The early 5th c. Syriac Martyrology commemorates on 2 September in Edessa the martyrdom by fire of *Habbib (martyr of Edessa, S00090), and in Nicomedia the martyrs Apītarqīn (otherwise unknown), *Koskonios, Melanippos and Zenon (martyrs of Asia/Nicomedia, S00964), and the sons of *Theodota (martyrs of Nicaea, S00257). Preserved in a manuscript written in Edessa (northern Mesopotamia) in 411.
Evidence ID
E01543
Type of Evidence
Liturgical texts - Calendars and martyrologies
Major author/Major anonymous work
Syriac Martyrology of 411
ܘܒܬܪܝܐ ܒܝܪܚ ܐܝܠܘܠ. ܒܐܘܪܗܝ ܡܕܝܢܬܐ ܚܒܝܒܝ ܡܘܕܝܢܘܬܐ ܕܢܘܪܐ. ܘܒܢܝܩܘܡܕܝܐ ܒܗ ܒܬܖ̈ܝܐ ܕܐܝܠܘܠ ܡܢ ܡܘ̈ܕܝܢܐ ܩ̈ܕܡܝܐ ܐܦܝܬܪܩܝܢ ܘܩܘܣܩܘܢܐ ܘܙܢܘܢ ܘܡܠܢܗܝܦܘܤ ܘܒܢ̈ܝܗ̇ ܕܬܐܘܕܘܛܐ.
'And on the second (day) of the month of Ilul (i.e. September) – in the city of Edessa, Habīb, (by) the martyrdom of fire. And on the same second (day) of Ilul – at Nicomedia, from the ancient martyrs, Apītarqīn, and Koskonios, and Zeno, and Melanippos, and the sons of Theodota.'
Text: Nau 1912, p. 20.
Translation: S. 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 E00465Syriac 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 Martyrology provides one of the earliest testimonies of the liturgical commemoration of the martyr Habbib.The 'Apītarqīn' commemorated in Nicomedia on this day cannot be readily identified with any of the many martyrs of this city named in other texts.
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
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00090 | Habbib, martyr of Edessa | ܚܒܝܒܝ | Certain | S00257 | Theodote and her three sons, martyrs of Nicaea | Certain | S00964 | Koskonios, Melanippos and Zenon, martyrs of Asia/Nicomedia | ܐܦܝܬܪܩܝܢ ܘܩܘܣܩܘܢܐ ܘܙܢܘܢ ܘܡܠܢܗܝܦܘܤ ܘܒܢ̈ܝܗ̇ ܕܬܐܘܕܘܛܐ | Certain |
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