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The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity


from its origins to circa AD 700, across the entire Christian world


Coptic ostracon from Edfu/Apollonopolis (Upper Egypt) with a letter requesting to invoke Apa *Viktor (probably Viktor, martyr of Egypt, son of Romanos, S00749) on the sender’s behalf; datable to the 7th century.

Evidence ID

E04142

Type of Evidence

Documentary texts - Letter

Late antique original manuscripts - Ostracon/Pot-sherd

O.EdfouIFAO (= O. EdfouCopte) 21

The letter seems to ask the addressee to invoke the saint on the sender’s behalf.
Lines 1–11 read as follows:

+ ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲇⲉ ⲃⲓⲕ-
ⲧⲱⲣ ⲉⲧⲥϩⲁ ⲛ-
ⲥ̣ⲁⲙⲟⲩⲏⲗ ϫⲉ ⲟⲩ-
ⲱϣⲉ ⲛϭϣⲏ ⲛϭ̣-
ⲡⲁⲣⲁⲕⲁⲗⲉⲓ ⲛⲁ-
ⲡⲁ ⲃ̣ⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ ⲉⲧⲃⲉⲧ̣
ϫⲉ ⲙ{ⲡ̣}ⲁ̣ⲣⲉ ⲛⲉⲧⲛ-
ϣⲗⲏⲗ ⲧⲁϩⲁϥ ⲛⲧⲁ-
ⲣ̣ⲓ̣ⲣⲙ̣ⲡϣⲁ ⲛⲉⲓ ⲉⲣⲏⲥ
ⲛⲉⲧⲉⲩⲧⲉⲛ ϩⲛ ⲯⲁ-
ⲃⲁⲧⲟⲛ

‘I am Viktor who writes to Samuel:
Be pleased to go and entreat Apa Viktor on my behalf. May your prayers reach him, so that I may be worthy to come south to you on Saturday.’


(Text: S. Bacot, slightly modified; trans.: G. Schenke)

Cult Places

Cult building - unspecified

Non Liturgical Activity

Prayer/supplication/invocation

Source

The potsherd inv. 146 is currently kept at the IFAO in Cairo. Its dating is based on context, as the ostracon was found together with many others, one of them being a liturgical calendar giving entries for the years 643–648.


Bibliography

Text and French translation:
Bacot, S., Ostraca grecs et coptes des fouilles franco-polonaises sur le site de Tell Edfou. O. EdfouCopte 1-145 (Bibliothèque d'Études Coptes 19; Cairo, 2009), 43.


Record Created By

Gesa Schenke

Date of Entry

12/10/2017

Related Saint Records
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S00749Viktor, martyr of Egypt, son of Romanos; and companion martyrsⲁⲡⲁ ⲃ̣ⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣCertain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E04142 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E04142