Fragment of a Coptic Martyrdom of *Phileas (bishop of Thmuis, martyr of Alexandria, S00125); probably 6th c.
E00349
Literary - Hagiographical - Accounts of martyrdom
Late antique original manuscripts - Parchment sheet
Martyrdom of Phileas, bishop of Thmuis
This fragment contains the beginning of the text:
ⲫⲓⲗⲉⲁ
ϩⲣⲁ ϩⲛ ⲧⲙ[ⲉϩϫⲟⲩ] [ⲡⲉ]ϫⲁϥ ⲛⲁϥ ϫⲉ
ⲧⲟⲩⲉ ⲛⲇⲓⲟ[ⲕⲗⲏ] [ⲟⲩⲛ] ϣϭⲟⲙ ϭⲉ ⲙ
ⲧⲓⲁⲛⲉ· ⲙ[ⲁ] [ⲙ]ⲟⲕ ⲉⲣⲥⲁⲃⲉ·
ⲝⲓⲙⲓⲁⲛⲉ· ⲛ[ⲥⲟⲩ] [ⲫⲓ]ⲗⲉⲁ· ⲡⲉϫⲁϥ
ⲙⲏⲧ ⲛⲙϣ[ⲓⲣ ⲉϫⲙ] [ϫ]ⲉ ⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓϣ ⲛⲓⲙ
ⲡⲃⲏⲙⲁ· ⲁⲩⲧⲁ[ϩⲟ] [ⲁ]ⲛⲅ ⲟⲩⲥⲁⲃⲉ ⲁⲩ
ⲉⲣⲁⲧϥ ⲙⲫⲓⲗ[ⲉⲁ] ⲱ ⲉϣⲓⲛⲉ ⲛⲥⲁ
ⲡⲉⲡⲓⲥⲕⲟⲡ[ⲟⲥ] [ⲧ]ⲙⲛⲧⲥⲁⲃⲉ ⲡⲉ
ⲛⲧⲙⲟⲩ· ⲇ[ⲏⲙⲟ] ϫⲉ ⲕⲟⲩⲗϭⲓⲁⲛ
ⲥⲓⲁ· ⲕⲟⲩⲗϭⲓⲁ[ⲛⲟⲥ] ⲛⲟⲥ ⲛⲁϥ ϫⲉ·
'Phileas:
In the 21st (year of the reign) of Diocletian and Maximian, on the 10th day of the month Mecheir, Phileas, the bishop of Thmuis, was placed on the platform (bema) in public. Culcianus said to him, "Is it possible for you to act wisely?" Phileas said,"I am a wise person at any time. I am in search of wisdom." Culcianus said to him, …'
Text and translation: G. Schenke
Saint’s feast
Non Liturgical ActivityComposing and translating saint-related texts
Transmission, copying and reading saint-related texts
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesCrowds
Source
The text P. Köln XII 492 is written on two parchment fragments of a bifolio from a miniature codex, and housed at the Cologne Papyrus Collection under the inventory number 20838e. It is written on the hair side and can be dated on the basis of its script to the 6th century.Discussion
This short Coptic fragment is important, as it contains the beginning of the trial which is lacking in the two known Greek 4th century witnesses of the Acta Phileae (P.Bodmer XX and P.Chester Beatty XV, E02631). Moreover, it is thus far the only Coptic witness to the trial of this well-known Egyptian bishop. It mentions the date of the saint’s martyrdom on 4 February 305 (10th day of Mecheir in the 21st year of Diocletian and Maximian) and shows similarities with the beginning of the much later Latin manuscripts (eight manuscripts dating to the 9th–14th centuries). For this Latin text, see E02642.According to the Greek and Latin manuscripts, the trial takes place in Alexandria and is conducted by the prefect of Egypt Clodius Culcianus (303–306, PLRE I, p. 233-4), who tries to reason with the bishop, discussing the latter's responsibility for others and the nature of religion.
Bibliography
Edition:Schenke, G., "P.Köln 492: Das Martyrium des Phileas von Thmuis," in: Ch. Armoni, M. Gronewald, J. Lundon, K. Maresch, F. Reiter, and G. Schenke (eds.), Kölner Papyri (P.Köln), vol. 12 (Papyrologica Coloniensia VII/12; Paderborn: Ferdinand Schöningh, 2010), 188–192.
Further reading:
Baumeister, Th., "Der ägyptische Bischof und Märtyrer Phileas," in: M.-B. von Stritzky and Chr. Uhrig (eds.), Garten des Lebens: Festschrift für Winfrid Cramer (Altenberge: Oros, 1999), 33–41.
Bausi, A., "The Coptic Version of the Acta Phileae," Comparative Oriental Manuscript Studies Newsletter 8 (July 2014), 11–13.
Pietersma. A., The Acts of Phileas Bishop of Thmuis (Including Fragments of the Greek Psalter), P.Chester Beatty XV (With a New Edition of P.Bodmer XX and Halkin’s Latin Acta), edited with Introduction, Translation and Commentary (Cahiers d’orientalisme VII; Geneva: P. Cramer, 1984).
Schenke, G., "Ein koptischer Textzeuge der Acta Phileae," in: H. Knuf, Chr. Leitz, and D. von Recklinghausen (eds.), Honi soit qui mal y pense: Studien zum pharaonischen, griechisch-römischen und spätantiken Ägypten zu Ehren von Heinz-Josef Thissen (Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta 194; Leuven: Peeters, 2010), 609–615.
Gesa Schenke
22/3/2015
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00125 | Phileas, bishop of Thmuis, martyr of Alexandria | ⲫⲓⲗⲉⲁ | Certain |
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