Coptic Miracle of *Kollouthos (physician and martyr of Antinoopolis, S00641) concerning the healing of a young widow suffering under a magic spell caused by her late husband, possibly associated with the burial shrine at Antinoopolis (Middle Egypt); presumably written in the 6th century.
E03174
Late antique original manuscripts - Papyrus codex
Literary - Hagiographical - Collections of miracles
Enchanted by the beauty of his own young wife, a soldier decides to put a spell on her to ensure that no-one would marry her, should he die. When he later fell ill and eventually died, the young widow started to change. Her beauty disappeared and her health deteriorated rapidly. Her parents decided to bring her to the saint’s shrine in the hope for healing.
P.9036 (BKU I 189)r, col. I, 21–25:
Ϯⲛⲁⲥⲙⲓⲛⲉ ⲛⲟⲩⲫⲁⲣⲙⲁⲅⲓⲁ ⲉⲣⲟⲥ ϫⲉ ⲛⲛⲉⲣⲱⲙⲉ ϫⲓⲧⲥ ⲉ[ϣ]ⲁⲛⲙⲟⲩ
‘I will make a magic potion for her, so that no one shall get her, if I die.’
P.9036 (BKU I 189)v, col. I, 27–col. II,24:
ⲛⲉⲥⲉⲓⲟⲧⲉ ⲇⲉ ⲙⲛ ⲛⲉⲥⲣⲱⲙⲉ [ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ ⲡⲉϫⲁ]ⲩ ϫⲉ ⲙⲁⲣⲛϫⲓⲧⲥ ⲉⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲙⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲕⲟⲗⲗⲟⲩⲑⲟⲥ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡⲧⲁⲗϭⲟ ⲛⲁϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲛⲁⲥ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ
ϩⲓⲧⲟⲟⲧϥ [·] ⲁⲩⲧⲱⲟⲩⲛ ⲇⲉ ⲁⲩϫⲓ[ⲧⲥ] ⲉⲡⲉϥⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩ[ⲣⲓ]ⲟⲛ · ⲧⲉⲥϩⲓⲙ[ⲉ ⲇⲉ] ⲛⲉⲥⲡⲁⲣⲁⲕⲁ[ⲗⲉ]ⲓ ⲙⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲕⲟⲗⲗⲟⲩⲑⲟⲥ ⲉⲧⲣⲉϥ[ⲧⲁⲗ]ϭⲟⲥ · ⲙⲛⲛⲥⲁ ⲛⲁⲓ ⲁϥϣⲛϩⲧⲏϥ ϩⲁⲣⲟⲥ ⲛϭⲓ ⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲕⲟⲗⲗⲟⲩⲑⲟⲥ · ⲁϥⲉⲓ ϣⲁⲣⲟⲥ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩϩⲟⲣⲟⲙⲁ ⲛⲧⲉⲩϣⲏ ⲡⲉϫⲁϥ ⲛⲁⲥ [ϫ]ⲉ ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲡⲓ
ⲕⲟⲗⲗⲟⲩⲑⲟⲥ ⲡⲥⲁⲉⲓⲛ ⲡⲉⲧⲛⲁⲉⲓ ϣⲁⲣⲟⲓ ϣⲁⲓⲣⲡⲁϩⲣⲉ ⲉⲣⲟϥ ⲛϫⲓⲛϫⲏ
‘Her parents and [all] her people [said]: “Let us take her to the shrine (topos) of saint Kollouthos and healing will occur to her through him.” They rose and took [her] to his martyr shrine (martyrion). The woman then was beseeching saint Kollouthos to make him heal her. After these things, saint Kollouthos took pity on her. He came to her in a dream at night and said to her: “I am Kollouthos, the physician. Whoever will come to me, I heal him for free.”’
Text and translation: G. Schenke.
Martyr shrine (martyrion, bet sāhedwātā, etc.)
Non Liturgical ActivityPrayer/supplication/invocation
Incubation
Composing and translating saint-related texts
Transmission, copying and reading saint-related texts
MiraclesMiracle after death
Healing diseases and disabilities
Apparition, vision, dream, revelation
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesWomen
Source
Papyrus leaf in the Berlin collection, P.9036 (BKU I 189), from a codex of unknown Egyptian origin, datable palaeographically to the 7th/8th century.Discussion
In this miracle story, the saint is going to prove himself stronger than magic. The vicious jealousy of the deceased husband will presumably be unveiled and the mistreated young widow restored to health through the power of Christ and his martyr.Bibliography
Text, Translation and Commentary:Schenke, G., Das koptisch hagiographische Dossier des Heiligen Kolluthos – Arzt, Märtyrer und Wunderheiler, eingeleitet, neu ediert, übersetzt und kommentiert, CSCO 650 Subsidia 132 (Louvain: Peeters 2013), 193–204 and 268–276.
Gesa Schenke
5/7/2017
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00641 | Kollouthos, physician and martyr of Antinoopolis | ⲕⲟⲗⲗⲟⲩⲑⲟⲥ | Certain |
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