Record | The Cult of Saints

Greek amulet from Oxyrhynchos (Middle Egypt), invoking the help of Mary (Μother of Christ, S00033), John (the Apostle and Εvangelist, S00042), Serenos/Sirenos (saint with martyr shrine at Oxyrhynchos, S00134), Philoxenos (saint with cult at Oxyrhynchos, S00443), Viktor (presumably the martyr of Egypt, son of Romanos, S00749), Ioustos/Justus (saint with martyr shrine at Oxyrrhynchos, S01172), and all saints; datable to the 5th century.

Evidence ID

E02285

Type of Evidence

Liturgical texts - Amulets

Liturgical texts - Invocations, prayers and spells

Late antique original manuscripts - Papyrus sheet

P.Oxy. 8 1151

This text was created for a woman named Ioannia to ward off fever and all other illnesses and evils. It cites the beginning of the Gospel of John and alludes to other New Testament passages, before invoking the power of a selection of saints.

Lines 38–52 read as follows:

εὐχς
κ̣α̣ὶ πρεσβίαις τῆς
40
δεσποίνης ἡμῶν τῆς
θεοτόκου καὶ τῶν
ἐνδόξων ἀρχαγγέ-
λων κ(αὶ) τοῦ ἁγίου καὶ ἐν-
δόξου ἀποστόλου κ(αὶ)
45
εὐαγγελιστοῦ κ(αὶ) θεο-
λόγου Ἰωάννου κ(αὶ) τοῦ
ἁγίου Σερήνου κ(αὶ) τοῦ
ἁγίου Φιλοξένου κ(αὶ) τοῦ
ἁγίου βήκτωρος κ(αὶ) τοῦ
50
ἁγίου Ἰούστου κ(αὶ) πάντων
[τῶ]ν ἁγίων.

'Pray through the intercession of our lady the mother of God (Theotokos) and the glorious archangels and Saint John, the glorious apostle and evangelist and divine, and saint Serenos and saint Philoxenos and saint Viktor and saint Iustos and all the saints.'

Text and translation: A. S. Hunt

A complete record of the text can be found at:

http://papyri.info/ddbdp/p.oxy;8;1151

Non Liturgical Activity

Prayer/supplication/invocation

Source

The papyrus was found at Oxyrhynchos folded and bound with a string. It is now housed at Glasgow, University MS Gen. 1026/12. The text of the amulet has been dated on palaeographical grounds.

Bibliography

Edition:
Hunt, A.S., The Oxyrhynchus Papyri vol. VIII, Published by the Egypt Exploration Society in Graeco-Roman Memoirs (London, 1911), 251–253.

See further literature at: http://papyri.info/ddbdp/p.oxy;8;1151

Record Created By

Gesa Schenke

Date of Entry

27/1/2017

Related Saint Records

ID	Name	Name in Source	Identity
S00033	Mary, Mother of Christ	δεσποίνη ἡμῶν ἡ θεοτόκος	Certain
S00042	John, the Apostle and Evangelist	Ἰωάννης	Certain
S00134	Sirenos/Serenos, saint with martyr shrine at Oxyrhynchos	Σερῆνος	Certain
S00443	Philoxenos, saint with cult at Oxyrhynchos	Φιλόξενος	Certain
S00518	Saints, unnamed		Certain
S00518	Saints, unnamed		Certain
S00749	Viktor, martyr of Egypt, son of Romanos; and companion martyrs	βήκτωρ	Certain
S01151	All Saints		Certain
S01172	Ioustos, saint with martyr shrine at Oxyrrhynchos	Ἰούστος	Certain

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E02285 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E02285

The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

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