E03576: Coptic fragment of the Martyrdom of *Thekla (virgin and martyr of Egypt, S00777), daughter of Kyros, from Assiut (Upper Egypt), mentioning Apa *Pamoun (S00775 or S00776) and Apa *Klaudios (S01470) invoking God, Christ, all the saints, and the archangels at the trial under the governor Arianos, possibly at Antinoopolis (Middle Egypt); written most likely in the 6th/7th century.

The scene seems to be one at the trial of a number of martyrs by Arianos, possibly at Antinoopolis (Middle Egypt). The text starts with Apa Pamoun and Apa Klaudios singing and invoking the power of God, Christ, all the saints, and the archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.

The governor Arianos then turns to the virgin Thekla and asks for her name and that of her parents. She answers that she has a father named Kyros.

Till, KHML 2, p. 131, lines 5–10:
ⲡϩⲏⲅⲉⲙⲱⲛ ⲇⲉ ⲁϥⲥϩⲁⲓ ⲙⲡⲉⲥⲣⲁⲛ · ⲉⲩⲭⲁⲣⲧⲏⲥ ⲉϥϫⲱ ⲙⲙⲟⲥ · ϫⲉ ⲑⲉⲕⲗⲁ ⲧϣⲉⲉⲣⲉ ⲛⲕⲩⲣⲟⲥ ⲡⲡⲟⲗⲓⲧⲉⲩⲙⲉⲛⲟⲥ ⲛⲥⲓⲟⲟⲩⲧ ⲉⲡⲓⲇⲏ
ⲁⲥⲧⲟⲗⲙⲁ · ⲙⲁⲩ[ⲁⲁⲥ] ⲁⲥⲓ ⲉⲡⲇⲓⲕⲁⲥⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲁⲥⲥⲱϣ ⲛⲛⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲙⲡⲣⲣⲟ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲁⲥⲟⲩⲁϩⲥ ⲛⲥⲁ ⲧⲙⲁⲅⲓⲁ ⲛⲛⲉⲭⲣⲏⲥⲧⲓⲁⲛⲟⲥ · ϯⲕⲉⲗⲉⲩⲉ
ⲉⲧⲣⲉⲩϥⲓ ⲛⲧⲉⲥⲁ[ⲡⲉ]

‘The governor (hegemon) wrote her name onto a (piece of) papyrus, saying: “Thekla, the daughter of Kyros, the councillor (politeuomenos) of Assiut, since she ventured by herself and came to the court, she despised the gods of the emperor and followed the magic of the Christians, I command to have her head taken off.”’


(Text: W. C. Till, KHML 2, 129–132; summary and trans. G. Schenke)