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E01850: Coptic Miracles of *Viktor (son of Romanos, Egyptian martyr, S00749), taking place at his martyr shrine (martyrion) of unknown Egyptian provenance. The miracles include healing a woman from swollen breasts and intercession and help against foreign attackers; written most likely in the 6th/7th century.

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posted on 2016-09-12, 00:00 authored by Bryan
K 09442, p. 19/20:

The first preserved miracle concerns a woman named Kaliotropia, sister of the ruler Honorius, whose breasts had been seized by an unclean spirit. No physician was able to heal her from the swelling and pain.

ⲙⲛⲛⲥⲁ ⲛⲉϩⲓⲥⲉ ⲇⲉ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ ⲉⲥⲉⲛϩⲏⲧⲟⲩ · ⲁⲥⲥⲱⲧⲙ ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲛϭⲟⲙ ⲙⲛ ⲛⲉϣⲡⲏⲣⲉ ⲉⲧϣⲟⲟⲡ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲙ ⲡⲙⲁⲣⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲙⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ : ⲁⲥⲡⲁⲣⲁⲕⲁⲗⲉ ⲙⲡⲉⲥⲥⲟⲛ · ⲙⲛ ⲡⲉⲥϩⲁ ⲉⲧⲣⲉⲩⲕⲁⲁⲥ ⲛⲥⲃⲱⲕ ⲉⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲙⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ · ⲁⲣⲏⲩ ⲡⲉϫⲁⲥ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡⲉϥⲛⲁ ⲧⲁϩⲟ ⲛϥⲭⲁⲣⲓⲍⲉ ⲛⲁⲓ ⲙⲡⲧⲁⲗϭⲟ :··

‘And after being in all this suffering, she heard about the miracles and wonders which were taking place at the martyr shrine of saint Viktor. She asked her brother and her husband to let her go to the shrine (topos) of saint Viktor. “Perhaps”, she said, “his mercy will come upon me and he will grant me healing.”’

ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲧⲉⲣⲟⲩϫⲓⲧⲥ ⲉⲡⲙⲁⲣⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ · ⲁⲥⲱϣ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲛⲟϭ ⲛⲥⲙⲏ ⲉⲥϫⲱ ⲙⲙⲟⲥ · ϫⲉ ⲡⲁϫⲟⲉⲓⲥ ⲡⲉⲥⲧⲣⲁⲧⲉⲗⲁⲧⲏⲥ ⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ · ϯⲥⲟⲡⲥ ⲙⲙⲟⲕ ⲛⲁ ⲛⲁⲓ · ⲛⲅϥⲓ ⲙⲙⲁⲩ ⲙⲡϩⲓⲥⲉ ⲉⲧϩⲓϫⲱⲓ · ϫⲉ ⲛⲧⲕ ⲟⲩϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ : ϩⲛ ⲧⲡⲁϣⲉ ⲇⲉ ⲛⲧⲉⲩϣⲏ ⲉⲓⲥ ⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲡⲁ
ⲃⲕⲧⲱⲣ ⲁϥϣⲛϩⲧⲏϥ ϩⲁⲣⲟⲥ ⲁϥⲉⲓⲛⲉ ⲉϫⲱⲥ ⲛⲟⲩⲕⲟⲩⲓ ⲛϩⲓⲛⲏⲃ · ⲁⲥⲱⲃⲉϣ :·· ⲙⲛⲛⲥⲱⲥ ⲁϥⲉⲓ ϣⲁⲣⲟⲥ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩϩⲟⲣⲱⲙⲁ ·

‘After they had brought her to the martyr shrine, she called out in a loud voice saying: “My Lord, Stratelates, saint Viktor, I implore you, have mercy on me and take away the suffering that is upon me, because you are a saint of God.” In the middle of the night, behold saint Apa Biktor had pity on her. He brought a light slumber upon her and she fell asleep. Afterwards he came to her in a dream.’

ⲡⲉϫⲁϥ ⲛⲁⲥ · ϫⲉ ⲧⲉⲥϩⲓⲙⲉ ⲧⲉⲟⲩⲱϣ ⲉⲟⲩϫⲁⲓ · ⲉⲣϣⲁⲛⲧⲱⲟⲩⲛ ⲛϣⲱⲣⲡ ⲛⲣⲁⲥⲧⲉ · ϫ ⲛⲟⲩϣⲏⲙ ⲛⲛⲉϩ ϩⲙ ⲡⲉⲫⲁⲛⲟⲥ ·

‘He said to her: “Woman, do you wish to be well? When you rise early in the morning, take a little bit of oil from the lamp …”’

Text: W.C. Till, KHML I, 46–47. Translation: G. Schenke.


K 09443, p. 47/48:

This miracle concerns worries over an attack by barbarians who were recapturing a certain area of the land. All the citizens, the clerics, and the government gathered in the martyr shrine of the holy general to invoke his intercession hoping for divine help against the attackers.

ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡⲣⲣⲟ ⲙⲛ [ⲡⲗ]ⲁⲟⲥ ⲧⲏⲣϥ [ⲁⲩⲥⲱ]ⲟⲩϩ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ · [ⲉⲡⲧⲟ]ⲡⲟⲥ ⲙⲡ[ϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ] ⲃⲓⲕ[ⲧⲱⲣ ⲙ]ⲛ ⲡⲁⲣ[ⲭⲏⲉⲡ]ⲓⲥⲕⲟ[ⲡⲟⲥ] ⲙⲛ ⲡⲉⲕ[ⲗⲏⲣⲟⲥ]
ⲧⲏⲣϥ [ⲁⲩⲡⲁϩⲧⲟⲩ ⲉϫⲙ ⲡⲑⲩⲥⲓ]ⲁⲥⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲉⲩϫⲱ ⲙⲙⲟⲥ · ϫⲉ ⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ ⲡⲉⲥⲧⲣⲁⲧⲩⲗⲁⲧⲏⲥ · ⲛϫⲱⲱⲣⲉ · ⲡⲁⲣⲁⲕⲁⲗⲉⲓ ⲙⲡⲉⲭⲥ
ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ ⲉϫⲱⲛ · ⲛϥⲉⲣⲥⲟⲃⲧⲉ ⲛⲉⲛⲭⲱⲣⲁ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ · ϫⲛⲛⲉ ⲛⲉⲃⲁⲣⲃⲁⲣⲟⲥ ⲛⲁⲧⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ϭⲙϭⲟⲙ ⲉⲣⲟⲛ:·· ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲧⲉⲓϩⲉ ⲁⲩ[ⲉ]ⲓⲣⲉ ⲛⲟⲩⲛⲟϭ
ⲛⲕⲁⲑⲟⲗⲓⲕⲏ ⲥⲩⲛⲁⲝⲓⲥ ⲉⲥⲙⲏⲛ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϣⲁ ⲧϫ[ⲡ ⲙⲏ]ⲧⲉ ⲙⲡ[ⲉϩⲟⲟⲩ ·]

‘The king together with all the people gathered inside the shrine of saint Viktor, together with the archbishop and the entire clerus. [They bowed at the] altar, saying: “Saint Viktor, mighty general, do implore Christ on our behalf and he prepares all our lands, so that the godless barbarians will not be able to overpower us.” In this way, they held a great Catholic service which lasted until [the tenth hour of the day].’

Text: W.C. Till, KHML I, 47–48. Translation: G. Schenke.

History

Evidence ID

E01850

Saint Name

Viktor, son of Romanos, Egyptian martyr, ob. 303–311 : S00749

Saint Name in Source

ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ ⲡⲉⲥⲧⲣⲁⲧⲉⲗⲁⲧⲏⲥ

Type of Evidence

Literary - Hagiographical - Collections of miracles Late antique original manuscripts - Parchment codex

Language

  • Coptic

Evidence not before

500

Evidence not after

900

Activity not before

400

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

Martyr shrine (martyrion, bet sāhedwātā, etc.)

Cult activities - Non Liturgical Practices and Customs

Saint as patron - of a community

Cult Activities - Miracles

Miracle after death Healing diseases and disabilities Miraculous interventions in war

Cult Activities - Protagonists in Cult and Narratives

Women Ecclesiastics - bishops Ecclesiastics - lesser clergy Monarchs and their family Crowds

Cult Activities - Cult Related Objects

Oil lamps/candles

Source

Two leaves of a fragmentary parchment codex a housed at the papyrus collection in Vienna. The parchment’s layout and script suggest a 9th/10th century date for the manuscript. K 09442, p. 19/20 K 09443, p. 47/48 The codex seemingly also included a copy of the Encomion on Viktor Stratelates of which three leaves still survive in the collection in Vienna: K 09446, p. 135/136 K 09447, p. 139/140 K 09448, p. 141/142

Discussion

See also E01715.

Bibliography

Text and German translation: Till, W.C., Koptische Heiligen- und Martyrlegenden. Vol. 1 (Rome: Pont. institutum orientalium studiorum, 1935), 45–55. Further reading: O'Leary, De L., Saints of Egypt (London: SPCK, 1937). Papaconstantinou, A., Le culte des saints en Égypte des Byzantins aux Abbassides (Paris: CNRS, 2001).

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    Evidence -  The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

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