Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, in his Festal Letter (42), preserved in Coptic, discusses healings at martyr shrines, emphasising that it is Christ who heals through the martyrs and condemning any belief that the saints speak through demons; written in 370.
E02970
Literary - Sermons/Homilies
Literary - Letters
Late antique original manuscripts - Parchment codex
Athanasius of Alexandria
Ed. Lefort, fragment 10, p. 28.14–18, and fragment 15, p. 65.3–7:
ⲉⲩϣⲁⲛϫⲟⲟⲥ ⲇⲉ ϫⲉ ⲁϩⲁϩ ⲧⲁⲗϭⲟ ϩⲛ ⲙⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲉⲩⲛ ⲡⲛⲉⲩⲙⲁ ⲛⲁⲕⲁⲑⲁⲣⲧⲟⲛ ϩⲓⲱⲟⲩ · ⲛⲁ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲉⲩⲗⲟⲓϭⲉ · ⲙⲁⲣⲟⲩⲥⲱⲧⲙ
ⲛⲧⲁⲟⲩⲱϣⲃ ⲛⲁⲩ ⲉⲓϫⲱ ⲙⲙⲟⲥ ϫⲉ ⲉϣⲁⲩⲧⲁⲗϭⲟⲟⲩ ⲁⲛ ϩⲙ ⲡⲧⲣⲉⲙⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲟⲥ ϣⲱⲡⲉ ϩⲓ ϩⲉⲛⲇⲁⲓⲙⲱⲛⲓⲟⲛ ⲁⲗⲗⲁ ⲉϣⲁⲩⲧⲁⲗϭⲟⲟⲩ ϩⲓⲧⲙ ⲡⲥⲱⲧⲏⲣ ⲡⲁ ⲛⲧⲁⲙⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲟⲥ ϩⲟⲙⲟⲗⲟⲅⲉⲓ ⲙⲙⲟϥ
‘When they say that many people who had unclean spirits have been healed in the martyr shrines, these are their excuses. Let them listen, and I will answer them by saying that they are not healed by the martyrs coming upon the demons, but they are healed by the Saviour, the one whom the martyrs confessed.’
Ed. Lefort, fragment 10, p. 28.23–26, and fragment 15, p. 65.15–19:
ϫⲉⲕⲁⲥ ϭⲉ ⲧⲉⲛⲟⲩ ⲉⲛⲛⲁⲉⲗⲉⲅⲭⲉ ⲛⲧⲉⲩⲥⲩⲛⲏⲇⲏⲥⲓⲥ ⲉⲧϩⲟⲟⲩ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲉⲙⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲟⲥ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲥⲉⲟⲩⲱⲛϩ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϫⲉ ⲉⲩⲃⲏⲕ ⲁⲛ
<ⲉⲛ>ⲧⲁⲫⲟⲥ ⲛⲙⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲟⲥ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲇⲓⲁⲑⲏⲕⲏ ⲙⲙⲉ ϯⲡⲁⲣⲁⲕⲁⲗⲉⲓ ⲙⲙⲱⲧⲛ ϯϩⲧⲏⲧⲛ ⲛⲧⲁϣⲁϫⲉ
‘So, in order that now their conscience, which is evil against the martyrs, might be convicted and it might be made clear that they are not going to the tombs of the martyrs with a true disposition, I exhort you to pay attention to what I say.’
Ed. Lefort, fragment 15, p. 65.29–66.17:
ⲟⲩⲕⲟⲩⲛ ⲉⲛⲉⲁⲩⲡⲓⲥⲧⲉⲩⲉ ϩⲱⲟⲩ ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲑⲟⲙⲟⲗⲟⲅⲓⲁ ⲛⲙⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲟⲥ ϫⲉ ⲛⲧⲁⲩϩⲟⲙⲟⲗⲟⲅⲉⲓ ⲙⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ϩⲓⲧⲟⲟⲧⲥ ⲛⲉⲩⲛⲁⲉⲓⲙⲉ ϫⲉ
ⲟⲩⲁϣ ⲛϭⲟⲧ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲥⲱϣ ⲉⲧⲟⲩϯ ⲙⲙⲟϥ ⲛⲁⲩ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲓⲧⲟⲟⲧⲥ ⲉⲩⲙⲉⲉⲩⲉ ⲉⲛⲇⲁⲓⲙⲱⲛⲓⲟⲛ ϫⲉ ⲙⲡⲣⲟⲫⲏⲧⲏⲥ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲙⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲟⲥ ⲁⲗⲗⲁ
ⲛⲧⲁⲙⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲟⲥ ϩⲟⲙⲟⲗⲟⲅⲉⲓ ⲁⲛ ⲛⲛⲇⲁⲓⲙⲱⲛⲓⲟⲛ ϫⲉ ⲉⲩⲛⲁϣⲁϫⲉ ϩⲓⲧⲟⲟⲧⲟⲩ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡϫⲟⲉⲓⲥ ⲡⲉⲛⲧⲁⲙⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲟⲥ ϩⲟⲙⲟⲗⲟⲅⲉⲓ ⲙⲙⲟϥ
ⲛⲧⲁϥⲕⲱ ⲛⲥⲱϥ ⲁⲛ ⲛⲛⲉⲛⲧⲁⲩϩⲟⲙⲟⲗⲟⲅⲉⲓ ⲙⲙⲟϥ ⲁϥϣⲁϫⲉ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲓⲧⲛ ⲛⲇⲁⲓⲙⲱⲛⲓⲟⲛ ⲡⲁ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲥⲱϣ ⲛⲛⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲉⲧⲙⲉⲓⲙⲉ ϫⲉ ⲟⲩ ⲡⲉ ⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲟⲥ · ⲉⲛⲉⲛⲧⲁⲩⲉⲓⲙⲉ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲛⲉⲩⲛⲁⲡⲓⲥⲧⲉⲩⲉ ϫⲉ ⲉⲣⲉ ⲙⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲟⲥ ϩⲙ ⲡⲉⲭⲥ ⲉⲩϩⲛ ⲛⲇⲁⲓⲙⲱⲛⲓⲟⲛ ⲁⲛ ⲁⲩⲱ
ⲛⲉⲩⲛⲁⲡⲁⲣⲁⲕⲁⲗⲉⲓ ⲙⲡⲉⲭⲥ ⲉⲧⲛϩⲏⲧⲟⲩ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲥⲉϭⲱϣⲧ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϣⲁⲛⲧϥϭⲱⲗⲡ ⲛⲁⲩ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲙⲡⲉⲧⲟⲩϣⲓⲛⲉ ⲛⲥⲱϥ ⲏ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲣⲁⲥⲟⲩ ⲏ
ⲛϥϣⲁϫⲉ ⲉϩⲣⲁ ⲉⲡⲉⲩϩⲏⲧ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲉⲩⲛⲁⲡⲱⲧ ⲁⲛ ⲉⲣⲁⲧⲟⲩ ⲛⲛⲇⲁⲓⲙⲱⲛ · ⲛⲁϣ ⲟⲩⲛ ⲛϩⲉ ⲟⲩⲛϭⲟⲙ ⲉⲧⲣⲉⲩⲙⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲉⲛⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲛⲧⲉⲓⲙⲓⲛⲉ
ϫⲉ ⲭⲣⲓⲥⲧⲓⲁⲛⲟⲥ ⲛⲁϣ ⲛϩⲉ ⲡⲉⲧⲉϣϣⲉ ⲁⲛ ⲡⲉ ⲉⲧⲣⲉⲛⲥⲁϩⲱⲛ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲙⲙⲟⲟⲩ ⲁⲩⲟⲩⲱⲛϩ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲱⲥ ϣⲙⲙⲟ ⲉⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛϫⲁϫⲉ ⲉⲛⲉⲅⲣⲁϥⲏ ⲁⲩⲱ ϫⲉ ⲙⲛⲧⲁⲩ ⲙⲙⲁⲩ ⲛⲟⲩⲥⲩⲛⲏⲇⲉⲥⲓⲥ ⲉⲛⲁⲛⲟⲩⲥ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲉⲙⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲟⲥ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ · ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲟⲩ ⲇⲉ ϩⲱⲗⲟⲥ ⲥⲉⲃⲏⲕ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ
ⲉⲛⲉⲩⲧⲁⲫⲟⲥ ⲉⲩⲉⲓⲣⲉ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲙⲡⲉⲓⲥⲕⲩⲗⲙⲟⲥ ⲉⲩⲟⲩⲱϣ ⲁⲛ ⲉⲧⲣⲉⲩⲡⲣⲉⲥⲃⲉⲩⲉ ϩⲁⲣⲟⲟⲩ ⲛⲛⲁϩⲣⲙ ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲁⲗⲗⲁ ϫⲉⲕⲁⲥ ⲉⲩⲉϣⲓⲛⲉ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ
ϩⲓⲧⲛ ⲛⲇⲁⲓⲙⲱⲛ · ⲟⲩϩⲱⲃ ⲁⲛ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲁ ⲛⲭⲣⲓⲥⲧⲓⲁⲛⲟⲥ ⲁⲗⲗⲁ ⲛⲉⲓⲡⲁⲣⲁⲃⲁⲥⲓⲥ ⲛⲧⲉⲓⲙⲓⲛⲉ ϩⲉⲛϩⲱⲃ ⲛⲥⲱⲃⲉ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲛⲇⲁⲓⲙⲱⲛ ⲁⲩⲱ
ⲉⲩⲧⲟⲟⲙⲉ ⲉⲧⲙⲛⲧⲣⲉϥϣⲙϣⲉ ⲉⲓⲇⲱⲗⲟⲛ
‘Therefore, if they themselves believed because of the confession of the martyrs, through which they confessed God, they would understand what kind of condemnation they bring upon themselves by thinking that the demons are the prophets of the martyrs. But the martyrs did not confess that they would speak through the demons and that the Lord, whom the martyrs confessed and who did not abandon those who confessed him, spoke through the demons. This is the humiliation of the saints and a sign of ignorance about what a martyr is. For if they understood, they would believe that the martyrs are in Christ, not in the demons, and they would call upon Christ who is in them and wait until he reveals to them what they are seeking, either in a dream or by speaking in their heart, and they would not run to the demons.
And so how can such people be called Christians? How could it not be necessary for us to withdraw from them? For they have been revealed to be strangers to God and enemies of the Scriptures and people without a good conscience toward the holy martyrs. Why do they even go to their tombs? They are doing this annoying thing, not because they want them to act as ambassadors ⲟn their behalf before God, but so that they might question the demons. This is not a Christian act, but such transgressions are foolish acts of the demons and appropriate to idolatry.’
Text: Lefort, 1955.
Translation: Brakke 1998.
Martyr shrine (martyrion, bet sāhedwātā, etc.)
RelicsBodily relic - entire body
Theorising on SanctityConsiderations about the validity of cult forms
Considerations about the nature of miracles
Considerations about the nature of relics
Considerations about the veneration of saints
Using saints to assert ecclesiastical/political status
Source
The letter is preserved in various fragments from two different parchment codices, codex B of the 9th/10th century and codex C of the 12th century, located in Paris, B.N. and the B.M. in London.Discussion
This seems to be one of the earliest references to healing cults taking place at martyr shrines (martyria). Athanasius seems not to dismiss such activity altogether, as long as it is clear that it is Christ who heals through the martyr. In a passage that is not easy to interpret, he also seems to say that people believed that the martyrs at these shrines spoke through demons – Athanasius condemns this belief.Bibliography
Edition:Lefort, L., Saint Athanase: Lettres festales et pastorals, CSCO 150 (Leuven, 1955), pp. 27–29 and 64–67.
Translation:
Brakke, D., "'Outside the Places, Within the Truth': Athanasius of Alexandria and the Localization of the Holy," in: D. Frankfurter, Pilgrimage and Holy Space in Late Antique Egypt (Leiden, 1998), 445–481, with the translations of festal letters 42 on pp. 478–481.
Gesa Schenke
12/6/2017
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00060 | Martyrs, unnamed or name lost | Certain |
|---|
Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E02970 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E02970