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The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity


from its origins to circa AD 700, across the entire Christian world


The early 5th c. Syriac Martyrology commemorates on 23 February the martyrdom of *Polycarp/Polykarpos (bishop and martyr of Smyrna, 00004), here apparently associated with a certain Aratos, and of *Koskonios, Melanippos and Zenon (martyrs of Asia/Nicomedia, 00964). Preserved in a manuscript written in Edessa (northern Mesopotamia) in 411.

Evidence ID

E01436

Type of Evidence

Liturgical texts - Calendars and martyrologies

Major author/Major anonymous work

Syriac Martyrology of 411

Syriac Martyrology of 411

ܘܒܬ̈ܠܬܐ ܘܥܣܪܝܢ ܒܐܣܝܐ ܡܢ ܡܘ̈ܕܝܢܐ ܩ̈ܕܡܝܐ ܦܘܠܘܩܪܦܘܤ ܐܦܣܩܘܦܐ ܘܐܪܘܛܘܤ ܘܩܣܩܘܢܝܤ ܘܡܠܢܘܗܦܘܤ ܘܙܢܘܢ.

'And on twenty third (day) – in Asia, of the ancient martyrs, Polycarp the bishop, and Aratos, and Koskonios, and Melanippos, and
Zēnōn.'


Text: Nau 1912, 13.
Translation: Sergey Minov.

Festivals

Saint’s feast

Source

The Syriac Martyrology of the year 411 is the earliest liturgical calendar preserved in Syriac. It appears in the manuscript BL Add. 12150. The manuscript's colophon relates that it was produced in the city of Edessa in the year 411. Composed during the last decades of the fourth or the first decade of the fifth century, the Martyrology is divided into the two main sections - the main one, devoted to the Christian martyrs of the Roman empire, and the shorter one, devoted to the Christians executed in the Sasanian empire. The former section is derived from a lost Greek martyrology. For more information, see E00465

Syriac text: Wright 1865-1866; Nau 1912, pp. 11-26; Brock and van Rompay 2014, pp. 389-392; English translation: Wright 1865-1866, pp. 423-432; French translation: Nau 1912, pp. 11-26; German translation: Lietzmann 1903, pp. 9-16; Latin translation: Mariani 1956. For general information, see Taylor 2012, pp. 80-81; Schäferdiek 2005.


Discussion

The identity of the 'Aratos' listed here is unclear: possibly he is associated with the threesome, Koskonios, Melanippos and Zenon, but these three generally appear on their own, so he may be an unrelated martyr.

Bibliography

Main editions and translations:
Brock, S.P., and van Rompay, L., Catalogue of the Syriac Manuscripts and Fragments in the Library of Deir al-Surian, Wadi al-Natrun (Egypt) (Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta 227; Leuven: Peeters, 2014).

Lietzmann, H.,
Die drei ältesten Martyrologien (Kleine Texte für Theologische Vorlesungen und Übungen 2; Bonn: A. Marcus und E. Weber, 1903).

Mariani, B., Breviarium syriacum seu martyrologium syriacum saec. IV (Rerum ecclesiasticarum documenta, Series minor: Subsidia studiorum 3; Roma: Herder, 1956).

Nau, F.,
Martyrologes et ménologes orientaux, I–XIII. Un martyrologie et douze ménologes syriaques édités et traduits (Patrologia Orientalis 10.1 [46]; Paris: Firmin-Didot, 1912).

Wright, W., “An Ancient Syriac Martyrology,”
Journal of Sacred Literature and Biblical Record NS VIII, 15 (1865), 45-56; 16 (1866), 423-432.

Further reading:
Schäferdiek, K., “Bemerkungen zum Martyrologium Syriacum,” Analecta Bollandiana 123:1 (2005), 5-22.

Taylor, D.G.K., “Hagiographie et liturgie syriaque,” in: A. Binggeli (ed.),
L’hagiographie syriaque (Études syriaques 9; Paris: Paul Geuthner, 2012), 77-112.


Record Created By

Sergey Minov

Date of Entry

25/05/2016

Related Saint Records
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S00004Polykarpos/Polycarp, bishop and martyr of Smyrna, and his companion martyrsܦܘܠܘܩܪܦܘܤCertain
S00964Koskonios, Melanippos and Zenon, martyrs of Asia/Nicomediaܐܪܘܛܘܤ ܩܣܩܘܢܝܤ ܡܠܢܘܗܦܘܤ ܙܢܘܢCertain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Sergey Minov, Cult of Saints, E01436 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E01436