E03174: Coptic Miracle of *Kollouthos (physician and martyr of Antinoopolis, S00641) concerning the healing of a young widow suffering under a magic spell caused by her late husband, possibly associated with the burial shrine at Antinoopolis (Middle Egypt); presumably written in the 6th century.

Enchanted by the beauty of his own young wife, a soldier decides to put a spell on her to ensure that no one would marry her, should he die. When he later fell ill and eventually died, the young widow started to change. Her beauty disappeared and her health deteriorated rapidly. Her parents decided to bring her to the saint’s shrine in the hope for healing.

P.9036 (BKU I 189)r, col. I, 21–25:

Ϯⲛⲁⲥⲙⲓⲛⲉ ⲛⲟⲩⲫⲁⲣⲙⲁⲅⲓⲁ ⲉⲣⲟⲥ ϫⲉ ⲛⲛⲉⲣⲱⲙⲉ ϫⲓⲧⲥ ⲉ[ϣ]ⲁⲛⲙⲟⲩ

‘I will make a magic potion for her, so that no one shall get her, if I die.’


P.9036 (BKU I 189)v, col. I, 27–col. II,24:

ⲛⲉⲥⲉⲓⲟⲧⲉ ⲇⲉ ⲙⲛ ⲛⲉⲥⲣⲱⲙⲉ [ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ ⲡⲉϫⲁ]ⲩ ϫⲉ ⲙⲁⲣⲛϫⲓⲧⲥ ⲉⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲙⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲕⲟⲗⲗⲟⲩⲑⲟⲥ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡⲧⲁⲗϭⲟ ⲛⲁϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲛⲁⲥ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ
ϩⲓⲧⲟⲟⲧϥ [·] ⲁⲩⲧⲱⲟⲩⲛ ⲇⲉ ⲁⲩϫⲓ[ⲧⲥ] ⲉⲡⲉϥⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩ[ⲣⲓ]ⲟⲛ · ⲧⲉⲥϩⲓⲙ[ⲉ ⲇⲉ] ⲛⲉⲥⲡⲁⲣⲁⲕⲁ[ⲗⲉ]ⲓ ⲙⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲕⲟⲗⲗⲟⲩⲑⲟⲥ ⲉⲧⲣⲉϥ[ⲧⲁⲗ]ϭⲟⲥ · ⲙⲛⲛⲥⲁ ⲛⲁⲓ ⲁϥϣⲛϩⲧⲏϥ ϩⲁⲣⲟⲥ ⲛϭⲓ ⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲕⲟⲗⲗⲟⲩⲑⲟⲥ · ⲁϥⲉⲓ ϣⲁⲣⲟⲥ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩϩⲟⲣⲟⲙⲁ ⲛⲧⲉⲩϣⲏ ⲡⲉϫⲁϥ ⲛⲁⲥ [ϫ]ⲉ ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲡⲓ
ⲕⲟⲗⲗⲟⲩⲑⲟⲥ ⲡⲥⲁⲉⲓⲛ ⲡⲉⲧⲛⲁⲉⲓ ϣⲁⲣⲟⲓ ϣⲁⲓⲣⲡⲁϩⲣⲉ ⲉⲣⲟϥ ⲛϫⲓⲛϫⲏ

‘Her parents and [all] her people [said]: “Let us take her to the shrine (topos) of saint Kollouthos and healing will occur to her through him.” They rose and took [her] to his martyr shrine (martyrion). The woman then was beseeching saint Kollouthos to make him heal her. After these things, saint Kollouthos took pity on her. He came to her in a dream at night and said to her: “I am Kollouthos, the physician. Whoever will come to me, I heal him for free.”’

Text and translation: G. Schenke.