The Syriac Martyrdom of *Aitalāhā and Ḥapsay (martyrs in Persia, S01482) recounts the martyrdom of the former pagan priest Aitalāhā from Arbela (northern Mesopotamia) and the deacon Ḥapsay from Bet ‘Arbāyē in the province of Khuzistan under Shapur II (r. 309-379). Written in Sasanian Persia during the 4th or 5th c.
E03588
Literary - Hagiographical - Accounts of martyrdom
Persian martyrdom accounts
Martyrdom of Aitalāhā and Ḥapsay
Summary:
Aitalāhā is said to be a pagan priest of the 'goddess Sharbel' in the city of Arbela, who for many years suffered from a disease of 'blood flowing like that of the women'. (p. 133 in Bedjan's edition)
When his prayers for healing addressed to the idols turned out to be of no avail, he decided to seek help from the city's Christians. Aitalāhā went to the court of the city's bishop and even before he reached it, the blood flow stopped and he was healed. After he stayed for a while with the local Christians, Aitalāhā had to flee Arbela on account of the city's pagans, who gathered to attack them. He found refuge with the Christians of Maḥozē d-Arewan, where he was instructed in Christian teaching and baptized. After that he returned to Arbela to convert pagans. (pp. 133-134)
Soon after that, a 'cruel persecution' against Christians started. While many local Christians fled from the city, Aitalāhā remained. As he was not hiding, he was quickly arrested and brought to the city of Ḥazā, to the Zoroastrian judge Shapur Tamshapur. When the judge asked him whether he was Christian, Aitalāhā gave a positive answer. At that time, the execution of Barḥadbešabbā was taking place, and Aitalāhā was brought to witness it. When he saw the pierced body of the martyr, Aitalāhā embraced it and smeared himself with clots of Barhadbeshabba's blood, while lamenting over him. He was then taken back to the judge, who ordered one of his Christian helpers to cut the right ear of Aitalāhā. After doing this, the executioner was immediately punished by God - his right hand was affected by a terrible ulcer and his right arm withered. Aitalāhā was put into prison, where he stayed for several days. (pp. 134-135)
Soon after that, Ḥapsay, a deacon from the 'country of ‘Arbāyē' was arrested and brought in chains to the same judge. When Ḥapsay acknowledged he was a Christian, he was severely beaten. Then Shapur Tamshapur handed over both prisoners to the Zoroastrian chief-priest, who is said to have been the 'ruler of Adiabene,' so that he would transfer them to the king. While they were travelling, the chief-priest wanted to let the prisoners escape, but they declined this opportunity. (pp. 135-136)
When the party of prisoners stopped for an extended period of time in the city of Šahrqart, Aitalāhā and Ḥapsay lodged in the house of a certain presbyter, who happened to witness a miracle of light coming from the body of Aitalāhā as he was praying in seclusion. (p. 136)
After the prisoners arrived at their final destination in the province of Khuzistan, they were brought before the king. They refused to 'worship' him, with Aitalāhā arguing that the king was an idolater and that their allegiance to one God prevented them from worshipping anything created. Immediately after that, they were given a death sentence and then beheaded with the sword. The martyrdom took place on the 16th of the lunar month of Kanun. (pp. 136-137)
Summary: S. Minov.
Composing and translating saint-related texts
MiraclesMiracle at martyrdom and death
Punishing miracle
Healing diseases and disabilities
Miraculous sound, smell, light
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesEcclesiastics - lesser clergy
Pagans
Zoroastrians
Source
The Martyrdom of Aitalāhā and Ḥapsay is an account of the conversion, arrest, and execution of Aitalāhā, a pagan priest from the city of Arbela in Northern Mesopotamia, and of Ḥapsay, a deacon from the region of Bet ‘Arbāyē. Arrested and interrogated by Shapur Tamshapur, the Zoroastrian chief-priest of Arbela, they are said to have been transferred to the region of Khuzistan, to be judged by the king. There they were sentenced and beheaded by the sword on "the 16th of the lunar month of Kanun" (perhaps December 2). The author does not give neither the name of the Sasanian king, under whom the martyrdom took place, nor the year of the event. However, since he makes the arrested ex-priest to witness the execution of *Barḥadbešabbā [S01466], which supposedly took place during the fifteenth year of the 'Great Persecution' of Shapur II (r. 309-379), i.e. in the year 354/5, one may deduce from this connection that the martyrdom of Aitalāhā and Ḥapsay was thought to happen also during the reign of this monarch, around the year 355.While it is difficult to establish the work's date with certainty, the second half of the 4th, or the 5th century seem to be a likely time of the Martyrdom's composition. The terminus post quem for the work is provided by the reference to another Persian martyr, Barḥadbešabbā [S01466], with the account of whose martyrdom [E03565] our author was apparently acquainted. As for the terminus ante quem, it could be deduced from the fact that the author of the Syriac Chronicle of Arbela (ca. 6th c.) makes use of the Martyrdom by integrating it, in a slightly reworked form, into the chapter dealing with the bishop Māran Zekhā (346-375 CE) (see ed. Kawerau 1985, pp. 61-65 [Syr.], 85-87 [trans.]).
The Martyrdom is attested in a single manuscript, Berlin, Königliche Bibliothek, or. oct. 1256 [= Assfalg 26], dated to the 19th century (see Assfalg 1963, pp. 53-56). It was edited by Bedjan 1890-1897.
Syriac text: Bedjan 1890-1897, vol. 4, pp. 133-137. Modern Arabic translation: Scher 1900-1906, vol. 1, pp. 308-311. For general information, see Fiey 2004, pp. 104-105; Peeters 1925, pp. 277-284.
Discussion
The Martyrdom bears witness to the local cult of the martyred pagan convert Aitalāhā and the deacon Ḥapsay, which apparently developed during the second half of the 4th or the 5th century in the city of Arbela in Northern Mesopotamia.Bibliography
Main editions and translations:Bedjan, P., Acta martyrum et sanctorum. 7 vols (Paris / Leipzig: Otto Harrassowitz, 1890-1897).
Kawerau, P., Die Chronik von Arbela. 2 vols (CSCO 467-468, Syr. 199-200; Leuven: Peeters, 1985).
Scher, A., Kitāb sīrat ’ašhar šuhadā’ al-Mašriq al-qiddisīn. 2 vols (Mossoul: Imprimerie des pères dominicains, 1900-1906).
Further reading:
Assfalg, J., Syrische Handschriften: syrische, karšunische, christlich-palästinensische, neusyrische und mandäische Handschriften (Verzeichnis der orientalischen Handschriften in Deutschland 5; Stuttgart: Franz Steiner, 1963).
Fiey, J.-M., Saints syriaques (Studies in Late Antiquity and Early Islam 6; Princeton, NJ: Darwin Press, 2004).
Peeters, P., “Le “Passionaire d’Adiabène”,” Analecta Bollandiana 43 (1925), 261-304.
Sergey Minov
23/08/2017
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S01466 | Barhadbeshabba, deacon and martyr in Persia under Shapur II | Certain | S01482 | Aitalāhā/Aeithalas and Ḥapsay/Apsees, martyrs in Persia | ܐܝܬܝܠܗܐ ܘܚܦܣܝ | Certain |
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