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E00665: Coptic Martyrdom of *Kollouthos (physician and martyr of Antinoopolis, S00641) taking place at Hermopolis (Middle Egypt), illustrating the contrast between the cruelty of the governor and the piety of the saint who cites from the scriptures and performs miracles; presumably written in the 6th/7th c.

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posted on 2015-08-19, 00:00 authored by gschenke
Only the beginning of this martyrdom is preserved, setting the scene and beginning with the trial that quickly turns into a power contest between governor and saint.

B.N. Copte 78, fol. 17v, col. II,3–25:

ⲁϥⲕⲉⲗⲉⲩⲉ ⲛⲧⲉⲩⲛⲟⲩ ⲛϭⲓ ⲡϩⲏⲅⲉⲙⲱⲛ ⲉⲧⲣⲉⲩⲧⲁⲗⲟϥ ⲉⲡϩⲉⲣⲙⲏⲧⲁⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲛⲥⲉϩⲱⲕⲉ ⲙⲙⲟϥ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲥⲉϯϩⲃⲟⲕ ⲛⲁϥ · ⲛⲧⲉⲣⲟⲩⲧⲁⲗⲟϥ ⲇⲉ ⲉⲡϩⲉⲣⲙⲏⲧⲁⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲁϥⲥⲫⲣⲁⲅⲓⲍⲉ ⲙⲙⲟϥ ⲛⲧⲉⲩⲛⲟⲩ ⲛϭⲓ ⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲕⲟⲗⲟⲩⲑⲟⲥ ⲁⲡϩⲉⲣⲙⲏⲧⲁⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲟⲩⲱϭⲡ ⲁϥⲣⲥⲛⲁⲩ · ⲡⲉϫⲁϥ ⲇⲉ ⲛϭⲓ ⲁⲣⲓⲁⲛⲟⲥ ϫⲉ ⲁⲛⲁⲩ ⲉⲧⲙⲁⲅⲓⲁ ⲛⲛⲉⲭⲣⲓⲥⲧⲓⲁⲛⲟⲥ ϫⲉ ⲟⲩⲁϣ ⲛϭⲟⲧ ⲧⲉ · ⲁϥⲕⲉⲗⲉⲩⲉ ⲇⲉ ⲛϭⲓ ⲡϩⲏⲅⲉⲙⲱⲛ ⲉⲧⲣⲉⲩⲉⲓⲛⲉ ⲛⲕⲉϩⲉⲣⲙⲏⲧⲁⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲛⲥⲉⲧⲁⲗⲉ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲕⲟⲗⲗⲟⲩⲑⲟⲥ ⲉⲣⲟϥ [ⲛ]ⲥⲉϩⲱⲱⲕⲉ ⲙ[ⲙⲟϥ]

‘The governor commanded immediately to have him put onto the hermetarion and to have him scraped and stabbed. When he was put onto the hermetarion, saint Apa Kollouthos immediately sealed himself (with the sign of the cross) and the hermetarion broke in two.
Arianos said: “Look at the magic of the Christians, what form it takes!”
And the governor commanded to have another hermetarion brought and to put Apa Kollouthos on it and scrape [him].’

(Text and trans. G. Schenke)

History

Evidence ID

E00665

Saint Name

Kollouthos, physician and martyr of Antinoopolis (Middle Egypt), ob. early 4th cent. : S00641

Saint Name in Source

ⲁⲡⲁ ⲕⲟⲗⲟⲩⲑⲟⲥ

Type of Evidence

Literary - Hagiographical - Accounts of martyrdom Late antique original manuscripts - Parchment codex

Language

  • Coptic

Evidence not before

500

Evidence not after

900

Activity not before

500

Activity not after

900

Place of Evidence - Region

Egypt and Cyrenaica

Place of evidence - City name in other Language(s)

Hermopolis ϣⲙⲟⲩⲛ Ashmunein Hermopolis

Cult activities - Places

Burial site of a saint - tomb/grave

Cult activities - Non Liturgical Practices and Customs

Composing and translating saint-related texts

Cult Activities - Protagonists in Cult and Narratives

Officials Physicians

Source

Fragmentary parchment codex, B.N. Copte 78, fols. 16–17, palaeographically datable to the 9th century.

Discussion

The text of this martyrdom must have been quite extensive, as it begins by placing the saint on the tribunal on day 21 of the month Pashons for interrogation and torture, presumably working through a four day trial until the saint’s execution on day 24 of Pashons. The year mentioned is the 21st year of the reign of Diocletian and Maximian, instead of the 20th year as stated in E00664. In contrast to the version of his martyrdom taking place in his home town Antinoopolis (see E00664) the saint appears far more bold and much more talkative, while the governor becomes more vicious.

Bibliography

Text, Translation and Commentary: G. Schenke, Das koptisch hagiographische Dossier des Heiligen Kolluthos – Arzt, Märtyrer und Wunderheiler, eingeleitet, neu ediert, übersetzt und kommentiert, CSCO 650 Subsidia 132, Louvain: Peeters 2013, 83–103.

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    Evidence -  The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

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