In the Coptic Martyrdom of *Phoibammon (soldier and martyr of Assiut, S00080), presented by 'Kolouthos the Stylite', the saint's curse leads to the immediate death of his persecutor's son; datable to the 6th/7th c.
E00239
Literary - Hagiographical - Accounts of martyrdom
Kolouthos the Stylite, The Martyrdom of Apa Phoibammon
For a full summary of this martyrdom see E02109.
One episode in the Martyrdom portrays the saint’s particular trait most clearly as the one who punishes parents through the suffering of their children. During his trial in Assiut, when Phoibammon’s sign of the cross not only destroys the torturing rack and turns the seat of the dux upside down, but also sets the torturers themselves alight, and is about to gain power also over the iron bed, the dux in uncontrollable rage over such disobedience and destruction curses all Christians collectively. Phoibammon, deeply upset over this, answers in the most intimidating way possible:
M582 fol. 14r II,34–14v I,24:
ⲁⲡⲁ ⲫⲟⲓⲃⲁⲙⲱⲛ ⲇⲉ ⲡⲉϫⲁϥ ⲙⲡⲇⲟⲩⲝ ϫⲉ ⲉⲡⲓⲇⲏ ⲁⲕⲧⲟⲗⲙⲁ ⲁⲕϫⲓⲟⲩⲁ ⲉⲡⲣⲁⲛ ⲙⲡⲁⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲡⲁⲓ ⲉⲧⲉ ⲛⲅⲥⲟⲟⲩⲛ ⲙⲙⲟϥ ⲁⲛ · ⲟⲩⲇⲉ ⲧⲉϥϭⲟⲙ · ⲙⲛ ⲡⲉϥⲉⲟⲟⲩ · ⲉϥⲉⲧⲱⲃⲉ ⲛⲁⲕ ϩⲉⲛⲟⲩϭⲉⲡⲏ ⲧⲁⲣⲉⲕⲓⲙⲉ ϫⲛⲧⲟϥ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲛⲧⲡⲉ ⲙⲛ ⲡⲕⲁ ⲡⲉⲭⲥ ⲓⲥ ⲡⲁⲓ ⲉⲧⲉⲡⲱϥ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲟⲟⲩ ⲙⲛ ⲡⲁⲙⲁϩⲧⲉ ϣⲁ ⲉⲛⲉϩ ⲛⲉⲛⲉϩ ϩⲁⲙⲏⲛ · ⲛϩⲟⲥⲟⲛ ⲉⲣⲉ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲫⲟⲓⲃⲁⲙⲙⲟⲛ ϣⲁϫⲉ ⲙⲛ ⲡⲇⲟⲩⲝ ⲉⲓⲥ ⲟⲩϩⲙϩⲁⲗ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡⲕⲟⲙⲓⲥ ⲁϥⲉⲓ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲉⲧⲥⲓⲟⲟⲩⲛ ⲡⲉϫⲁϥ ⲙⲡⲇⲟⲩⲝ ϫⲉ ⲡⲁϫⲟⲉⲓⲥ ⲥⲱⲧⲙ ⲉⲣⲟⲓ ⲛⲉⲣⲉ ⲡⲉⲕϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲙⲙⲟⲛⲟⲅⲉⲛⲉⲥ ⲙⲟⲟϣⲉ ⲛϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲉⲡⲉⲡⲣⲉⲧⲱⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲁⲩϫⲟ ϩⲉ ⲉϫⲱϥ ⲁϥⲙⲟⲩ ⲛⲧⲉⲩⲛⲟⲩ
'Apa Phoibamon said to the dux: "Since you have been so daring and have cursed the name of my God, this one whom you do not know – neither his power nor his glory – he shall take revenge on you quickly, so that you recognise that he is the God of heaven and earth, Jesus Christ, this one whose is the glory and the authority eternally. Amen!" While Apa Phoibammon was still speaking with the dux, behold a servant of the comes entered the public bath. He said to the dux: "My Lord, listen to me: As your only son was walking into the praetorium, a wall collapsed onto him and he died immediately".'
Text: Uljas (forthcoming)
Translation: Gesa Schenke
Composing and translating saint-related texts
Transmission, copying and reading saint-related texts
MiraclesMiracle during lifetime
Punishing miracle
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesOfficials
Aristocrats
Source
Complete manuscript, parchment codex Pierpont Morgan M582, fol. 1r–20v, from the monastery of the Archangel Michael in the Fayum, near Hamouli, produced between AD 822 and 913/4. Further fragments of this text are known from papyrus leaves: British Library Or 6012, part of a single papyrus leaf; British Library Or 7561, ff. 67–69, three fragmentary pages of a papyrus codex; British Library Or 7561, ff. 114, 116 & 117, three papyrus fragments; and Bayerische Landesbibliothek (Munich), Handschrift koptisch 3, ff. 52–58, seven fragmentary papyrus leaves.The account of the saint's martyrdom is followed in the same codex by a large collection of his miracles, see E00240.
Discussion
Bibliography
Edition:Uljas, S., "The Martyrdom of St Phoibamon of Preht, Pierpont Morgan Codex M 582, ff. 1r–20v", in: M. Müller and S. Uljas (eds.), Of Martyrs and Archangels, vol. 1 (forthcoming).
Further reading:
Spanel, D.B., "Phoibammon of Preht, Martyr," in A.S. Atiya (ed.), The Coptic Encyclopedia. 8 vols. (New York: Macmillan, 1991), vol. 6, 1963–1965.
For a full range of the documentary evidence on Phoibammon:
Papaconstantinou, A., Le culte des saints en Égypte des Byzantins aux Abbassides (Paris: CNRS, 2001), 204–214.
Gesa Schenke
20/12/2014
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00080 | Phoibammon, soldier and martyr of Assiut | ⲁⲡⲁ ⲫⲟⲓⲃⲁⲙⲱⲛ | Certain |
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