Fragment of a Coptic Martyrdom of *Thekla (martyr from Assiut, S00777), with a hymn sung by *Pamoun and Klaudios (possibly fellow martyrs with Thekla from Assiut, S02926), invoking God, Christ, all the saints, and the archangels at her trial under the governor Arianos, possibly at Antinoopolis (Middle Egypt); written probably in the 6th/7th century.
E03576
Literary - Hagiographical - Accounts of martyrdom
Late antique original manuscripts - Parchment codex
The scene seems to be one at the trial of a number of martyrs by Arianos, possibly at Antinoopolis (Middle Egypt). The text starts with Apa Pamoun and Apa Klaudios [who may be companion martyrs] singing and invoking the power of God, Christ, all the saints, and the archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.
The governor Arianos then turns to the virgin Thekla and asks for her name and that of her parents. She answers that she has a father named Kyros.
Till, KHML 2, p. 131, lines 5–10:
ⲡϩⲏⲅⲉⲙⲱⲛ ⲇⲉ ⲁϥⲥϩⲁⲓ ⲙⲡⲉⲥⲣⲁⲛ · ⲉⲩⲭⲁⲣⲧⲏⲥ ⲉϥϫⲱ ⲙⲙⲟⲥ · ϫⲉ ⲑⲉⲕⲗⲁ ⲧϣⲉⲉⲣⲉ ⲛⲕⲩⲣⲟⲥ ⲡⲡⲟⲗⲓⲧⲉⲩⲙⲉⲛⲟⲥ ⲛⲥⲓⲟⲟⲩⲧ ⲉⲡⲓⲇⲏ
ⲁⲥⲧⲟⲗⲙⲁ · ⲙⲁⲩ[ⲁⲁⲥ] ⲁⲥⲓ ⲉⲡⲇⲓⲕⲁⲥⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲁⲥⲥⲱϣ ⲛⲛⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲙⲡⲣⲣⲟ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲁⲥⲟⲩⲁϩⲥ ⲛⲥⲁ ⲧⲙⲁⲅⲓⲁ ⲛⲛⲉⲭⲣⲏⲥⲧⲓⲁⲛⲟⲥ · ϯⲕⲉⲗⲉⲩⲉ
ⲉⲧⲣⲉⲩϥⲓ ⲛⲧⲉⲥⲁ[ⲡⲉ]
‘The governor (hegemon) wrote her name onto a (piece of) papyrus, saying: “Thekla, the daughter of Kyros, the councillor (politeuomenos) of Assiut, since she ventured by herself and came to the court, she despised the gods of the emperor and followed the magic of the Christians, I command to have her head taken off.”’
Text: W. C. Till, KHML 2, 129–132.
Summary and translation: G. Schenke.
Composing and translating saint-related texts
Transmission, copying and reading saint-related texts
Source
One leaf of a former parchment codex preserved in the papyrus collection in Vienna, K 9503. Layout and script suggest a date of production somewhere in the 9th–11th century.Discussion
For this scene, with Pamoun and Klaudios singing a hymn, see also E01308.Bibliography
Text and German translation:Till, W.C., Koptische Heiligen- und Martyrlegenden. Vol. 2 (Rome: Pont. institutum orientalium studiorum, 1936), 129–132.
Gesa Schenke
18/8/2017
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00191 | Archangels, unnamed or name lost | Certain | S00518 | Saints, unnamed | Certain | S00777 | Thekla, martyr from Assiut | ⲑⲉⲕⲗⲁ | Certain | S02926 | Pamoun and Klaudios, possible fellow martyrs with Thekla of Assiut | Certain |
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