored the political unity of the Peninsula, subduing the Suevians, but the religious divisions of the country, reaching even the royal family, brought on a civil war. St. Hermengild. the king's son, putting himself at tlie head of the Catholics, was defeated and taken pris- oner, and suffered martyrdom for rejecting commun- ion with the .\rians. Recared, son of Leovigild and brother of St. Hermengild, added religious unity to
