Two fragments of Coptic Miracles of *Viktor (martyr of Egypt, son of Romanos, S00749), taking place at his martyr shrine (martyrion): healing of a woman with swollen breasts, and intercession and help against foreign attackers; written probably in the 6th/7th c., preserved in a manuscript of the 9th/10th c.
E01850
Literary - Hagiographical - Collections of miracles
Late antique original manuscripts - Parchment codex
K 09442, p. 19/20:
The first preserved miracle concerns a woman named Kaliotropia, sister of the ruler Honorius, whose breasts had been seized by an unclean spirit. No physician was able to heal her from the swelling and pain.
ⲙⲛⲛⲥⲁ ⲛⲉϩⲓⲥⲉ ⲇⲉ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ ⲉⲥⲉⲛϩⲏⲧⲟⲩ · ⲁⲥⲥⲱⲧⲙ ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲛϭⲟⲙ ⲙⲛ ⲛⲉϣⲡⲏⲣⲉ ⲉⲧϣⲟⲟⲡ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲙ ⲡⲙⲁⲣⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲙⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ : ⲁⲥⲡⲁⲣⲁⲕⲁⲗⲉ ⲙⲡⲉⲥⲥⲟⲛ · ⲙⲛ ⲡⲉⲥϩⲁ ⲉⲧⲣⲉⲩⲕⲁⲁⲥ ⲛⲥⲃⲱⲕ ⲉⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲙⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ · ⲁⲣⲏⲩ ⲡⲉϫⲁⲥ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡⲉϥⲛⲁ ⲧⲁϩⲟ ⲛϥⲭⲁⲣⲓⲍⲉ ⲛⲁⲓ ⲙⲡⲧⲁⲗϭⲟ :··
‘And after being in all this suffering, she heard about the miracles and wonders which were taking place at the martyr shrine of saint Viktor. She asked her brother and her husband to let her go to the shrine (topos) of saint Viktor. “Perhaps”, she said, “his mercy will come upon me and he will grant me healing.”’
ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲧⲉⲣⲟⲩϫⲓⲧⲥ ⲉⲡⲙⲁⲣⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ · ⲁⲥⲱϣ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲛⲟϭ ⲛⲥⲙⲏ ⲉⲥϫⲱ ⲙⲙⲟⲥ · ϫⲉ ⲡⲁϫⲟⲉⲓⲥ ⲡⲉⲥⲧⲣⲁⲧⲉⲗⲁⲧⲏⲥ ⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ · ϯⲥⲟⲡⲥ ⲙⲙⲟⲕ ⲛⲁ ⲛⲁⲓ · ⲛⲅϥⲓ ⲙⲙⲁⲩ ⲙⲡϩⲓⲥⲉ ⲉⲧϩⲓϫⲱⲓ · ϫⲉ ⲛⲧⲕ ⲟⲩϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ : ϩⲛ ⲧⲡⲁϣⲉ ⲇⲉ ⲛⲧⲉⲩϣⲏ ⲉⲓⲥ ⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲡⲁ
ⲃⲕⲧⲱⲣ ⲁϥϣⲛϩⲧⲏϥ ϩⲁⲣⲟⲥ ⲁϥⲉⲓⲛⲉ ⲉϫⲱⲥ ⲛⲟⲩⲕⲟⲩⲓ ⲛϩⲓⲛⲏⲃ · ⲁⲥⲱⲃⲉϣ :·· ⲙⲛⲛⲥⲱⲥ ⲁϥⲉⲓ ϣⲁⲣⲟⲥ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩϩⲟⲣⲱⲙⲁ ·
‘After they had brought her to the martyr shrine, she called out in a loud voice saying: “My Lord, Stratelates, saint Viktor, I implore you, have mercy on me and take away the suffering that is upon me, because you are a saint of God.” In the middle of the night, behold saint Apa Viktor had pity on her. He brought a light slumber upon her and she fell asleep. Afterwards he came to her in a dream.’
ⲡⲉϫⲁϥ ⲛⲁⲥ · ϫⲉ ⲧⲉⲥϩⲓⲙⲉ ⲧⲉⲟⲩⲱϣ ⲉⲟⲩϫⲁⲓ · ⲉⲣϣⲁⲛⲧⲱⲟⲩⲛ ⲛϣⲱⲣⲡ ⲛⲣⲁⲥⲧⲉ · ϫ ⲛⲟⲩϣⲏⲙ ⲛⲛⲉϩ ϩⲙ ⲡⲉⲫⲁⲛⲟⲥ ·
‘He said to her: “Woman, do you wish to be well? When you rise early in the morning, take a little bit of oil from the lamp …”’
Text: W.C. Till, KHML I, 46–47
Translation: G. Schenke
K 09443, p. 47/48:
This miracle concerns worries over an attack by barbarians who were recapturing a certain area of the land. All the citizens, the clerics, and the government gathered in the martyr shrine of the holy general to invoke his intercession hoping for divine help against the attackers.
ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡⲣⲣⲟ ⲙⲛ [ⲡⲗ]ⲁⲟⲥ ⲧⲏⲣϥ [ⲁⲩⲥⲱ]ⲟⲩϩ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ · [ⲉⲡⲧⲟ]ⲡⲟⲥ ⲙⲡ[ϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ] ⲃⲓⲕ[ⲧⲱⲣ ⲙ]ⲛ ⲡⲁⲣ[ⲭⲏⲉⲡ]ⲓⲥⲕⲟ[ⲡⲟⲥ] ⲙⲛ ⲡⲉⲕ[ⲗⲏⲣⲟⲥ]
ⲧⲏⲣϥ [ⲁⲩⲡⲁϩⲧⲟⲩ ⲉϫⲙ ⲡⲑⲩⲥⲓ]ⲁⲥⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲉⲩϫⲱ ⲙⲙⲟⲥ · ϫⲉ ⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ ⲡⲉⲥⲧⲣⲁⲧⲩⲗⲁⲧⲏⲥ · ⲛϫⲱⲱⲣⲉ · ⲡⲁⲣⲁⲕⲁⲗⲉⲓ ⲙⲡⲉⲭⲥ
ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ ⲉϫⲱⲛ · ⲛϥⲉⲣⲥⲟⲃⲧⲉ ⲛⲉⲛⲭⲱⲣⲁ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ · ϫⲛⲛⲉ ⲛⲉⲃⲁⲣⲃⲁⲣⲟⲥ ⲛⲁⲧⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ϭⲙϭⲟⲙ ⲉⲣⲟⲛ:·· ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲧⲉⲓϩⲉ ⲁⲩ[ⲉ]ⲓⲣⲉ ⲛⲟⲩⲛⲟϭ
ⲛⲕⲁⲑⲟⲗⲓⲕⲏ ⲥⲩⲛⲁⲝⲓⲥ ⲉⲥⲙⲏⲛ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϣⲁ ⲧϫ[ⲡ ⲙⲏ]ⲧⲉ ⲙⲡ[ⲉϩⲟⲟⲩ ·]
‘The king together with all the people gathered inside the shrine of saint Viktor, together with the archbishop and the entire clerus. [They bowed at the] altar, saying: “Saint Viktor, mighty general, do implore Christ on our behalf and he prepares all our lands, so that the godless barbarians will not be able to overpower us.” In this way, they held a great Catholic service which lasted until [the tenth hour of the day].’
Text: W.C. Till, KHML I, 47–48
Translation: G. Schenke
Martyr shrine (martyrion, bet sāhedwātā, etc.)
Non Liturgical ActivitySaint as patron - of a community
Incubation
Composing and translating saint-related texts
Transmission, copying and reading saint-related texts
MiraclesMiracle after death
Healing diseases and disabilities
Miraculous interventions in war
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesWomen
Ecclesiastics - bishops
Ecclesiastics - lesser clergy
Monarchs and their family
Crowds
Physicians
Cult Related ObjectsOil lamps/candles
Source
Two leaves of a fragmentary parchment codex housed at the papyrus collection in Vienna. The parchment’s layout and script suggest a 9th/10th century date for the manuscript.K 09442, p. 19/20
K 09443, p. 47/48
The codex seemingly also included a copy of an Encomion on Viktor of which three leaves still survive in the collection in Vienna (E01715):
K 09446, p. 135/136
K 09447, p. 139/140
K 09448, p. 141/142
Discussion
Bibliography
Text and German translation:Till, W.C., Koptische Heiligen- und Martyrlegenden. Vol. 1 (Rome: Pont. institutum orientalium studiorum, 1935), 45–55.
Further reading:
O'Leary, De L., Saints of Egypt (London: SPCK, 1937).
Papaconstantinou, A., Le culte des saints en Égypte des Byzantins aux Abbassides (Paris: CNRS, 2001).
Gesa Schenke
10/7/2017
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00749 | Viktor, martyr of Egypt, son of Romanos; and companion martyrs | ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ ⲡⲉⲥⲧⲣⲁⲧⲉⲗⲁⲧⲏⲥ | Certain |
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