Fragments of a Coptic Life of *Marina (Egyptian ascetic living disguised as a monk, S00936), describing her severe asceticism, living disguised as a monk, and her endurance and faith when suffering false accusation; composed probably in the 5th–7th c., preserved in a manuscript of the 9th/11th c.
E01846
Literary - Hagiographical - Lives of saint
K 09450, K 09439, and K09515
The Life of Marina who as a child joined her widowed father to live in a male monastery under the name Marinos, is well known. Her feast day is listed in the Synaxarium of the Coptic Church on 15 Mesore (8 August). When Marina’s father died, she remained at the monastery growing up disguised as a young monk. Even when she was accused of fathering a child, she took the blame and accepted the punishment rather than disclose her disguise. Expelled from the monastery proper, she cared for the infant who grew up as a monk himself under her guidance. Only after death, was her true identity revealed and in return, her endurance and faith were celebrated.
K 09450:
ⲁⲥϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲇⲉ ⲛⲧⲉⲣⲉϥⲉⲣ ⲛⲟϭ · ⲙⲡⲉⲗⲁⲁⲩ ⲛⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲉⲙⲉ ⲉⲡⲉϥⲙⲩⲥⲧⲏⲣⲟⲛ ⲁϥⲧⲁⲁϥ ⲛϩⲉⲛⲛⲟϭ ⲛⲁⲥⲕⲏⲥⲥ · ⲙⲛ ϩⲉⲛⲡⲟⲗⲓⲧⲁ ⲉⲩϩⲏⲡ ·:·· ⲛⲧⲉⲣⲉ ⲛⲉⲥⲛⲏⲩ ⲛⲁⲩ ⲉⲣⲟϥ · ϫⲉ ⲙⲡⲉⲗⲁⲁⲩ ⲛⲃⲱ · ⲣⲱⲧ · ⲉⲧⲉϥⲙⲟⲣⲧ · ⲁⲩⲙⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲉⲣⲟϥ ϫⲉ ⲙⲁⲣⲛⲟⲥ ⲡⲉⲥⲟⲩⲣ ·:·· ⲁⲧⲉϥⲯⲩⲭⲏ ϣⲛⲉ ⲛⲥⲁ ⲡⲱⲣϥ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ
‘And it happened, when he grew up, no one knew his secret. He put himself through great asceticism and withdrawn existence. When the brethren saw that no hair grew on his beard, they called him “Marinos, the eunuch”. His soul was searching for seclusion.’
Text: W. C. Till
Translation and summary: Gesa Schenke
Composing and translating saint-related texts
Transmission, copying and reading saint-related texts
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesEcclesiastics - monks/nuns/hermits
Source
The three leaves from a former parchment codex (K 09450, K 09439, and K09515) are housed at the Papyrus Collection in Vienna. The manuscript is datable to the 9th to 11th centuries, while the composition itself is most likely not later than the 6th century.Fragments of two other Coptic codices attesting this story are known, see Till, KHML I, 27, for details.
Discussion
Marina seems to have become a symbol of endurance and faith, similar to Job.Bibliography
Text:Till, W.C., Koptische Heiligen- und Martyrlegenden. Vol. 1 (Rome: Pont. institutum orientalium studiorum, 1935), 26–33.
Further reading:
O'Leary, De L., Saints of Egypt (London: SPCK, 1937), 187–188.
Gesa Schenke
15/9/2016
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00936 | Marina, Egyptian ascetic living disguised as a monk | ⲙⲁⲣⲛⲟⲥ ⲡⲉⲥⲟⲩⲣ | Certain |
|---|
Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E01846 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E01846