The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

Miracles of Kollouthos


First miracle (partially preserved)

The end of the first preserved miracle mentions the saint’s body convincing pilgrims that this was indeed the place of the saint’s bones, whereupon they went in and received healing there.

P 12915 fol. 22r, col. I,9–26:

ⲁⲩⲧⲱⲧ ⲛϩⲏⲧ ϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲛⲁⲩ · ϫⲉ ⲡⲁⲓ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲙⲁ ⲛⲛⲕⲉⲉⲥ ⲙⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲕⲟⲗⲟⲩⲑⲟⲥ ϣⲁϩⲣⲁⲓ ⲉⲡⲟⲟⲩ ⲛϩⲟⲟⲩ · ⲡⲟⲩⲁ ⲇⲉ ⲡⲟⲩⲁ ⲛⲧⲉⲣⲟⲩⲛⲁⲩ
ⲉⲡⲙⲁⲉⲓⲛ ⲛⲧⲁϥϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲁⲩⲃⲱⲕ ϩⲱⲟⲩ ⲁⲩⲙⲁⲧⲉ ⲙⲡⲧⲁⲗϭⲟ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲓⲧⲟⲟⲧϥ

‘They were persuaded that this was the place of the bones of saint Kollouthos up until this very day. When each one had seen the sign which had occurred, they themselves went and obtained healing through him.’


Second miracles (A woman's swollen breasts are healed)

The next miracle concerns a young married woman whose breasts were seized by a demon. They were so swollen that she was about to die. She went to the saint’s martyr shrine and was told in a vision to press her breasts against the silver cross to obtain healing. She did so successfully and in return donated her jewellery. She also had two silver breasts made and affixed to the entrance door of the shrine to commemorate her healing.

P 12915 fol. 22v, col. I,7–col. II,5:

ⲁⲥⲃⲱⲕ ⲉⲡⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲙⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲕⲟⲗⲟⲩⲑⲟⲥ ⲁⲥⲛⲕⲟⲧⲕ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲉⲥϫⲱ ⲙⲙⲟⲥ ϫⲉ ⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲕⲟⲗⲟⲩⲑⲟⲥ ⲃⲟⲏⲑⲉⲓ ⲉⲣⲟ ϩⲙ ⲡⲓϩⲓⲥⲉ ·
ⲁϥⲟⲩⲱⲛϩ ⲇⲉ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩϩⲟⲣⲟⲙⲁ ⲛⲧⲉⲩϣⲏ · ⲡⲉϫⲁϥ ⲛⲁⲥ ϫⲉ ⲧⲱⲟⲩⲛ ⲛϣⲱⲣⲡ ⲛⲧⲉⲃⲱⲕ ⲛⲧⲉⲁϩⲉⲣⲁⲧⲉ ⲙⲡⲙⲁ ⲙⲡⲉⲥ⳨ⲟⲥ ⲛϩⲁⲧ ·
ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲧⲉⲩⲛⲟⲩ ⲧⲉⲛⲁⲟⲩϫⲁ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲙ ⲡⲉⲓϣⲱⲛⲉ

‘She went to the martyr shrine (martyrion) of saint Kollouthos and lay down. She was saying: “Saint Kollouthos, help me in this suffering.” He then appeared in a dream at night and said to her: “Rise early and go and stand by the place of the silver cross. You will be safe from this illness immediately.”’

The woman follows these instructions closely and the demon is driven out of her.

P 12915 fol. 22v, col. II,27– P 12915 fol. 23r, col. I,17:

ⲛⲧⲟⲥ ⲇⲉ ⲁⲥⲉⲛⲉ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲛⲛⲉⲥⲕⲟⲥⲙⲏⲥⲓⲥ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ · ⲁⲥⲧⲁⲙⲓⲟ ⲛⲉⲕⲓⲃⲉ ⲥⲛⲧⲉ ⲛϩⲁⲧ · ⲁⲥⲧⲱϭⲉ ⲙⲙⲟⲟⲩ ⲉⲡⲣⲟ ⲙⲡⲙⲁⲣⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ
ⲉⲧⲣⲉⲩϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲛⲣⲡⲙⲉⲉⲩⲉ ⲙⲡⲧⲁⲗϭⲟ ⲛⲧⲁϥϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲛⲁⲥ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲓⲧⲟⲟⲧϥ ⲙⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲕⲟⲗⲟⲩⲑⲟⲥ

‘She then brought forth all her jewellery. She made two silver breasts and affixed them to the door of the martyr shrine to let them be a remembrance for the healing which occurred to her through saint Kollouthos.’


Third miracle (The stolen property of a devout man is recovered)

The following miracle concerns a rich archon whose house was robbed of all its gold and silver objects, while he was spending the night on a pilgrimage in the saint’s shrine. He suspects his servants to be the thieves and has them put into prison. Persuaded to ask the saint for advise on what to do, returns to the shrine and in a vision is told where the stolen objects are kept. After finding them, he releases his servants and donates half of his retrieved objects to the saint’s shrine.

P 12915 fol. 24v, col. I,14–25:

ⲁⲩⲱ ⲧⲡⲁϣⲉ ⲛⲛⲉⲛⲧⲁϥϭⲛⲧⲟⲩ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ ⲁϥⲧⲁⲁⲩ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲉⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲙⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲕⲟⲗⲟⲩⲑⲟⲥ · ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϫⲉ ⲁϥϩⲁⲣⲉϩ ⲉⲣⲟϥ ⲙⲡϥⲕⲁ ⲥⲛⲟϥ

‘Half of all the objects he had found, he donated them to the shrine of saint Kollouthos, because he had kept watch over him and (thus) he did not cause any bloodshed.’


Fourth miracle (The healing of a dropsical woman)

4. A woman suffering from dropsy heard about the healing miracles taking place in the saint’s shrine. She persuades her husband to visit the shrine and prays there.

[The rest of this miracle-story is lost.]


Fifth miracle (A blind man is healed, and a woman's reputation restored)

5. [The beginning of this miracle-story is lost.]

A blind man has been told by the saint that his blindness would be healed through the help of a woman. Once he finds her, she offers to moisten his eyes with milk from her breasts. She does so in the name of the saint and the blind man begins to see. Through this miracle which takes place at the martyr shrine, the woman herself is rehabilitated from scandal through the power of the saint. Both parties who had come to receive help make donations to the shrine.

Borg. Copt. 109, p. 227, col. I,21–col. II,12:

ⲙⲛⲛⲥⲁ ⲛⲁ ⲁⲡⲟⲩⲁ ⲡⲟⲩⲁ ⲉⲛⲉ ⲙⲡⲉⲛⲧⲁϥⲉⲣⲏⲧ ⲙⲙⲟϥ ϩⲙ ⲡⲉϥⲏ · ⲁⲩⲧⲁⲁⲩ ⲉⲡⲙⲁⲣⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲙⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲕⲟⲗⲟⲩⲑⲟⲥ · ⲁⲩⲟⲩⲱⲙ
ⲁⲩⲥⲱ ϩⲙ ⲡⲉϥⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ · ⲁⲩⲃⲱⲕ ⲉⲡⲉⲩⲏ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲉⲣⲏⲛⲏ ⲉⲩϯⲉⲟⲟⲩ ⲙⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲙⲛ ⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲕⲟⲗⲟⲩⲑⲟⲥ

‘After these things, each one brought from his house what he had vowed (to give). They donated it to the martyr shrine (martyrion) of saint Kollouthos. They ate and drank at his shrine (topos) and went back to their home in peace glorifying God and saint Kollouthos.’


Sixth miracle (partially preserved) (A lame man is cured, and a prostitute saved)

The last miracle, partially preserved, concerns a lame man and a prostitute. After the lame man is told by the saint in a dream in his martyr shrine (martyrion) that a prostitute named Maria will bring about his healing, be begins to search for her. Crawling along the streets, he asks people for directions to the house of Maria the prostitute, announcing, as the saint had told him to do, that he wants to spend the night with her and pay her for it. When he finally arrives at her house, he seems to eventually persuade her to visit the martyr shrine herself and become an honourable woman. She does so and receives a vision at his shrine telling her to obey the steward. She returns to her house and donates all of her belongings to the shrine, remaining there herself serving and doing handiwork.

Borg. Copt. 109, p. 244, col. I,16–col. II,8:

ⲛⲧⲟⲥ ⲇⲉ ⲁⲥⲧⲱⲟⲩⲛ ⲁⲥⲃⲱⲕ ⲉⲡⲉⲥⲏ · ⲁⲥⲉⲛⲉ ⲛⲧⲉⲥⲭⲣⲓⲁ ⲧⲏⲣⲥ · ⲙⲛ ⲡⲉⲥⲥⲟⲃⲧⲉ ⲧⲏⲣϥ · ⲁⲥϭⲱ ϩⲙ ⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲙⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲕⲟⲗⲟⲩⲑⲟⲥ
ⲉⲥϯⲁⲕⲟⲛⲓ ϩⲛ ⲇⲓⲁⲕⲟⲛⲓⲁ ⲛⲓⲙ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲉⲥⲣϩⲱⲃ ϩⲛ ⲛⲉⲥϭⲓϫ

‘She then rose and went back to her house. She brought all her necessary items and all her furniture and remained in the shrine of saint Kollouthos performing any service and working with her hands.’


Text, translation, and summary: G. Schenke.

Martyr shrine (martyrion, bet sāhedwātā, etc.)

Prayer/supplication/invocation
Oath
Pilgrimage
Composing and translating saint-related texts
Transmission, copying and reading saint-related texts
Magic
Incubation

Miracle after death
Healing diseases and disabilities
Apparition, vision, dream, revelation
Finding of lost objects, animals, etc.
Other miracles with demons and demonic creatures
Revelation of hidden knowledge (past, present and future)

Bodily relic - entire body

Women
The socially marginal (beggars, prostitutes, thieves)
Officials

Source

Discussion

Bibliography