University of Oxford
Browse

File(s) not publicly available

E04142: Coptic ostracon from Edfu/Apollonopolis (Upper Egypt) with a letter requesting to invoke Apa *Viktor (possibly Viktor, son of Romanos, Egyptian martyr, S00749) on the sender’s behalf; datable to the 7th century.

online resource
posted on 2017-10-12, 00:00 authored by Bryan
O.EdfouIFAO (= O. EdfouCopte) 21

The letter seems to ask the addressee to invoke the saint on the sender’s behalf.
Lines 1–11 read as follows:

+ ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲇⲉ ⲃⲓⲕ-
ⲧⲱⲣ ⲉⲧⲥϩⲁ ⲛ-
ⲥ̣ⲁⲙⲟⲩⲏⲗ ϫⲉ ⲟⲩ-
ⲱϣⲉ ⲛϭϣⲏ ⲛϭ̣-
ⲡⲁⲣⲁⲕⲁⲗⲉⲓ ⲛⲁ-
ⲡⲁ ⲃ̣ⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ ⲉⲧⲃⲉⲧ̣
ϫⲉ ⲙ{ⲡ̣}ⲁ̣ⲣⲉ ⲛⲉⲧⲛ-
ϣⲗⲏⲗ ⲧⲁϩⲁϥ ⲛⲧⲁ-
ⲣ̣ⲓ̣ⲣⲙ̣ⲡϣⲁ ⲛⲉⲓ ⲉⲣⲏⲥ
ⲛⲉⲧⲉⲩⲧⲉⲛ ϩⲛ ⲯⲁ-
ⲃⲁⲧⲟⲛ

‘I am Viktor who writes to Samuel:
Be pleased to go and entreat Apa Viktor on my behalf. May your prayers reach him, so that I may be worthy to come south to you on Saturday.’


(Text: S. Bacot, slightly modified; trans.: G. Schenke)

History

Evidence ID

E04142

Saint Name

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

Saint Name in Source

ⲁⲡⲁ ⲃ̣ⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ

Type of Evidence

Documentary texts - Letter Late antique original manuscripts - Ostracon/Pot-sherd

Language

  • Coptic

Evidence not before

600

Evidence not after

699

Activity not before

600

Activity not after

699

Place of Evidence - Region

Egypt and Cyrenaica

Place of Evidence - City, village, etc

Edfu

Place of evidence - City name in other Language(s)

Edfu Hermopolis ϣⲙⲟⲩⲛ Ashmunein Hermopolis

Cult activities - Places

Cult building - unspecified

Cult activities - Non Liturgical Practices and Customs

Prayer/supplication/invocation

Source

The potsherd inv. 146 is currently kept at the IFAO in Cairo. Its dating is based on context, as the ostracon was found together with many others, one of them being a liturgical calendar giving entries for the years 643–648.

Bibliography

Text and French translation: Bacot, S., Ostraca grecs et coptes des fouilles franco-polonaises sur le site de Tell Edfou. O. EdfouCopte 1-145 (Bibliothèque d'Études Coptes 19; Cairo, 2009), 43.

Usage metrics

    Evidence -  The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

    Licence

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC