Herculanus of Porto

About Herculanus of Porto

Herculanus of Porto is named with Acontius, Nonnus and Taurinus in the Depositio Martyrum, an early Roman list of commemorated martyrs. Its notice associates the four names with Porto and the date 5 September, but it does not provide a personal biography or an exact year of death.

The modern Roman Martyrology continues to remember the four together as martyrs at Porto Romano. Vatican News also lists them together for 5 September.

Later legends and older martyrologies add details about Herculanus, but the early notice does not establish an occupation, execution method, or chronology. The backlog spelling “Herculanils” matches no independently identified saint; the shared September 5 date, Porto location and close name form indicate that it was a corruption of Herculanus, rather than a fifth person.