E03575: Coptic fragments of the Martyrdom of *Theodore the Easterner (possibly the soldier and martyr of Amaseia and Euchaita, S00480) of unknown Egyptian provenance, relating his influence over the war between Rome and Persia, his torture and death, written most likely in the 6th/7th century.

When Nikomedes was fighting with the Persian army against the Romans, they called out to the Persians that Theodore the Easterner was about to kill them. As soon as the Persians heard that name, they fled and Nikomedes was captured.

Till, KHML 2, p. 144, column 1, lines 2–10:

[ⲛⲧⲉ]ⲣⲟⲩⲥ⳨ⲟⲩ ⲙ[ⲡϩⲁⲅⲓ]ⲟⲥ ⲑⲉⲟⲇⲱⲣ[ⲟⲥ ⲡⲁ]ⲛⲁⲧⲟⲗⲉⲩⲥ ⲉⲡ[ⲉϣⲟⲩⲉⲃⲉ ⲁⲩⲛ[ⲟϭ] ⲛⲗⲩⲡⲏ ⲥⲱⲣ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲛ ⲧⲡⲟⲗⲓⲥ ⲛ[ⲧ]ⲙⲛⲧⲉⲣⲟ
ⲙⲡ[ⲉϩⲟ]ⲟⲩ ⲉⲧⲙⲙⲁⲩ

‘After saint Theodore the Easterner was crucified on a persea tree, a great sadness spread throughout the city of the kingdom on that day.’


(Text: W. C. Till, KHML 2, 143–145; summary and trans. G. Schenke)


A papyrus leaf at the Pushkin Museum in Moscow, ed. Elanskaya, mentions a companion of Theodore, *Leontios, the Arab (ⲗⲉⲟⲛⲧⲓⲟⲥ ⲡⲁⲣⲁⲃⲉⲩⲥ), attacking the leader of the Persian army, cutting off his right arm holding the sword. Theodore then asks him to bring that leader of the Persian to Antioch before the emperor Diocletian.