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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 *Thyrsos, Leukios and Kallinikos (martyrs of Bithynia, S00612), recounting the trial and execution of three Christian converts in Bithynia south of the gulf of Nicomedia, is translated into Syriac during the 5th or 6th century.

Evidence ID

E06243

Type of Evidence

The Syriac text of the Martyrdom [for a description and discussion of the Greek version, see E06222] is preserved in no less than three manuscripts. The two earliest textual witnesses of this work are: mss. British Library, Add. 14654 (see Wright 1870-1872, vol. 3, pp. 1081-1083), and Vatican, Syr. 160 (see Assemani & Assemani 1759, pp. 319-324), both dating from the late fifth or the sixth century.

No edition of the Syriac version of the
Martyrdom or a comparison with the Greek version has been carried out so far.

Discussion

The Syriac translation of the Martyrdom bears witness to the spread of the cult of Thyrsos, Leukios and Kallinikos among Syriac-speaking Christians during the fifth or, at latest, the sixth century, and is the earliest witness of the saints' cult in this milieu.

Bibliography

Bibliography:
Assemani, S.E., and Assemani, J.S.,
Bibliothecæ Apostolicæ Vaticanæ codicum manuscriptorum catalogus. Partis primæ, tomus tertius, complectens reliquos codices chaldaicos sive syriacos (Roma: Ex typographia linguarum orientalium, 1759).

Wright, W.,
Catalogue of Syriac Manuscripts in the British Museum, Acquired since the Year 1838. 3 vols (London: Trustees of the British Museum, 1870-1872).


Record Created By

Sergey Minov

Date of Entry

23/08/2018

Related Saint Records
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S00612Thyrsos and companions, martyrs of Bithyniaܬܪܣܘܤ ܠܘܩܝܘܤ ܩܠܝܢܘܤCertain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Sergey Minov, Cult of Saints, E06243 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E06243