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The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity


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


The Greek Martyrdom of *Kriskes (martyr of Myra, S01880) recounts the martyrdom of its hero at Myra (south-west Asia Minor), mentioning his feast on 15 April. Written at Myra, probably during Late Antiquity.

Evidence ID

E05105

Type of Evidence

Literary - Hagiographical - Accounts of martyrdom

Martyrdom of Kriskes of Myra (BHG 2087)

Brief summary:

Kriskes is brought to the governor in Myra during a persecution of Christians. He confesses to being a Christian, and is beaten and subjected to various kinds of torture, but he is not harmed. The governor orders that he be taken to jail, and condemns the torturers to death for their failure. They are drowned in the sea. Kriskes is condemned to death in a furnace. Thrown into the fire, he stands in the middle, says his final prayers, and an angel comes to receive his soul. The executioners retrieve the body and throw it to be eaten by the birds, but the Christians collect it and bury it with honours. Several demoniacs are healed on that day. Kriskes died on 15 April.

Summary: E. Rizos.

Festivals

Saint’s feast

Cult Places

Burial site of a saint - unspecified

Non Liturgical Activity

Composing and translating saint-related texts

Protagonists in Cult and Narratives

Pagans
Officials
Torturers/Executioners

Source

The text is preserved in one manuscript, the 10th century Codex Patmensis 254, fol. 105-107:

http://pinakes.irht.cnrs.fr/notices/oeuvre/15041/


Discussion

This brief martyrdom account is an important survivor of the hagiography of the martyrs of Lycia. The Miracle of Nikolaos of Myra (E05107) mentions that the shrine of Kriskes (a Hellenised form of the Latin Crescens or Crescentius), which he shared with a martyr called Dioskourides, was located on the road between Myra and the port of Andriake. There is also a martyrdom account of Kriskes and Dioskourides (BHG 2088), which is currently unpublished.


Bibliography

Text:
Wortley, J., "The Passion of Saint Crescentius (BHG 2087)," Analecta Bollandiana 95 (1977), 241-246.


Record Created By

Efthymios Rizos

Date of Entry

20/02/2018

Related Saint Records
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S01880Kriskes, martyr of MyraΚρίσκηςCertain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Efthymios Rizos, Cult of Saints, E05105 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E05105