is commemorated by the Roman Catholic Church on December 14. See Gallia Christiana nova, tom. ix ; Flodoard, Historia Ecclesim Remensis ; Dom jNIarlot, Me- tropolis Remensis histoi-ia ; Fiscpiet, France pontijlcale ; Breviaires de Paris ei de Rheims. — Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, xxxvii, 914; Clement, Hand-look of Legen- dary and Mythol. A rt, p. 233.
Nicander and Marcian, two Christian martyrs of the 4th century. Both were Roman military (illiccrs of great ability, and great efforts were made to induce them to renounce Christianity, but in vain. Crowds of people attended their execution. The wife of Nicander, being herself a Christian, encouraged her husband to suffer patiently for Christ; but the wife of Marcian, be- ing a pagan, entreated her husband to save his life for the sake of her and of his child. Marcian embraced her and her babe, gently reproving her idolatry and un- belief; and then, together with Nicander, who also in the most affectionate manner had taken leave of his Christian wife, submitted jo3'fully to the fatal stroke, which conferred on them the crown of martyrdom, A.D. 306.— Fox, Booh of Martyrs, p. 56.
Nica'nor (Ni/cai'wp, victor), the name of two or three men in Scripture history.
1. The " son of Patroclus" (1 IMacc. viii, 9), a general under Antiochus, Epijjhanes, and Demetrius I, who took a prominent part in the wars waged by the Syrians against the Jews, to whom he " bore a deadly hate." Under Antiochus he had been master of the royal ele- phants (fcXf 0(7i'r«px?;c)) I>"t he was appointed governor of Judiea by Demetrius (2 Mace, xiv, 12), whose trusted friend he was, and who had accompanied him when he escaped from Rome (Polyb. iii, 21 ; Josephus, A7it. xii, 10, 4). Nicanor, being one of the generals chosen by lA'sias when he invaded Judaea, B.C. 166 (1 Mace, iii, 38), by the sale of Jewish captives at ninety for a talent, brought multitudes of slave-merchants to his camp (1 Mace, iii, 41 ; 2 Mace, viii, 10, 11 ; Josephus, Ant. xii, 7, 3 and 4). He was, however, most signally disappointed in his expectations, for, in common with his compan- ions in arms, he suffered a disgraceful defeat from Judas Maccabwus, and was compelled to escape in the disguise of a slave to Antioch, where he declared that the Jews had God for their " defender," and that they were " in- vuhierable" (arpwroi), " because they followed the laws appointed by him." Four years later, intrusted with a large army by Demetrius, he had orders " not to spare" the nation of the Jews. According to 2 Mace, xiv, he at first made peace with Judas Maccaba?us, '• whom he loved from his heart ;" but, accused by Aleimus to Deme- trius, he was compelled to break all his engagements with the Maccaba^an chief, and ordered to send him prisoner to Antioch. According to 1 Mace, vii, 26-32, and Josephus, A nf. xii, 10, 4, Nicanor attempted, at first, by pretence of friendship, to get Judas into his hands. Raphall unites both accounts, regarding the treachery of Nicanor as subsequent to the angry orders he received from Demetrius. Judas, however, discovered the treach- ery in time, and escaped. Open hostilities immediateh- commenced, when Nicanor was defeated with the loss of 5000 men, and took refuge in the fortress '-which was in the city of David" (1 Mace, vii, 31, 32; Josephus, Ant. xii, 10, 4). Josephus, indeed, as the text now stands, represents Judas as sustaining a defeat, and flee- ing to the "citadel which was in Jerusalem." But there is evidently an error in the text here, as it con- tradicts the context, which shows that the citadel at Jerusalem was then in the hands of the Syrians. Ni- canor, on coming down from the citadel, and meeting the priests, blasphemed God, and threatened to destroy their temple unless they delivered up Judas, a thing they could not do, even if they were disposed. Depart- ing from Jerusalem, and Joined by a fresh army out of Syria, he encamped at Beth-horon. Judas also pitched his camp at the village of Adasa, thirty furlongs off. At length they joined battle, when, Nicanor having fall-
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en among the first, the Sj-rians were beaten, routed, and (slaughtered in tlieir tlight. Finding Nicanor on the battle-field, the Jews cut off his head and his right arm, which he " had stretched out so proudly," and hung them up at Jerusalem. His tongue also they cut out and minced, and threw to the birds. The day of the victory, Adar 13, being that before " Mardochajus' day," they set apart as a season of annual solemnity (B.C. 161) (1 Mace, vii, 43-49 ; 2 Mace, xv, 26-36 ; Josephus, Ant. xii, 10, 5; see also Kaphall's Post. Bib. Hist, of the Jews, eh. iv and vi; Jahn's fleh. Commonwealth, § 96, 97, 98).— Kitto. See Maccabkk.
2. A Nicanor is mentioned in 2 Mace, xii, 2, as "gov- ernor of Cyprus" {Kvwpiapxm) i» the time of Antiochus V Eupator, and yet as interfering with the Jews in Palestine. But as the above Nicanor mentioned by Polybius cannot be meant, this must either be another person, or some confusion has befallen the author here (see Grimm, ad loc). In 4 Mace, iii, 20, Nicanor is given as a surname of Seleucus, meaning apparently Seleucus I Nicator.