Fragments of a Coptic Martyrdom of *Herpaese and Ioulianos (S01242), of unknown Egyptian provenance; probably written in the 5th/6th c.; preserved in a manuscript datable to the 7th c.
E02446
Literary - Hagiographical - Accounts of martyrdom
Late antique original manuscripts - Papyrus codex
BKU 3 324
Two papyrus leaves preserving pages 47–50 of a former codex contain the Martyrdom of Apa Herpaese and Ioulianos, 4th c. martyrs otherwise entirely unknown. The two men are standing trial under the hegemon Arianos, suffering together and comforting each other.
The fragmentary text begins with Herpaese encouraging Ioulianos who has been brutally tortured and dismembered, when Gabriel descends to heal Ioulianos, restore him back to his former self, and encourage him to go on (Lines 14–40).
The bystanders are very impressed and praise the God of Apa Herpaeses and Ioulianos. As a result, Arianos is furious and orders both men to be locked up in the boiling furnace of the bath where the temple priests cleanse themselves. Christ himself then descends to keep them both safe from destruction, announcing their martyrdom to take place on the next day (Lines 86–113). He greets them both, but then addresses only Herpaese directly, laying out the parameters of Herpaese’s future cult, before greeting both of them farewell.
Lines 113–171 read as follows:
ⲁⲩⲱ ⲟⲩⲛ ⲟⲩⲛⲟϭ ⲙⲙⲏⲏϣⲉ ⲛⲁⲡⲓⲥⲧⲉⲩⲉ ⲉⲡⲁⲣⲁⲛ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲓⲧⲟⲟⲧⲕ ⲡⲁⲥⲱⲧⲡ ⲁⲡⲁ ϩⲉⲣⲡⲁⲏⲥⲉ · ⲁⲩⲱ ϯⲛⲁⲭⲁⲣⲓⲍⲉ ⲙⲙⲟⲟⲩ ⲛⲁⲕ ϩⲛ ⲧⲁⲙⲛⲧⲉⲣⲟ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲟⲩⲟⲛ ⲛⲓⲙ ⲉⲧⲛⲁⲉⲓ ⲉⲣⲁ̣ⲧϥ ⲙⲡⲉⲕⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲛⲥⲉⲛ̣ ⲇⲱⲣⲟⲛ ⲛⲁⲕ ϩⲙ ⲡⲁⲣⲁ̣ⲛ ⲛⲥⲉϣⲗⲏ̣ⲗ̣ ⲉϩⲣⲁ[] ⲉ̣ⲣ̣[ⲟ]̣ ϩⲙ ⲡ̣ⲉ̣[ⲕ]ⲧ̣ⲟ̣ⲡ̣ⲟⲥ ϩ̣ⲙ̣ [ⲡ]ⲉⲩϩⲏⲧ ⲧⲏ̣[ⲣ]ϥ ⲁϫⲛ ⲇⲓ̣ⲥ̣ⲧ̣ⲁⲍⲉ ϯ ⲛⲁⲭⲁⲣⲓⲍⲉ ⲛⲁⲩ ⲙⲡⲉⲩⲁⲓⲧⲏⲙⲁ ϫⲉ ⲛⲧⲕ ⲟⲩⲡⲁⲣⲑⲉⲛⲟⲥ ⲛⲧⲟⲕ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛ̣ⲧⲕ ⲟⲩϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲛⲟⲩⲱⲧ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲁ̣ⲕⲕⲁ ⲡⲉⲕⲉⲓⲱⲧ ⲛⲥⲱⲕ ⲙⲛ ⲛⲉⲕϩⲩⲡⲁⲣⲭ̣ⲟⲛⲧⲁ · ⲁⲕϥ̣ⲓ̣ ⲙⲡⲉⲕⲥ⳨ⲟⲥ ⲁⲕ̣ⲟⲩⲁϩⲕ ⲛⲥⲱ ·
ⲁⲩⲱ ⲟⲩⲟⲛ ⲛⲓⲙ ⲉⲧⲛⲁⲉⲣⲏ̣ⲧ̣ ⲛⲟⲩⲉⲣⲏⲧ ⲉ̣ⲡ̣[ⲉⲕ]ⲧ̣ⲟ̣ⲡ̣ⲟ̣ⲥ̣ ⲛ̣ϥ̣ⲱ̣ⲥ̣ⲕ̣ ⲉⲧⲁⲁϥ ⲏ [ⲛ]ⲥⲉⲃⲉϭ̣ ⲡⲁⲙ̣[ⲁ] ⲉⲧ̣ⲟⲩⲁ̣ⲁⲃ [ⲙ]ⲡ̣ⲉϥⲉ̣ⲣⲏⲧ · [ⲏ] ⲛⲥⲉⲱⲣⲕ ⲙⲡⲁⲣⲁ ⲛⲛⲟⲩϫ ϩⲙ ⲡⲉⲕⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ · ϯⲛⲁϫⲓ ⲕⲃⲁ ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲙⲙⲟⲟⲩ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩϭⲉⲡⲏ̣ · ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϫⲉ ⲁⲕϯ ⲡⲉⲕϩⲏⲧ ⲛⲁ ϫⲓⲛ ⲧⲉⲕⲙⲛⲧⲕⲟⲩ ⲉⲕⲙⲓϣⲉ ⲉϩⲣⲁ ⲉϫⲛ ⲧⲁⲉⲕⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ
‘A large crowd will believe in my name through you, my chosen one, Apa Herpaese, and I will grant them grace in my kingdom for your sake.
Anyone who will come to your shrine (topos) and will bring a present for you in my name, and will pray to me at your shrine with all their heart and without hesitation, I will grant them their wish, since you indeed are a virgin. You are an only son and you have left your father and your possessions behind. You have taken up your cross and have followed me.
And anyone who will swear an oath at your shrine and will delay to fulfil it, and who will rob my holy place of its oath, or will swear a false oath at your shrine, I will indeed take vengeance upon them swiftly, because you have given your heart to me from your childhood onwards, fighting for my church.’
Text and German translation: H. Satzinger
English translation and summary: G. Schenke
Cult building - unspecified
Non Liturgical ActivityOath
Vow
Bequests, donations, gifts and offerings
Visiting graves and shrines
Composing and translating saint-related texts
Transmission, copying and reading saint-related texts
MiraclesMiracle during lifetime
Miracles experienced by the saint
Power over life and death
Changing abilities and properties of the body
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesCrowds
Source
The two fragmentary papyrus leaves are housed at the papyrus collection in Berlin, P.Berol. inv. 22112,1.2. The text of the manuscript has been dated on palaeographical grounds, though the original composition is believed to date back to the 5th/6th century.Discussion
Neither of these two martyrs appear to be mentioned elsewhere in the Coptic hagiographic tradition and they are not found in the Copto-Arabic synaxarion. According to Orlandi, the original composition could date to the 5th/6th century, but it seems to have remained a local product only.Whether these two men set out to suffer martyrdom together and are therefore to be considered a proper pair, remains unknown. They might just join at this particular part of the story. The fact that Christ addresses only Apa Herpaese when laying out the parameters of his future cult, suggests that he is the main martyr, while Ioulianos joins him later as a 'secondary martyr'.
Christ's reference to Herpaese's virginity and devout childhood also suggests that an encomion of Apa Herpaese was known, relating the saint's life story from his birth to the miracles performed at his shrine.
Bibliography
Edition:Satzinger, H., Koptische Urkunden III, Ägyptische Urkunden aus den Staatlichen Museen Berlin (Berlin, 1968), 12–18.
Further reading:
Baumeister, T., Martyr invictus. Der Märtyrer als Sinnbild der Erlösung in der Legende und im Kult der frühen koptischen Kirche (Münster, 1972), 115.
Orlandi, T., "Herpaese and Julianus, saints," in: Coptic Encyclopedia 4, 1991, 1225–1226.
Gesa Schenke
9/3/2017
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S01242 | Herpaeses and Ioulianos, martyrs of Egypt | ⲁⲡⲁ ϩⲉⲣⲡⲁⲏⲥⲉ | Certain |
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