E01225: Coptic Martyrdom of *Paese and his sister Thekla (martyrs of Alexandria, S00750) from Pousire in the Hermopolite nome and from Antinoopolis, both martyrs in Alexandria under the dux Armenios, but beheaded on their way south with Eutychianus, the dux of the Thebaid. The account preserved in a 9th c. manuscript includes: the martyrdom of *Viktor (son of Romanos, Egyptian martyr, S00749) at Alexandria; miracles performed by and on the saints through *Raphael (the Archangel, S00481); a visit of Paese to the heavenly Jerusalem; a boat trip on which Thekla meets *Mary (Mother of Christ, S00033) and Elizabeth (mother of John the Baptist), and the Archangels *Gabriel (S00192) and Raphael; an account of the benefits that will be gained by adherents of Paese and Thekla's cult.

Martyrdom of Paese and Thekla

During the reign of Diocletian, when Armenius was dux (ⲇⲟⲩⲝ) in Alexandria and Euthychianus was dux in the Thebaid, a rich landowner named Paese, from Pousire in the Hermopolite nome, was very charitable to the orphans and the poor of his village. He desired to remain unmarried, caring for his widowed sister and her young son. During the Great Persecution, he would go to the prisons of Hermopolis and Antinoopolis and bring provisions for the imprisoned saints. His sister Thekla had married a man in Antinoopolis and bore a son named Apollonios who was a schoolboy when her husband died. Thekla was then a young widow and much admired for her beauty. She was very pious and gave large charitable gifts to the poor in Antinoopolis. During the persecution, she would cook for the saints in prison, feed them, and take care of their various wounds inflicted by torture. Though she had many marriage offers, she decided to dedicate herself to the service of the saints.

A relative of theirs named Paul was a very rich merchant in Hermopolis, equally charitable to the poor. One day when Paul the merchant went on business to Alexandria, he fell seriously ill there and sent for his servants and also for Paese. Paese took large amounts of supplies and money and travelled to Alexandria. Before going, he went to see his sister in Antinoopolis. He also visited the saints in the prison of Antinoopolis who told him that they would reunite with him shortly in the heavenly Jerusalem. Paese, however, did not understand their words and took a boat to go to Alexandria. In the meantime, Paul had recovered from his illness and both men met happily in Alexandria. Paese visited the saints in the prisons of Alexandria and they greeted him by name and enquired after his sister and her son. Paese then made a large meal for the saints in the prisons and brought it to them to eat, and fed them. He spent many days visiting and feeding the saints in prison, when a young man named *Viktor (ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ), the son of a great general (stratelates), was brought into Alexandria bound and gagged (Viktor Stratelates, martyr of Alexandria, S00749). The dux read out a letter he had received and ordered the young man to be taken to prison.

The following day, the trial of Victor took place in the theatre of Alexandria. Large crowds gathered to see the son of the general. Paese was among them witnessing the tortures Viktor suffered for the name of Christ. Paese’s eyes were opened and he saw an angel of the Lord standing by Viktor so that he could endure the tortures. The angel unlocked his chains to free his hands and feet. This enraged the dux so much that he ordered Viktor to be beheaded. But since the crowds demanded not to have the son of a general killed in their city, he sent Viktor into exile to the Thebaid (where he will then be tried by Euthychianus dux in the Thebaid, see E05113). Paese feels inspired by the example of Viktor and discusses what he saw with Paul.

On the following morning, Paese gave his servant his last money and set him free. He himself went straight over to the praetorium (ⲡⲣⲉⲧⲟⲣⲓⲟⲛ) announcing his Christian faith. In confrontation with the dux Armenius, he is handed over to the torturers and a long series of tortures begin. Each time Paese prays while being tortured, the angel Raphael appears to him and interferes with the tormentors, by stiffening their hands, so that they are unable to strike, or by cooling the oil in the cooking pot in which the saint is sitting, or by turning the fire in the oven to a lovely breeze out of which the saint is then released unharmed. Any wounds the saint displays, the angel heals.

While the torturers' hands were still stiffened, they entreated the saint to heal their hands. He does so by making the sign of the cross on their hands, as the first of a number of healing miracles performed by the saint prior to death. For this, he is accused by the dux of being a magician, but the crowds are impressed by the power of the Christian God who strengthens those that believe in him. Paese is then thrown into prison where the other imprisoned saints receive him joyfully.

(Ed. Reymond–Barns, p. 44, lines 16–19):
ⲛⲧⲉⲣⲟⲩϫⲓⲧϥ ⲇⲉ ⲉⲡⲉϣⲧⲉⲕⲟ ⲁⲩⲛⲁⲩ ⲉⲣⲟϥ ⲛϭⲓ ⲛⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲁⲩⲁⲥⲡⲁⲍⲉ ⲙⲙⲟϥ ⲉⲩϫⲱ ⲙⲙⲟⲥ ϫⲉ ⲕⲁⲗⲱⲥ ⲁⲕⲉⲓ ϣⲁⲣⲟⲛ ⲙⲡⲟⲟⲩ · ⲧⲛⲛⲁⲩ ⲉⲣⲟⲕ ⲙⲙⲏⲛⲉ ⲁⲗⲗⲁ ⲙⲡⲟⲟⲩ ⲛϩⲟⲩⲟ ⲧⲛⲣⲁϣⲉ ⲛⲙⲙⲁⲕ ϫⲉ ⲁⲕⲉⲓ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲉⲡⲙⲁ ⲛϣⲉⲗⲉⲉⲧ ⲙⲡⲉⲭⲥ ϩⲙ ⲡⲉⲕϩⲏⲧ ⲧⲏⲣϥ

'When he was brought to the prison, the saints saw him and greeted him saying: "You have come to us today doing well. We see you daily, but today we rejoice with you even more, because you have entered the bridal chamber of Christ wholeheartedly."'


Paese’s former host Paul was worried about him and eventually found him in prison. He then brought provisions for the saints and ate with them and promised to send a message to Paese’s sister Thekla. The angel Raphael then visited Paese in prison, greeting all the saints and Paul, and informed Paese of his future trial and tortures which were to last for seven more months, and of the arrival of his sister in due course. Both their bodies and souls would be united and never separated from each other.

More tortures followed during the tribunal set in the theatre of Alexandria, where the dux would accuse the saint of magic, because the angel Raphael would get him out of any affliction unharmed, by descending down on him and speaking with him.

(ed. Reymond—Barns, p. 48, line 12–p. 49, line 1):
ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲧⲉⲩⲛⲟⲩ ⲁϥⲉⲓ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲛ ⲧⲡⲉ ⲛϭⲓ ϩⲣⲁⲫⲁⲏⲗ ⲡⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲟⲥ ⲁϥⲣ ϩⲁⲃⲥ ⲉⲣⲟϥ ϩⲛ ⲛⲉϥⲧⲛⲛϩ ⲛⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛ ⲁϥϭⲱ ⲉϥϣⲁϫⲉ ⲛⲙⲙⲁϥ ϩⲛⲛ ⲙⲙⲏⲥⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲛⲧⲡⲉ

'And immediately the angel Raphael came down from heaven and hid him in his wings of light. He remained speaking with him through the mysteries of heaven.'


When the crowds saw Paese stepping out of the fire unharmed, twenty-four of them confessed their Christian faith and became martyrs, being beheaded outside of the city on the same day. More tortures and healings through Raphael followed for Paese who, saved from the fiery furnace by Raphael, then visited his former host Paul at night to tell him about the miracles God performs for his saints. Paul and Paese discuss these miracles over a festive meal and Paese declares that this is the time for him to become a martyr .

(ed. Reymond–Barns, p. 52, lines 14–15):
ⲁⲗⲗⲁ ⲡⲛⲁⲩ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲁ ⲛⲧⲁⲥⲣⲁⲛⲁϥ ⲙⲡⲁϫⲟⲉⲓⲥ ⲓⲥ ⲡⲉⲭⲥ ⲁϥⲧⲁϩⲙⲉⲧ ⲉⲡⲉϥⲙⲁ ⲛϣⲉⲗⲉⲉⲧ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ

'But this is the time when it has pleased my Lord Jesus Christ to summon me to his holy bridal chamber.'


Paese returns to the other saints in prison. The prison guard as well as one of the torturers confess their Christian faith to Paese privately. The dux Armenius, however, threatens this Christian magician with more tortures. Raphael appears to Paese in prison announcing that he should shame the dux for a bit longer and that his sister Thekla will soon join him in this, performing great miracles and inspiring others to convert to Christianity. Raphael then announces that he will bring a great illness over the dux from which only Paese will be able to cure him.

The dux feeling very ill the next day, ordered that he should be taken to the temple of Apollo where he was placed next to the statue of Apollo. Incense was offered on the altar to Apollo and the dux vowed that should Apollo heal him from the magic of the Christians causing this illness, that he would bring great gifts to his temple. The dux slept in the temple of Apollo, but no healing took place. The wife of the dux encouraged him to sent for Paese to heal him, since Apollo was not forthcoming, but the dux refused. Instead, he asked her to sacrifice to Apollo too, so that he would receive healing from him, but she refused. Eventually, the dux asked his wife to sent for Paese. When she met him, she entreated him to heal the dux. So did the dux himself, and Paese laid his hands upon him in the name of Christ and the dux was healed. He sent a large present to Paese in prison, but the saints refused to eat it and gave it to other prisoners.

When the dux was healed, his wife demanded that he set the saints free, since the God of the Christians had healed him and was obviously more powerful than Apollo. But the dux did not listen. Instead, he offered Paese earthly riches and honours in his home village, remitting his taxes, if he would only sacrifice to the pagan gods.

Meanwhile, Thekla in Antinoopolis was worried for her brother in Alexandria and decided to enquire about him from the saints in the local prison. They informed her of the upcoming 'wedding' feast (ϩⲟⲟⲡ) of her brother in Alexandria, but she did not understand their meaning. She found a boat headed for Alexandria, said farewell to her only son, and boarded the ship.

On board she met the angels Gabriel and Raphael, thinking they were sailors, as well as two other women, the Virgin Mary and Elizabeth (the mother of John the Baptist), who each talked to her about the loss of their only son, but Thekla failed to understand who they were. They informed her that they were on their way to Alexandria to visit a man named Paul who was holding a 'wedding feast' for Paese of Pousire and she shared a large festive meal with them, since they appeared to be eating. Afterwards Mary anointed Thekla with a special oil.

(ed. Reymond–Barns, p. 58, line 15–p. 59, line 7):
ⲁⲩⲱ ⲁⲧⲡⲁⲣⲑⲉⲛⲟⲥ ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ ⲉⲓⲛⲉ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲛⲟⲩⲥⲕⲉⲩⲥ ⲛⲁⲩⲁⲛ ⲛⲏϭⲉ ⲉϥⲙⲉϩ ⲛⲛⲉϩ ⲛⲥϯⲛⲟⲩⲃⲉ ⲉⲛⲁϣⲉ ⲥⲟⲩⲛⲧϥ ⲁⲥⲡⲁϩⲧϥ ⲉϩⲣⲁ ⲉϫⲛ ⲧⲁⲡⲉ ⲛⲑⲉⲕⲗⲁ ⲁⲥⲧⲱϩⲥ ⲙⲡⲉⲥⲥⲱⲙⲁ ⲧⲏⲣϥ ⲡⲉϫⲁⲥ ⲛⲁⲥ ⲛϭⲓ ⲧⲙⲁⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲑⲉⲕⲗⲁ ϫⲉ ⲕⲱ ⲛⲁ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲧⲁϫⲟⲉⲓⲥ ⲙⲙⲁⲁⲩ ⲛϯⲙⲡϣⲁ ⲁⲛ ⲙⲡⲉⲛⲟϭ
ⲛⲧⲁⲟ ⲛⲧⲁⲣⲧⲁⲁϥ ⲛⲁ ⲡⲉϫⲉ ⲧⲡⲁⲣⲑⲉⲛⲟⲥ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲛⲁⲥ ϫⲉ ⲉⲛⲉⲛⲧⲉⲉⲙⲡϣⲁ ⲙⲙⲟϥ ⲁⲛ ⲡⲉ ⲛⲉⲩⲛⲁⲡⲁϩⲧϥ ⲁⲛ ⲉϫⲱ ⲡⲉ · ⲡⲁ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲡⲉ
ⲡⲛⲉϩ ⲛⲧϣⲉⲗⲉⲉⲧ ⲙ