Two Coptic Encomia on *Klaudios Stratelates (martyr of Alexandria and Antinoopolis, S02667), attributed to Constantine of Assiut, recount seven posthumous miracles of the saint at his shrine at Antinoopolis/Antinoe (Middle Egypt). Written in Coptic, probably at Antinoopolis, at an uncertain date, probably within the later 7th or 8th centuries.
E07007
Literary - Hagiographical - Lives
Literary - Hagiographical - Accounts of martyrdom
Collection of the miracles of Apa Klaudios from the first encomium attributed to Constantine, Bishop of Assiut (c. 600)
The miracles in both encomia are in this entry listed consecutively as 1-7, for convenience. However, in publications listed in the bibliography, the miracles in the second encomium may be listed as 1-4.
The three posthumous miracles in the first encomium follow an account of the saint’s martyrdom.
Miracle One (The cruel steward)
Following the construction of Apa Klaudios’ shrine, the first steward, a kind man, dies and is replaced by a cruel one. Three men travelling to Antinoopolis, in order to complain to the dux about their treatment by archons in Psoi, wish to spend the night in the shrine, but the steward refuses to let them enter and they have to sleep outside. When night falls, Apa Klaudios appears in the guise of an archon:
ⲛⲧⲉⲣⲉⲣⲟⲩϩⲉ ⲇⲉ ϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲉⲓⲥ ⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲕⲗⲁⲩⲇⲓⲟⲥ ⲁϥⲉⲓ ⲉⲣⲙⲡⲣⲟ ⲙⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ : ⲉϥⲟ ⲙⲡⲉⲥⲙⲟⲧ ⲛⲟⲩⲛⲟϭ ⲛⲁⲣⲭⲱⲛ
‘When evening came, behold the saint Apa Klaudios came to the door of the sanctuary, taking the form of a great archon.’ (ed. Godron, p. 158, lines 1-2)
He asks the men why they are sleeping outside, and then summons the steward, who could not be more hospitable to the saint if he tried. He invites him to eat inside the shrine but objects when the saint requests that the three men outside join them, because of their inferior wealth and status. As punishment, Apa Klaudios has the steward flogged until he wishes to die, and throws him out of the shrine. The three men, mistaking the disguised saint for the dux whom they seek, explain their circumstances:
ⲁϥϫⲱⲣⲙ ⲇⲉ ⲉⲡⲉϥϩⲙϩⲁⲗ ⲛϭⲓ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲕⲗⲁⲩⲇⲓⲟⲥ ⲉϭⲱⲡⲉ ⲙⲡⲟⲓⲕⲟⲛⲟⲙⲟⲥ ⲛⲥⲉⲥⲟⲛϩϥ ⲉⲟⲩⲁ ⲛⲛⲉⲥⲧⲩⲗⲗⲟⲥ · ⲁϥϫⲓ ⲛⲟⲩⲧⲁⲩⲣⲉⲁ ⲛϭⲓ ⲡϩⲙϩⲁⲗ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ⲕⲗⲁⲩⲇⲓⲟⲥ · ⲁϥⲧⲁϣⲉϩⲓⲟⲩⲉ ⲉⲡⲟⲓⲕⲟⲛⲟⲙⲟⲥ · ⲕⲁⲗⲱⲥ : ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲉϥⲁϣⲕⲁⲕ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϫⲉⲛⲁ ⲛⲁⲓ ⲉⲛⲉϥϩⲓⲟⲩⲉ ⲉⲣⲟϥ ⲛϣⲟⲙⲧⲉ ⲛⲟⲩⲛⲟⲩ · ϣⲁⲛⲧⲉϥⲕⲁⲧⲟⲟⲧϥ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲉⲡⲙⲟⲩ : ⲁⲩⲱ ⲁϥⲧⲣⲉⲩⲛⲟϫϥ ⲉⲡⲃⲟⲗ ⲙⲡⲣⲟ ⲙⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ : - ⲛⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲇⲉ ⲛϣⲙⲙⲟ ⲛⲉⲩⲙⲉⲉⲩⲉ ϫⲉⲡⲇⲟⲩⲝ ⲡⲉ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲕⲗⲁⲩⲇⲓⲟⲥ · ⲁⲩⲃⲱⲕ ⲁⲩⲡⲁϩⲧⲟⲩ ⲙⲡⲉϥⲙⲧⲟ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ·
‘Apa Klaudios signalled to his servant to take the steward and tie him to one of the columns. The servant of Apa Klaudios took a leather whip [lit. ‘a beef sinew’] and, with redoubled blows, struck the steward, who cried out:
“Have mercy on me!” He flogged him for three hours, to the point at which he was desperate to die. Then he had him thrown at the door of the sanctuary. The strangers thought that Apa Klaudios was the dux. They went to prostrate themselves before him.’ (ed. Godron, p. 158, lines 22-9)
They explain their complaint, and, after confessing that he is not the dux, the saint promises to write to him on their behalf. Then Apa Klaudios confronts the steward:
ⲡⲟⲓⲕⲟⲛⲟⲙⲟⲥ ⲇⲉ ⲛⲧⲁⲛϣⲣⲡϣⲁϫⲉ ⲉⲣⲟϥ · ⲛⲉⲁⲡⲉϥⲥⲱⲙⲁ ϣⲟⲃⲉ ϩⲓⲧⲛⲛⲥⲁϣ ⲛⲧⲁⲡⲡⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲧⲁⲁⲩ ⲛⲁϥ ⲁⲛⲉϥⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲧⲁⲗⲟϥ · ⲁⲩϫⲓⲧϥ ⲉⲡⲉϥⲏⲓ ⲉϥϩⲁⲃⲁⲥⲁⲛⲟⲥ · ⲁϥⲟⲩⲱⲛϩ ⲉⲣⲟϥ ⲛϭⲓⲁⲡⲁ ⲕⲗⲁⲩⲇⲓⲟⲥ ⲁϥⲁⲡⲓⲗⲏ ⲉⲣⲟϥ ⲉϥϫⲱ ⲙⲙⲟⲥ · ⲉⲧⲃⲉⲟⲩ ⲉⲕⲟ ⲛⲁⲅⲣⲓⲟⲥ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲉⲑⲓⲕⲱⲛ ⲙⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲉⲕⲙⲟⲥⲧⲉ ⲛⲛⲉϩⲏⲕⲉ · ⲛⲅⲟⲩⲱϣ ⲁⲛ ⲉϯⲙⲛⲧⲛⲁ ϩⲙⲡⲉⲧⲉⲡⲱⲓⲡⲉ · ⲟⲩⲇⲉ ⲛⲅⲟⲩⲱϣ ⲁⲛ ⲉⲧⲣⲉⲣⲱⲙⲉ ϭⲟⲓⲗⲉ ⲉⲡⲁⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲉⲓⲙⲏⲧⲉⲓ ⲛⲉⲧⲛⲁϯⲗⲁⲁⲩ ⲛⲁⲕ · ⲙⲏ ⲛⲧⲁⲓⲧⲁⲛϩⲟⲩⲧⲕ ⲉⲡⲁⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲙⲛⲛⲁⲉⲛⲕⲁ ⲉⲧⲣⲉⲕⲟⲩⲟⲙⲟⲩ ⲙⲁⲩⲁⲁⲕ · ⲁⲗⲗⲁ ⲛⲁⲓ ⲛⲉⲧⲉⲣⲉⲡϫⲟⲉⲓⲥ ϫⲱ ⲙⲙⲟⲟⲩ · ϫⲉⲡⲙⲁⲛⲉⲛⲕⲟⲧⲕ ⲛⲧⲁⲕⲟⲗⲕ ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ ⲉϫⲱϥ : ⲛⲛⲉⲕⲧⲱⲟⲩⲛ ϩⲓϫⲱϥ ϣⲁⲛⲧⲉⲕⲙⲟⲩ · ϫⲉⲧⲁⲓⲧⲉ ⲧⲇⲓⲙⲱⲣⲓⲁ ⲉϯⲛⲁⲛⲧⲥ ⲉϫⲙⲡⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲛⲁⲧⲛⲁ ϩⲙⲡⲁⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ : ⲁⲩⲱ ⲉⲕⲉⲧⲁⲩⲟ ⲉⲡⲉⲓⲙⲏⲏϣⲉ ⲧⲏⲣϥ ⲛⲛⲉⲛⲧⲁⲓϫⲟⲟⲩ ⲛⲁⲕ · ⲛⲧⲉⲣⲉϥⲧⲱⲟⲩⲛ ⲇⲉ ⲛϩⲧⲟⲟⲩⲉ ⲁϥϫⲱ ⲉⲟⲩⲟⲛ ⲛⲓⲙ · ⲙⲡⲉⲛⲧⲁϥⲛⲁⲩ ⲉⲣⲟϥ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲉϥϣⲟⲟⲡ ϩⲉⲛⲧⲃⲁⲥⲁⲛⲟⲥ · ϣⲁⲡⲉϩⲟⲟⲩ ⲙⲡⲉϥⲙⲟⲩ : -
‘As for the steward about whom we spoke, his body was swollen from the blows the saint had given him. His men lifted him up and took him to his house while he was suffering.
Apa Klaudios appeared to him and threatened him, saying: “Rejected man, why are you cruel to the image of God and hate the poor? Do you not wish to give charity with my goods and do you not wish to allow men to visit my sanctuary if they will not give you anything? Is it that I have entrusted to you my sanctuary and my goods so that you may eat them yourself? But these things which the Lord says: ‘The bed upon which you have put yourself, you will not rise from it until you die.’ For this is the punishment that I will bring upon the man who does not give charity in my sanctuary, and you will recount to this whole crowd the things which I have said to you.”
When he [the steward] got up at dawn, he told everyone that which he had seen. And he suffered from torture until the day of his death.’ (ed. Godron, p. 160, lines 1-15)
Miracle Two (The tax collector)
The writer claims to have witnessed the events of this miracle first-hand. The emperor’s tax collector arrives in the region of Assiut accompanied by soldiers. They interrupt a celebration at the shrine of Apa Klaudios, breaking lanterns and eating food meant for the faithful. While the writer says that he is comforting the frightened gathering, and praying for the saint to intervene, Apa Klaudios appears mounted on horseback in full military garb and accompanied by soldiers:
ⲉⲓⲥ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲕⲗⲁⲩⲇⲓⲟⲥ ⲁϥⲉⲓ ⲉϥϫⲱⲣⲙ · ⲉϥⲧⲁⲗⲏⲩ · ⲉⲩⲉϩⲧⲟ ⲛⲟⲩⲱⲃϣ · ⲉϥⲟ ⲙⲡⲉⲥⲙⲟⲧ ⲛⲟⲩⲛⲟϭ ⲛⲥⲧⲣⲁⲧⲏⲗⲁⲧⲏⲥ ⲛⲧⲉⲡⲣⲣⲟ · ⲉⲣⲉⲟⲩⲡⲟⲣⲫⲩⲣⲁ ⲛⲁⲩⲁⲛ ⲛⲏϭⲉ ⲧⲟ ⲉϩⲓⲱⲱϥ · ⲉⲣⲉⲟⲩⲙⲟⲩⲥ · ⲛⲥⲡⲁⲑⲁⲣⲓⲟⲥ ⲙⲏⲣ ⲙⲙⲟϥ · ⲉⲣⲉⲟⲩⲥⲏϥⲉ ⲧⲟⲕⲙ ϩⲛⲧⲉϥϭⲓϫ · ⲉⲣⲉⲟⲩⲙⲏⲏϣⲉ ⲙⲙⲁⲧⲟⲓ ⲟⲩⲏϩ ⲛⲥⲱϥ ·
‘Behold, Apa Klaudios came, hastening and mounted on a white horse and taking the form of a great stratelates of the emperor, dressed in royal [lit. ‘purple’] clothes of the colour green [lit. ‘green’, Godron suggests ‘blue’], the belt of a soldier tied around him, a drawn sword in his hand, and a troop of soldiers following him.’ (ed. Godron, p. 162, lines 8-12)
He challenges the tax collector, who attempts to flee by climbing onto the roof of the sanctuary, only for the saint to throw him to his death. Seeing this, the soldiers flee in terror:
ⲁϥⲁⲙⲁϩⲧⲉ ⲛⲧⲉϥⲟⲩⲉⲣⲏⲧⲉ ⲛϭⲓ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲕⲗⲁⲩⲇⲓⲟⲥ · ⲁϥⲛⲟϫϥ ⲉⲡⲉⲥⲏⲧ ϩⲛⲧϫⲟ ⲛⲉⲙⲛⲧ ⲙⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲁϥⲙⲟⲩ ϩⲛⲟⲩⲙⲟⲩ ⲛϩⲟⲧⲉ · ⲙⲙⲁⲧⲟⲓ ⲇⲉ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲏϩ ⲛⲥⲱϥ ⲁⲩⲁⲗⲉ ⲉⲛⲉⲩⲉϩⲧⲱⲱⲣ · ⲁⲩⲡⲱⲧ ϩⲛⲟⲩϣⲧⲟⲣⲧⲣ ·
‘Apa Klaudios seized his feet and threw him down from the west wall of the sanctuary. And he died a frightful death. The soldiers following him mounted their horses and fled in haste.’ (ed. Godron, p. 164, lines 7-9)
The faithful then praise the Lord, discard the tax collector’s body outside the city, and finish the interrupted celebration.
Miracle Three (The possessed man)
This miracle seems to follow immediately from the previous one, with the continuing celebration being further interrupted by a possessed man. Through the man, the demon taunts Apa Klaudios, referring to him as ‘man of Antioch’ and claiming that he won’t be able to exorcise it:
ⲛⲧⲉⲣⲉⲛϯ ⲇⲉ ⲛⲧϣⲟⲣⲡⲉ ⲛⲉⲓⲣⲏⲛⲏ · ⲉⲓⲥ ⲟⲩⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲁϥⲉ ⲉϥⲡⲏⲧ · ⲉⲣⲉⲟⲩⲇⲁⲓⲙⲟⲛⲓⲟⲛ ϩⲓⲱⲱϥ · ⲁϥⲟⲛϣϥ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ϩⲙⲡⲙⲏⲏϣⲉ · ⲛⲉⲟⲩⲥⲕⲗⲏⲣⲟⲥ ⲅⲁⲣⲡⲉ ⲛⲧⲟⲗⲙⲏⲣⲟⲥ · ⲁϥⲁϣⲕⲁⲕ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲛⲟⲩⲛⲟϭ ⲙⲙⲛⲧⲁⲩⲑⲁⲧⲏⲥ · ϫⲉⲙⲡⲣϣⲟⲩϣⲟⲩ ⲙⲙⲟⲕ ⲱ ⲡⲣⲙⲁⲛⲇⲓⲟⲭⲓⲁ ϫⲉⲛⲅⲛⲁϣⲛⲟϫⲧ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲁⲛ ϩⲙⲡⲁⲏⲓ ·
‘When we were giving the first peace, look a man came running with a demon inside him. He intruded upon the crowd, for he was rough and brazen. He cried out in great insolence, saying: “Do not be prideful, man of Antioch, for you will not be able to cast me out of my house!” ’ (ed. Godron, p. 164, lines 27-35)
Following the demon’s tirade, the saint overpowers it almost immediately:
ⲁϥϭⲱ ⲇⲉ ⲉϥϫⲓⲟⲩⲁ · ⲁϥⲁϣⲧϥ ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ ⲁϥⲉⲝⲉⲇⲁⲍⲉ ⲙⲙⲟϥ · ⲁϥⲁϣⲕⲁⲕ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲛⲟⲩⲛⲟϭ ⲙⲙⲛⲧϭⲱⲃ ϫⲉⲁⲓⲉⲓⲙⲉ ⲉⲧⲉⲕϭⲟⲙ ⲱ ⲕⲗⲁⲩⲇⲓⲟⲥ
‘He continued to blaspheme. He (Klaudios) suspended him and tested [or ‘interrogated’] him. He [the demon] cried out with great weakness, saying: “I have understood your power, O Klaudios.” ’ (ed. Godron, p. 166, lines 11-12)
The demon then begs for mercy and leaves the man’s body, promising to depart to Persia:
ⲛⲧⲉⲩⲛⲟⲩ ⲁϥϩⲉ ⲉϫⲙⲡⲉϥϩⲟ · ⲁϥⲱϣ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ · ϩⲛⲟⲩⲛⲟϭ ⲛⲥⲙⲏ ϫⲉϯⲛⲏⲩ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲛϩⲏⲧϥ ⲕⲁⲧⲁⲑⲉ ⲛⲧⲁⲕⲟⲩⲉϩⲥⲁϩⲛⲉ ⲛⲁⲓ ⲧⲁⲃⲱⲕ ⲉⲧⲡⲉⲣⲥⲓⲥ : - ⲁⲩⲱ ⲧⲁⲓⲧⲉ ⲑⲉ ⲛⲧⲁϥⲟⲩϫⲁⲓ ⲛϭⲓⲡⲣⲱⲙⲉ · ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲙⲡⲇⲁⲓⲙⲟⲛⲓⲟⲛ ·
‘Immediately he fell upon his face and cried out in a great voice, saying: “I will come out of him according to the way in which you commanded me, and I will go to Persia.” And this was the manner in which the man was saved from the demon.’ (ed. Godron, p. 166, lines 16-18)
Collection of the miracles of Apa Klaudios from the second encomium attributed to Constantine, Bishop of Assiut (c. 600)
The miracles in both encomia are in this entry listed consecutively as 1-7, for convenience. However, in publications listed in the bibliography, the miracles in the second encomium may be listed as 1-4.
The four posthumous miracles in the second encomium follow the opening preamble.
Miracle Four (Dionysus the pagan)
A pagan man called Dionysus is invited to attend the feast of Apa Klaudios by his Christian neighbours. While at the shrine, he admires the fine things there and thinks that they would be better-suited in the shrine dedicated to a gold idol that he ahs at his home:
ⲛⲉⲟⲩⲛⲧⲁϥ ⲙⲙⲁⲩ ⲛⲟⲩⲧⲟⲩⲱⲧ ⲛⲛⲟⲩⲃ ϩⲙⲡⲉϥⲏⲓ ⲉϥϣⲙϣⲉ ⲛⲁϥ · ⲉⲁϥⲧⲁⲙⲓⲟ ⲛⲁϥ ⲛⲟⲩⲙⲁ ⲉϥⲧⲃⲃⲏⲩ ⲉⲁϥⲕⲁⲗⲗⲟⲡⲓⲍⲉ ⲙⲙⲟϥ ϩⲛϩⲉⲛⲡⲉⲇⲁⲗⲟⲛ · ⲙⲛϩⲉⲛⲱⲛⲉ ⲉⲩⲧⲁⲓⲏⲩ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲟⲩⲫⲁⲛⲟⲥ ⲉϥⲙⲟⲩϩ ⲙⲡⲉϥⲙⲧⲟ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ
‘He had an idol of gold in his house which he worshipped and for which he had made a consecrated place which he had adorned with metal leaves and precious stones, and he had placed a burning lamp in its presence.’ (ed. Godron, p. 194, lines 11-14)
Apa Klaudios appears to Dionysus in disguise and offers him a silver chandelier in exchange for his money, which Klaudios then uses to commission from a ship's captain the purchase of glass vessels for the shrine:
ⲁⲡⲁ ⲕⲗⲁⲩⲇⲓⲟⲥ ⲇⲉ ⲁϥϫⲓ ⲙⲡⲉⲓⲛⲉ ⲙⲡⲟⲓⲕⲟⲛⲟⲙⲟⲥ ⲙⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ · ⲁϥⲛⲉϩⲥⲉ ⲛⲟⲩⲛⲟϭ ⲛⲛⲉⲉϥ ϩⲙⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲉϥⲉⲛⲕⲟⲧⲕ ⲉϥⲏⲡ ⲉⲧⲡⲟⲗⲓⲥ ⲥⲓⲟⲟⲩⲧ · ⲁϥϯ ⲛⲁϥ ⲙⲡⲙⲛⲧⲁⲥⲉ ⲛϩⲟⲗⲟⲕⲟⲧⲧⲓⲛⲟⲥ ϫⲉⲉⲕϣⲁⲛⲃⲱⲕ ⲉⲣⲁⲕⲟⲧⲉ ⲉⲕⲉϣⲟⲡⲟⲩ ⲛⲁⲓ ⲛϩⲉⲛⲁⲃⲓϭⲏⲉⲓⲛ ⲛⲁⲩⲁⲛ ⲛⲥⲁⲡⲡⲓⲣⲟⲛ ϩⲓⲥⲙⲁⲣⲁⲕⲧⲟⲥ ϫⲉⲧⲉⲛⲣⲭⲣⲓⲁ ⲙⲙⲟⲩ ⲉⲡϩⲱⲃ ⲙⲡⲉⲓⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ
‘Apa Klaudios took on the likeness of the steward of the shrine. He woke a captain in the shrine who slept and who belonged to the city of Assiut. He gave the sixteen holokotinos to him, saying: “When you go to Rakote, buy for me [with] these some glasses the colour of sapphire and emerald because we need them for the matter in this shrine.”’ (ed. Godron, p. 196, line 31-p. 198, line 2)
Apa Klaudios then disguises himself as a soldier and, along with Apa Viktor [*Viktor, martyr of Egypt, son of Romanos, S00749] pursues Dionysus for theft:
ⲁⲡⲁ ⲕⲗⲁⲩⲇⲓⲟⲥ ⲇⲉ ⲁϥϫⲓ ⲙⲡⲓⲛⲉ ⲛⲟⲩⲙⲁⲧⲟⲓ · ⲉⲣⲉⲕⲉⲟⲩⲁ ⲙⲟⲟϣⲉ ⲛⲙⲙⲁϥ · ⲉⲧⲉⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣⲡⲉ
‘Then Apa Klaudios took on the likeness of a soldier with another [soldier] walking with him who was the saint Apa Victor.’ (ed. Godron, p. 198, lines 3-4)
They have him take them to his home, and then take him, the chandelier, and his gold idol to the shrine, where he recounts what happened to him. The writer then claims to have been summoned by the saint himself to the shrine to baptise Dionysus, who donated all his goods and remained serving at the shrine for the rest of his life.
ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲇⲉ ⲁⲓⲉⲓⲙⲉ ϫⲉⲡⲡⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ · ⲥⲡⲟⲩⲇⲁⲍⲉ ⲉⲧⲟⲩϫⲟ ⲛⲛⲉⲩⲯⲩⲭⲏ · ⲁϥⲡⲁⲣⲁⲕⲁⲗⲉⲓ ⲙⲙⲟⲓ · ⲁⲓⲃⲁⲡϯⲍⲉ ⲙⲙⲟϥ · ⲁⲓⲥⲩⲛⲁⲅⲉ ⲙⲙⲟϥ ϩⲙⲡⲉⲓⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲙⲡⲉϩⲟⲟⲩ ⲉⲧⲙⲙⲁⲩ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲁϥⲉⲣⲥⲁϣϥ ⲛϩⲟⲟⲩ ϩⲙⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ : ⲉⲩⲕⲁⲑⲏⲕⲉⲓ ⲙⲙⲟϥ · ⲙⲛⲛⲥⲱⲥ ⲁϥⲃⲱⲕ ⲉⲡⲉϥⲏⲓ · ⲁϥⲉⲓⲛⲉ ⲙⲡⲉⲧⲉⲟⲩⲛⲧⲁϥ ⲧⲏⲣϥ ⲁϥⲉⲓ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲉⲡⲉⲓⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲙⲛⲧⲉϥϩⲙϩⲁⲗ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡⲉⲧⲟⲩⲱⲧ : ⲁϥⲟⲩⲟϭⲡϥ · ⲁϥⲧⲁⲁϥ ⲉⲧⲇⲓⲁⲕⲟⲛⲓⲁ : ⲛⲛⲉϩⲏⲕⲉ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲉϥϣⲟⲟⲡ ϩⲙⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ · ⲙⲛⲧⲉϥϩⲙϩⲁⲗ ⲉⲩⲇⲓⲁⲕⲟⲛⲉⲓ ϣⲁⲡⲉⲱⲟⲟⲩ ⲙⲡⲉⲩⲙⲟⲩ :
‘I know that the saint works diligently for the salvation of their souls. He summoned me and I baptised him. I gave him communion in the shrine that day. And he spent seven days in the shrine being instructed. Afterwards, he went to his house. He brought all of that which was his. He came into this shrine with his slave and the idol. He broke it and gave it to the service of the poor. And he was in the shrine with his slave serving until the day of their death.’ (ed. Godron, p. 202, line 32-p. 204, line 14)
Miracle Five (Daniel the Melitian priest)
The writer claims to recall a Melitian priest called Daniel who preached heresy in Assiut (that the Trinity were separate beings rather than one):
ⲁⲓϣⲡϩⲁϩ ⲛϩⲓⲥⲉ ⲙⲛⲛⲉⲧⲱϭⲉ ⲛⲧⲁⲙⲉⲗⲓⲧⲟⲥ ⲧⲟϭⲟⲩ ⲙⲡⲉⲓⲉϣⲡⲟⲣⲕⲟⲩ ϩⲛⲧⲉⲓⲡⲟⲗⲓⲥ · ⲉⲁϥⲡⲉⲣϫϩⲁϩ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲛⲧⲡⲓⲥⲧⲓⲥ ⲙⲡϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲙⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ · ⲉϥϫⲱ ⲛϩⲉⲛϣⲁϫⲉ ⲛϫⲓⲟⲩⲁ ⲕⲁⲧⲁⲧⲉⲧⲣⲓⲁⲥ · ⲛϥϯⲥⲃⲱ ⲁⲛ ⲉⲧⲙⲉⲗⲉⲧⲁ ⲛⲛⲉⲅⲣⲁⲫⲏ · ⲁⲗⲗⲁ ⲛⲉϥϫⲱ ⲙⲙⲟⲥ ϫⲉⲡⲓⲱⲧ ⲡϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲡⲉⲡⲛⲁ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ · ⲉϥⲡⲱⲣϫ ⲙⲙⲟⲟⲩ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲛⲛⲉⲩⲉⲣⲏⲩ : ⲧⲉⲓⲡⲓⲥⲧⲓⲥ ⲇⲉ ⲛⲉⲥϣⲟⲟⲡ ϩⲛⲧⲡⲟⲗⲓⲥ ⲥⲓⲟⲟⲩⲧ ϣⲁϩⲣⲁⲓ ⲉⲡⲟⲟⲩ ⲛϩⲟⲟⲩ · ⲛⲉⲩⲛⲟⲩⲡⲣⲉⲥⲃⲩⲧⲉⲣⲟⲥ ⲇⲉ ϩⲛⲧⲉⲓⲡⲟⲗⲓⲥ · ⲉϥϩⲛⲧⲉⲑⲣⲏⲥⲕⲓⲁ · ⲉⲧⲙⲙⲁⲩ ϩⲛⲟⲩϩⲱⲡ ·
‘I received much suffering of the plants which Melitius planted. I was unable to uproot them in this city while he separated many from the faith of the Son of God, saying words of blasphemy against the Trinity. He does not teach the study of the scriptures, but he said: “The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, each of them is separate from the others.” This faith was in the city of Assiut up to today, but the faithful do not separate the Trinity. There was a priest in this city who was in that sect in secret.’ (ed. Godron, p. 204, line 27-p. 206, line 7)
Daniel attends the feast of Apa Klaudios and is threatened by a sword-wielding angel for daring to enter the saint’s shrine. Daniel faints and after three days awakens and goes to Constantine of Assiut to renounce his heresy. Constantine teaches him the true Word of God, and Daniel becomes a hermit in the desert. The Devil tries to tempt Daniel. His first attempt is as an elderly monk inviting Daniel to the city of Shmoun (El-Ashmunein) to marry his daughter:
ⲡⲉϫⲁϥ ⲛϭⲓⲡⲉⲡⲣⲉⲥⲃⲩⲧⲉⲣⲟⲥ · ϫⲉⲁⲗⲗⲁ ⲉⲣϣⲁⲛⲡⲁⲉⲓⲱⲧ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲕⲱⲥⲧⲁⲛⲧⲓⲛⲟⲥ ⲉⲓⲙⲉ ⲉⲡⲁⲓ · ϥⲛⲁϭⲉⲛⲁⲣⲓⲕⲉ ⲉⲣⲟⲓ : - ⲡⲉϫⲉⲡⲇⲓⲁⲃⲟⲗⲟⲥ ϫⲉϩⲱⲗⲟⲥ ⲣⲱ ⲛⲧⲛⲛⲁⲡⲱⲧ ⲁⲛ ⲉⲧⲡⲟⲗⲓⲥ ⲥⲓⲟⲟⲩⲧ · ⲁⲗⲗⲁ ⲧⲉⲛⲛⲁⲃⲱⲕ ⲉϩⲏⲧ ⲉⲧⲡⲟⲗⲓⲥ ϣⲙⲟⲩⲛ ϥϣⲟⲟⲡ ϩⲙⲡⲙⲁ ⲉⲧⲙⲙⲁⲩ ⲛϭⲓⲡⲥⲟⲡ ⲙⲡⲁⲉⲓⲱⲧ ⲙⲛⲟⲩϣⲉⲉⲣⲉ ⲙⲡⲁⲣⲑⲉⲛⲟⲥ ⲉⲛⲉⲥⲱⲥ ϯⲛⲁϫⲓⲧⲥ ⲛⲁⲕ ⲛⲥϩⲓⲙⲉ · ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ϩⲱ ϯⲛⲁϫⲓ ⲛⲕⲉⲟⲩⲉⲓ ϩⲙⲡⲁⲅⲉⲛⲟⲥ · ⲛⲧⲉⲛⲧⲁⲙⲓⲟϩⲙⲙⲁⲛϭⲟⲓⲗⲉ ⲛⲧⲉⲛϣⲙϣⲉ ⲉⲣⲟⲛ · ⲛⲛⲉϣⲙⲙⲟ · ⲛⲑⲉ ⲛⲁⲃⲣⲁϩⲁⲙ · ⲛⲧⲉⲡⲉⲛⲣⲁⲛ ⲣⲥⲟⲉⲓⲧ · ϩⲙⲙⲁ ⲛⲓⲙ · ⲉⲧⲃⲉⲧⲛⲙⲛⲧⲙⲁⲓⲣⲱⲙⲉ :
‘The priest said: “But if my father Apa Constantine knew about this, he would blame me.” The Devil said: “But of course we would not flee to the city of Assiut, but we will go north to the city of Shmoun. The brother of my father lives there with a virgin and beautiful daughter. I will marry her to you as a wife. I myself, I will marry another in my family. And we will create a dwelling place and we will serve for us strangers in the manner of Abraham and our name will be famous in every place because of our kindness.” ’ (ed. Godron, p. 208, lines 21-8)
His second attempt is more blatant, as a beautiful naked woman asking to stay the night. This attempt almost works, but Apa Klaudios appears on horseback and points out to Daniel that this is all a trick by the Devil.
ⲁⲡⲇⲓⲁⲃⲟⲗⲟⲥ ϫⲓ ⲙⲡⲉⲓⲛⲉ ⲛⲟⲩⲥϩⲓⲙⲉ ⲉⲛⲉⲥⲱⲥ ⲉⲥⲕⲏⲕⲁϩⲏⲩ : ⲛⲉⲣⲉⲡⲟⲟϩ ⲇⲉ ⲉⲣⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛ : ⲁⲥϩⲱⲛ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲉⲣⲟϥ ⲁⲥⲱϣ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϫⲉⲛⲁϩⲙⲉⲧ ⲡⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲙⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ · ⲛⲅϯⲛⲁⲓ ⲛⲟⲩⲗⲉⲃⲓⲧⲱⲛ : ⲛⲧⲁϩⲱⲃⲥ ⲙⲡⲁⲕⲱⲕⲁϩⲏⲩ ϫⲉⲛⲧⲁⲟⲩϩⲉⲣϣⲓⲣⲉ ⲁⲡⲁⲛⲧⲁ ⲉⲣⲟⲓ ⲁϥϫⲓⲧ ⲛϭⲟⲛⲥ ⲁϥⲉⲛⲕⲁⲧⲕ ⲛⲙⲙⲁⲓ · ⲁϥϥⲓ ⲛⲛⲁϩⲟⲓⲧⲉ ⲁϥⲕⲁⲁⲧ ⲉⲓⲕⲏⲕⲁϩⲏⲩ ⲧⲉⲛⲟⲩϭⲉ ϯⲥⲟⲡⲥ ⲙⲙⲟⲕ : ⲉⲧⲣⲉⲕϣⲟⲡⲧ ⲉⲣⲟⲕ ϣⲁϩⲧⲟⲟⲩⲉ ⲙⲏⲡⲟⲧⲉ ⲛⲅϯ ⲛⲁⲓ ⲛⲟⲩⲗⲉⲃⲓⲧⲱⲛ · ⲛⲧⲁϭⲟⲟⲗⲉⲧ ⲙⲙⲟⲥ ⲛⲧⲁⲡⲱⲧ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲓⲧⲟⲟⲧⲕ · ⲛⲧⲉⲕⲉⲡⲓⲣⲁⲙⲟⲥ ⲧⲁϩⲟⲓ · ⲉϥⲟ ⲛⲛⲟϭ ⲉⲡⲁⲓ ⲛⲧⲉⲟⲩⲑⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲧⲁⲕⲟⲓ ϩⲙⲡⲉⲓϫⲁⲓⲉ · ⲁⲗⲗⲁ ϣⲱⲡ ⲉⲣⲟⲕ ⲛⲧⲁⲡⲁⲣⲁⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲥ · ⲛⲅⲕⲁⲁⲧ ϩⲁⲧⲏⲕ ϣⲁⲛⲧⲉⲡⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛ ⲉⲓ ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ ⲉⲕϣⲁⲛⲟⲩⲱϣ ϯⲛⲁϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲛⲁⲕ · ⲛⲥϩⲓⲙⲉ · ⲛⲧⲁϭⲱ ϩⲁⲧⲏⲕ ⲉⲓϯⲁⲕⲟ ⲛⲉⲓ ⲉⲣⲟⲕ : ⲉⲕⲧⲙⲡⲓⲑⲉ ϯⲛⲁⲃⲱⲕ ⲛⲁⲓ ⲛⲣⲁⲥⲧⲉ : ⲡⲗⲏⲛ ⲙⲡⲣϯ ⲡⲙⲁⲥⲱⲙⲁ · ⲛⲛⲉⲩⲑⲩⲣⲓⲟⲛ · ϫⲉⲁⲛⲅⲟⲩⲥⲕⲁⲓⲟⲥ ⲛϭⲱⲃ · ⲡⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲇⲉ ⲁϥⲁϣⲁϩⲟⲙ · ⲉϥϫⲱ ⲙⲙⲟⲥ : ϫⲉⲟⲩⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲓⲛⲟϭ · ⲙⲡⲓⲣⲁⲥⲙⲟⲥ ⲛⲧⲁϥⲧⲱⲙⲛⲧ ⲉⲣⲟⲓ ⲉⲓϣⲁⲛⲕⲁⲁⲥ ϩⲁⲧⲏⲓ · ⲙⲡϩⲱⲃ ⲡⲣⲁⲓⲡⲉ ⲁⲛ ⲙⲡⲁⲥⲭⲏⲙⲁ · ⲉⲓϣⲁⲛⲛⲟϫⲥ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲛⲉⲑⲩⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲛⲇⲟⲩⲟⲙⲥ · ⲉⲧⲓ ⲉϥⲙⲟⲕⲙⲉⲕ ϩⲓⲛⲁⲓ · ⲉⲓⲥ ⲡⲡⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲕⲗⲁⲩⲇⲓⲟⲥ · ⲁϥⲉⲓ ⲉϥϫⲱⲣⲙ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲉϥⲧⲁⲗⲏⲩ ⲉⲡⲉϥⲉϩⲧⲟ · ⲁϥⲙⲟⲩⲧⲉ ϫⲉⲇⲁⲛⲓⲏⲗ ⲙⲏ ⲛⲅⲁⲓⲥⲑⲁⲛⲉ ⲁⲛ ϫⲉⲡⲇⲓⲁⲃⲟⲗⲟⲥ ⲡⲉⲧϣⲁϫⲉ ⲛⲙⲙⲁⲕ
‘The Devil took the likeness of a beautiful naked woman. The moon was shining. She approached him and cried out:
“Save me, man of God, and give to me a tunic so that I may cover my nudity, because a young servant met me and did violence to me and slept with me and took my clothes and left me naked. And now I entreat you in order that you receive me to you until morning lest you give to me a tunic and I will cover myself with it and I will depart from you, and another trial will befall me which is greater than this, and a wild beast will kill me in the desert. But receive to you my petition and put me beside you until the light comes up. If you wish, I will be for you a wife and I will stay beside you serving you. If you are not persuaded, I will leave you in the morning. Except, do not give my body to the wild beasts because I am a weak body.”
The man groaned, saying: “What is this great test which has befallen me? If I put her beside me, it is not the chief work of my habit. If I throw her out, the wild beasts will eat her.”
Yet, while he considered these things, behold, the saint Apa Klaudios came hastening while he was mounted on his horse. He called: “Daniel, do you not perceive that the Devil is the one who is speaking with you?”’ (ed. Godron, p. 208, line 33 - p. 210, line 19)
The Devil’s final attempt is to send wild beasts after Daniel, but the saint protects him. Daniel then goes to Apa Klaudios’ shrine and serves there until he dies.
Miracle Six (The three thieves of Pmanhabin)
Three pagan thieves from a village called Pmanhabin travel the area around Antinoopolis robbing the shrines:
ⲁⲩⲃⲱⲕ ⲉⲁⲛϯⲛⲱⲟⲩ · ⲁⲩⲃⲱⲕ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲉⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲙⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ : ⲁⲡⲁ ⲕⲟⲗⲟⲩⲑⲟⲥ · ⲉⲩⲟ ⲙⲡⲉⲥⲙⲟⲧ ⲛϩⲉⲛⲣⲉϥϣⲙϣⲉⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ · ⲁⲩϩⲟⲡⲟⲩ ϩⲙⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ · ϩⲛⲧⲡⲁϣⲉ ⲇⲉ ⲛⲧⲉⲩϣⲏ · ⲁⲩⲥⲩⲗⲁ ⲙⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ : ⲁⲩϥⲓ ⲛⲛⲉⲉⲓⲧⲟⲥ ⲉⲧⲥⲟⲧⲡ · ⲁⲩⲉⲓ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ : ⲁⲩⲙⲟⲟϣⲉ ⲁⲩⲃⲱⲕ ⲉⲣⲏⲥ · ϣⲁⲛⲧⲟⲩⲡⲱϩ ⲉⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ · ⲙⲡⲉⲥⲧⲣⲁⲧⲏⲗⲁⲧⲏⲥ ⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ : - ⲁⲩⲃⲱⲕ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲉⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲁⲩϯϩⲧⲏⲩ ⲉⲩⲧⲣⲁⲡⲉⲍⲁ ⲛϩⲁⲧ ϩⲓϫⲙⲡⲉⲑⲩⲥⲓⲁⲥⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲕⲉⲕⲟⲩⲓ ⲙⲡⲟⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲛⲛⲟⲩⲃ : ⲙⲛⲟⲩⲙⲁⲡⲡⲁ ⲛϣⲙⲥ ϩⲓϫⲙⲡⲉⲑⲩⲥⲓⲁⲥⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲉⲥⲧⲁⲓⲏⲩ ⲁⲩϥⲓⲧⲟⲩ ⲁⲩⲉⲓ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲁⲩⲙⲟⲟϣⲉ : ⲁⲩϫⲓⲟⲟⲣ ⲉⲡⲉⲙⲛⲧ ⲁⲩⲙⲟⲟϣⲉ ⲉϩⲏⲧ : ϣⲁⲛⲧⲟⲩⲡⲱϩ ⲉⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ⲇⲓⲙⲟⲑⲉⲟⲥ ⲙⲡⲉⲣϭⲓⲛⲟⲉⲓⲧ · ⲁⲩⲃⲱⲕ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲉⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ · ⲙⲡⲟⲩϭⲉⲛⲗⲁⲁⲩ ⲉϥⲥⲏⲣ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲛⲥⲁⲟⲩⲙⲁⲛⲓⲁⲕⲏⲥ ⲛϩⲁⲧ ϩⲙⲡⲙⲁⲕϩ ⲛⲧⲉϥϣⲉⲉⲣⲉ ⲁⲩϫⲓⲧϥ · ⲁⲩⲙⲟⲟϣⲉ ⲉϩⲏⲧ ϣⲁⲛⲧⲟⲩⲡⲱϩ ⲉⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ⲕⲗⲁⲩⲇⲓⲟⲥ
‘They went to Antinoe. They went into the shrine of the saint Apa Kollouthos [= *Kollouthos, physician and martyr of Antinoopolis, S00641] in the guise of worshippers of God. They hid themselves in the shrine. In the middle of the night, they robbed the shrine. They took valuable objects and they came away. They walked and went south until they reached the shrine of the stratelates the saint Viktor [= *Viktor, martyr of Egypt, son of Romanos, S00749]. They went inside the shrine and they observed a silver plate on the altar and also a small gold cup and a fine linen cloth on the altar. They took them. They came away and walked. They crossed west and walked north until they reached the shrine of Apa Timotheos of Perginoeit [= *Timotheos, martyr of Perginoeit, S03104]. They went into the shrine and they did not find anything spread out except a silver necklace on the neck of his daughter. They took it and walked north until they reached the shrine of Apa Klaudios.’ (ed. Godron, p. 220, lines 1-14)
In order to enter the shrine of Apa Klaudios, they pretend that one of them is sick and even offer their ill-gotten gains from the shrine of Apa Viktor as payment:
ⲁⲩϣⲁϫⲉ ⲙⲛⲡⲟⲓⲕⲟⲛⲟⲙⲟⲥ : ϫⲉⲁⲣⲓⲧⲁⲅⲁⲡⲏ · ⲛⲕⲟⲩⲱⲛ ⲙⲡⲣⲟ · ⲛⲧⲉⲛⲃⲱⲕ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ · ⲛⲧⲉⲛⲉⲛⲕⲟⲧⲕ ⲙⲛⲡⲉⲓⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲉⲧϣⲱⲛⲉ ϫⲉⲡⲉⲛⲥⲟⲛⲡⲉ ⲁⲣⲏⲩ ⲛⲧⲉⲡⲇⲓⲕⲁⲓⲟⲥ ⲭⲁⲣⲓⲍⲉ ⲛⲁϥ ⲙⲡⲧⲁⲗϭⲟ · ⲟⲩⲁ ⲇⲉ ⲛϩⲏⲧⲟⲩ · ⲁϥⲭⲣⲱ ⲛⲟⲩⲗⲟⲓϭⲉ ⲛϣⲱⲛⲉ : ⲛⲛⲟⲩϫ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡⲟⲓⲕⲟⲛⲟⲙⲟⲥ · ⲁϥⲟⲩⲱⲛ ⲛⲁⲩ ⲙⲡⲣⲟ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲁⲩϯ ⲛⲁϥ ⲙⲡⲡⲟⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ · ⲛⲛⲟⲩⲃ ⲛ[ⲧⲁⲩϥⲓⲧϥ ϩⲙⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ] ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ · ⲡⲉϫⲁⲩ ϫⲉⲛⲧⲁⲛⲉⲓ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲛⲟⲩⲕⲁϩ ⲉϥⲟⲩⲏⲩ ϩⲙⲡⲧⲟϣ ⲡⲉⲙϫⲉ ⲁⲛⲥⲱⲧⲙ ⲉⲡⲥⲟⲉⲓⲧ ⲙⲡⲉⲓⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ : ⲁⲛⲧⲁⲙⲓⲟ ⲙⲡⲉⲓⲡⲟⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ ϩⲛⲛⲉⲛϩⲓⲥⲉ ⲁⲛⲉⲛⲧϥ ⲉⲡⲉⲓⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ·
‘They said to the oikonomos: “Do good and open the door and we will enter inside and sleep with this man who is sick, because he is our brother. Perhaps the just one [will] bestow the healing upon him.” One among them used the excuse of false sickness. And the oikonomos opened the door for them. And they gave to him the gold cup which they had [taken from the shrine of Apa] Victor. They said: “It is from a distant land in the province of Pemje that we have come. We have heard the fame of this shrine. We have made this cup in our labours and have brought it to this shrine.”’ (ed. Godron, p. 220, lines 15-24)
Then at night when everyone is asleep they rob the shrine (being sure to retrieve what they stole from the shrine of Apa Viktor) and leave. They make one final stop to rob the shrine of Apa Elias
ⲁⲩⲙⲟⲟϣⲉ : ϣⲁⲛⲧⲟⲩⲡⲱϩ ⲉⲧⲡⲟⲗⲓⲥ ⲕⲱⲥ : ⲁⲩⲃⲱⲕ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲉⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ϩⲏⲗⲓⲁⲥ : ⲁⲩⲥⲩⲗⲁ : ⲙⲙⲟϥ ·
‘They walked until they reached the city of Koussai. They went into the shrine of Apa Elias [= *Elias, martyr of Koussai, S03105] and robbed it.’ (ed. Godron, p. 222, lines 4-5)
Having seemingly robbed all the shrines in the area, they plan to travel to Alexandria to sell their ill-gotten gains. On the way home to prepare for this journey, Apa Klaudios appears to them on horseback:
ⲉⲓⲥ ⲡⲡⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ : ⲁⲡⲁ ⲕⲗⲁⲩⲇⲓⲟⲥ ⲁϥⲉⲓ ⲉϫⲱⲟⲩ : ⲉϥⲟ ⲙⲡⲉⲥⲙⲟⲧ ⲛⲟⲩⲙⲁⲧⲟⲓ ⲛⲧⲉⲡⲣⲣⲟ : ⲉϥⲧⲁⲗⲏⲩ ⲉⲡⲉϥⲉϩⲧⲟ
‘Behold, the saint Apa Klaudios came upon them in the guise of a soldier of the emperor and mounted on his horse.’ (ed. Godron, p. 222, lines 14-15)
He tells them that they are lost, since they are in the area around Assiut rather than that around Antinoopolis. He accuses them of being thieves and threatens, since he is in the guise of a soldier, to take them before the eparch unless they give him a share of their spoils. He claims the items that they stole from his shrine and tells them that he will take them to his house for them to spend the night. He takes them back to his shrine. Some men are then arrested for stealing from the shrine of Apa Kollouthos and taken before the dux. Apa Klaudios appears to the dux and tells him that the real thieves can be found in his shrine. The thieves and the items that they took from all the shrines are found. The dux intends to torture the thieves, but Apa Klaudios saves them provided that they convert to Christianity. They do so, and for the rest of their lives donate to his shrine rather than robbing it.
Miracle Seven (Antony of Shotep the Magician)
The writer recalls a story told to him by a priest. He says that there was a magician called Antony in the city of Shotep. Anthony goes to the feast of Apa Klaudios in Assiut and stays overnight at the home of a friend of his. His friend has already left for the feast, but his wife is present. She tells Antony that she saddened to not have a child who can inherit her husband’s property. He persuades her to give him money and that, when he returns from the saint’s feast, he will give her a drug to drink that will make her pregnant (although really the drug has an equal chance of killing her):
ⲉⲓϣⲁⲛⲕⲧⲟⲓ ϩⲙⲡϣⲁ ϯⲛⲁϯ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲟⲩⲡⲁϩⲣⲉ ⲛⲧⲉⲥⲟⲟϥ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲧⲉⲛⲁⲙⲓⲥⲉ ϩⲛⲟⲩϭⲉⲡⲏ · ⲁϥϫⲟⲟⲥ ⲅⲁⲣ ϩⲙⲡⲉϥϩⲏⲧ ϫⲉϯⲛⲁϯ ⲛⲁⲥ ⲛⲟⲩⲡⲁϩⲣⲉ ⲛⲥⲥⲟⲟϥ · ⲏ ⲛⲥⲙⲓⲥⲉ · ⲏ ⲛⲥⲙⲟⲩ ·
‘“When I return from the festival, I will give to you a drug to drink. And you will give birth quickly.” For he said in his heart: “I will give to her a drug to drink and she will give birth or die.”’ (ed. Godron, p. 234, lines 6-9)
She pays him and asks him not to tell her husband. When Antony reaches the shrine of Apa Klaudios, he talks to the husband about how his wife has not given him a child to inherit his property, and persuades the husband to pay him as well for the drug that he will give to the wife.
Meanwhile, there is an elderly woman sleeping at the shrine who has money. When a fire is accidentally set alight at a nearby archon’s house and the visitors to the shrine rush to help, Antony takes the opportunity to rob the elderly woman:
ⲛⲧⲉⲣⲉϥⲛⲁⲩ ⲇⲉ ⲛϭⲓⲡⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲙⲙⲁⲅⲟⲥ · ϫⲉⲁⲡⲙⲁ ⲉⲣⲁⲧⲣⲱⲙⲉ · ⲁϥϯϩⲏⲧϥ ϫⲉⲥⲉϫⲟⲗⲙ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ ϩⲙⲡⲕⲱϩⲧ · ⲁϥⲡⲱⲧ ⲉϫⲛⲧⲉⲥϩⲓⲙⲉ ⲛⲃⲗⲗⲉ : ⲁϥϩⲁⲣⲡⲁⲍⲉ ⲙⲡⲉϩⲃⲱⲱⲥ ⲉⲧⲉⲣⲉⲛⲛⲟⲩⲃ ⲙⲏⲣ ⲙⲙⲟϥ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡⲉⲡⲣⲏϣ ⲛⲧⲁⲡⲁⲣⲭⲱⲛ ⲧⲁⲁϥ ⲛⲁⲥ · ⲁϥϩⲁⲣⲡⲁⲍⲉ ⲙⲙⲟⲟⲩ ϩⲛⲟⲩⲙⲛⲧⲁⲧⲛⲁ · ⲉⲣⲉⲧⲉⲥϩⲓⲙⲉ ⲛϭⲱⲃ ⲁⲥⲁϣⲕⲁⲕ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲉⲥⲁⲙⲁϩⲧⲉ ⲙⲙⲟϥ · ⲁϥⲣⲱϩⲧ ⲙⲙⲟⲥ ⲉϫⲛⲧⲉⲥⲁⲡⲉ · ⲁϥⲉⲣⲃⲟⲗ ⲛⲧⲟⲟⲧⲥ ⲁϥⲡⲱⲧ ·
‘When the magician saw that the place was without people, he observed that they all were involved with the fire. He ran to the blind woman. He snatched the garment which had gold pieces tied to it. And the cloak which the archon had given to her, he snatched it mercilessly, while the weak woman shouted and grasped it. He struck her on her head. He escaped from her hand and fled.’ (ed. Godron, p. 236, lines 4-9)
Apa Klaudios, accompanied by Apa Viktor and other soldiers, pursue him:
ⲁⲡⲁ ⲕⲗⲁⲩⲇⲓⲟⲥ ⲇⲉ ⲁϥⲉⲣϩⲁϫⲱϥ ⲙⲡⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲙⲙⲁⲅⲟⲥ · ⲉϥⲧⲁⲗⲏⲩ ⲉⲩⲉϩⲧⲟ ⲛⲟⲩⲱⲃϣ ⲉⲣⲉⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ · ⲁⲡⲁ ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ ⲧⲁⲗⲏⲩ ⲛⲙⲙⲁϥ · ⲙⲛϩⲛⲕⲉⲙⲁⲧⲟⲓ ⲙⲙⲁⲩ ·
‘Apa Klaudios went toward the magician, mounted on his white horse, and with him riding the saint Apa Viktor, and some other soldiers with them.’ (ed. Godron, p. 236, lines 20-2)
They count all the money that he had stolen or been paid. They return the money that he stole to the elderly woman, and tell Antony to return the money that the childless couple paid him. Apa Klaudios gives him a bowl telling him to inscribe it with his name, from which the childless woman should drink in order to conceive:
ⲁⲩⲱ ϫⲓ ⲛⲟⲩⲫⲓⲁⲗⲏ ⲛⲅⲥϩⲁⲓ ⲙⲡⲁⲣⲁⲛ ⲉⲣⲟⲥ · ⲛⲅⲙⲁϩⲥ ⲙⲙⲟⲟⲩ ⲛⲥⲥⲟⲟϥ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲥⲛⲁⲙⲓⲥⲉ · ⲁⲩⲱ ϯϩⲧⲏⲕ ⲉⲣⲟⲕ ⲙⲡⲣⲥϩⲁⲓ ⲛⲗⲁⲁⲩ ⲙⲫⲩⲗⲁⲕⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲉⲣⲟⲥ · ⲙⲙⲁⲅⲓⲁ ϫⲉⲛⲛⲁⲡⲁⲧⲁⲥⲥⲉ : ⲙⲙⲟⲕ ·
‘“And take a bowl and write my name upon it and fill it with water. And when she drinks it, she will give birth. And pay attention and do not write any magic spells on it lest I beat you.”’ (ed. Godron, p. 240, lines 22-5
They then instruct him to burn his books on magic and for him and his family to serve at the shrine for the rest of their days.
Text: Godron 1970
Translation: Chloé Agar
Composing and translating saint-related texts
Prayer/supplication/invocation
Visiting graves and shrines
MiraclesMiracle after death
Punishing miracle
Miracles causing conversion
Fertility- and family-related miracles (infertility, marriages)
Apparition, vision, dream, revelation
Miraculous protection - of church and church property
Exorcism
Miraculous intervention in issues of doctrine
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesHeretics
Pagans
Soldiers
Officials
Ecclesiastics - lesser clergy
Women
Demons
The socially marginal (beggars, prostitutes, thieves)
Cult Related ObjectsOil lamps/candles
Precious material objects
Source
Complete versions of the two encomia on Apa Klaudios attributed to Constantine of Assiut are found in Pierpont Morgan Codex 587 ff. 43r-111v. The whole manuscript is considered a miscellany in honour of Apa Klaudios as the four texts therein all concern him. These texts are: 1) a martyrdom attributed to Anastasius; 2) an encomium attributed to Severus of Antioch; 3) the first encomium attributed to Constantine of Assiut; 4) the second encomium attributed to Constantine of Assiut.The first encomium attributed to Constantine of Assiut provides an account of the saint’s martyrdom life and career, and then of his trial, tortures, and martyrdom. It ends with three brief posthumous miracles.
Meanwhile, the second encomium attributed to Constantine of Assiut contains a preamble that follows on from the saint’s trial in the first encomium followed by four more detailed posthumous miracles.
As discussed below, Constantine, bishop of Assiut in the late sixth century and early seventh century, is unlikely to have been the actual author of these encomia, and they cannot be precisely dated. Since the earliest extant Coptic manuscripts date to the ninth century, the narratives may date from the later seventh or the eighth century.
The manuscript was found at the Monastery of the Archangel Michael in Hamouli in the Fayoum in 1910 and was purchased in Paris in 1911 for Pierpont Morgan. The manuscript has been dated to between 897 and 901 based on the colophons and references in other manuscripts found at the same site to different heads of the monastery during this period.
In his edition of the four texts, Godron bases his translation on the Pierpont Morgan Codex, which is the most complete, while acknowledging variations in other manuscripts such as the two, albeit elusive, Enoch Peterson leaves and the British Library manuscript 3581 b. He treats the recto and verso of the folios in the codex as separate pages based on the ancient pagination. The first encomium attributed to Constantine of Assiut runs from pages M85b to 146b, with the posthumous miracles on pages M134b to M144a. Meanwhile, the second encomium attributed to Constantine of Assiut runs from pages M147a to M222a and the posthumous miracles begin on page M174a and end on page M215a.
There are many fragmentary manuscripts which contain parts of the four texts, some of which have been edited and some of which have not. As well as Coptic, these include fragments in Ethiopic and Arabic. Oscar von Lemm’s 1912 volume collates most of the fragments and transcribes and translates their content.
Discussion
Introduction to the saintApa Klaudios is commemorated on 11th Ba’ūna (5th June in the Julian calendar). He is presented as a soldier who fought for Diocletian (against the Persians in the martyrdom attributed to Anastasius, and against the Armenians in the first encomium attributed to Constantine of Assiut). He and Apa Viktor, son of Romanos, are regularly found together in hagiography.
In the account in the Coptic Synaxarion, Klaudios and Viktor are martyred together and buried side-by-side. They are sent from Antioch to Antinoopolis in Egypt, where they are martyred by the governor Arian, who, in Coptic tradition, martyrs a number of martyr saints – making him an archetypal villain like Diocletian – and is married to Apa Kollouthos’ cousin Tadiane, resulting in marital strife after he executes Kollouthos. Notably, in the first encomium attributed to Constantine of Assiut, Arian is converted to Christianity by God himself (a possible allusion to Paul’s conversion by Christ in the Acts of the Apostles) after Klaudios’ execution, and meets Viktor when he is imprisoned. Meanwhile, Klaudios and Viktor meet in the first encomium, although there they are not martyred together, and their frequent association with one another is mentioned early in the second encomium.
Klaudios and Viktor are martyrs in the Basilides Cycle, whose hagiography shares certain tropes such as the action beginning in Antioch and the martyrs being banished to Egypt. In his tradition, Klaudios is related to Numerian, who was succeeded by Diocletian – in the first encomium attributed to Constantine of Assiut, he is Numerian’s nephew, not only giving him considerable status but also making him a potential threat to Diocletian. The archetypal role of Arian combined with the frequency with which Coptic martyrdoms – not exclusively those included in the Basilides Cycle – are set in the area around Antinoopolis, El-Ashmunein, and Assiut make Constantine of Assiut a logical church figure to whom hagiography of Klaudios could be attributed, although he was a bishop under the Patriarch of Alexandria over two centuries before the date of the most complete manuscript. Klaudios’ relationship with Diocletian and its eventual breakdown is similar to Viktor’s relationship with the emperor, since Viktor’s father Romanos is presented as being a senior officer or governor closely trusted by Diocletian. Not only this, but Klaudios is dressed in all manner of finery while visiting (the then Christian) Diocletian in Rome and, in his own hagiography, Viktor is gifted a gold tunic by his mother of which Diocletian is extraordinarily jealous, and then appears posthumously clad in purple. Crucially, within the Basilides Cycle, as well as the hagiography of Viktor, found in Coptic and mostly translated by E. A. Wallis Budge in the 1910s, Diocletian is presented as having apostatised from Christianity, either making him a more heinous antagonist or conflating him with Julian the Apostate.
Historicisation and attribution of the encomia
As well as mentioning Klaudios and Viktor’s frequent association with one another, the early part of the second encomium attributed to Constantine of Assiut remarks on Klaudios’ resting place being Egypt rather than Antioch. This was probably intended to legitimise the existence of his cult in Egypt, as well as to reiterate the events of the first encomium. This is further supported by the inclusion of Klaudios’ servant Anastasios, to whom the martyrdom at the beginning of the Pierpont Morgan codex is attributed, towards the end of the first encomium and early in the second one. The claim is that Anastasios returned to Cappadocia from Egypt and deposited his account of Klaudios’ martyrdom in a city library, and it is from this account that the writer of the encomia learned of the saint. This situates the encomia in a longer textual tradition, which would have added further legitimacy to its content.
There are clear attempts to historicise the events in the first encomium. These may have made the narratives seem more realistic and appealing to the intended congregational audience, but also situated the texts within Apa Klaudios’ wider hagiographical tradition while justifying their attribution. One such attempt is that, in the first miracle, the construction of the saint’s shrine is attributed to Severus of Antioch himself. This would presumably have given considerable legitimacy to the shrine, even if it only existed within Klaudios’ textual tradition – which is much the same idea that is probably behind the attribution of certain hagiography of Viktor to Celestinus of Rome, along with the setting of miracles in an otherwise unattested shrine in Rome. It is possible that Severus of Antioch was chosen as the founder of Klaudios’ shrine because he was the Patriarch of Antioch, and was exiled in Egypt after the death of the emperor Anastasius I Diocorus, ultimately leading to the establishment of the Severan episcopate in Egypt. Klaudios and Viktor’s respective exiles therefore draw parallels with that of Severus. It is also possible that the writer of the two encomia attributed to Constantine of Assiut knew of the encomium attributed to Severus of Antioch.
While it is rare for theological controversies to be mentioned in the Coptic hagiography of martyrs, being more common in that of monks or confessors like Longinus, Samuel of Kalamon, and Abraham of Farshut where Chalcedonian patriarchs are blatantly presented as antagonists, such mentions may be found in historicising details which legitimise the claim of the existence of a martyr saint’s shrine. A more explicit example than is found in the encomia of Klaudios can be seen in the Coptic martyrdom of James the Persian, where the narrative includes the contemporaries Peter the Iberian and the Patriarch of Alexandria Proterius, a non-Chalcedonian and Chalcedonian respectively.
Another attempt to historicise the events in the first encomium is that the tax collector in the second miracle is said to have come to Egypt on the orders of the emperor Anastasius, which probably refers to Anastasius I Dicorus who implemented substantial monetary reforms and reigned two centuries after Diocletian, thus showing to the audience the passing of time between when Klaudios was martyred and when he performed this miracle. This also follows chronologically with the first miracle, since Severus of Antioch and Anastasius I were contemporaries. The tax collector is accompanied by soldiers who are said to be armed with weapons similar to those which the Blemmyes would use. At the time in which this miracle is set, the Blemmyes were one of the tribal groups employed alongside the Roman army’s legions and auxilia in Egypt.
Early in the second miracle, when the tax collector and the soldiers enter the sanctuary of Apa Klaudios, they find the faithful reciting the Trisagion. This detail works on two levels. On one level, it sets what was probably a familiar scene for the audience and establishes the normal, liturgical setting which is then unceremoniously interrupted by the tax collector and armed soldiers. To that end, it is worth noting that it is not the tax collector’s occupation and service to the emperor that earn him the saint’s wrath, but his and the soldier’s disrespect and desecration of the shrine and the faithful therein. Since they are following his orders, his punishment puts the fear of God into the soldiers, setting an example of repentance for the audience. On the other level, the inclusion of the Trisagion follows neatly from the inclusion of Severus of Antioch in the first miracle and the inclusion of Anastasius I in the second, since they were both involved in the Christological controversy concerning the addition of the phrase ‘He who was crucified for us’ to the Trisagion. It could be debated how familiar an audience of ordinary congregants or pilgrims would have been with this controversy, but it would have presumably been familiar to a priestly or monastic audience and to the writer of this text.
Furthermore, in the second encomium there seem to have been concerted efforts to justify the attribution of these encomia to Constantine of Assiut. Along with the date of the manuscript and the apparent redaction of the second encomium, since in the fourth miracle Apa Klaudios sends a ship’s captain to Alexandria to procure coloured glass only for that to never again be mentioned in the text, it is likely that Constantine is the attributed author rather than the actual author. Further, Constantine of Assiut supposedly translated the relics of the Diocletianic bishop Elias of Koussai to his bishopric, which seems to be referenced in the sixth miracle since the shrine of an Apa Elias is one of those that is robbed. The inclusion of Shotep in the seventh miracle adds to this, as Rufus of Shotep was a contemporary of Constantine’s with whom he is said to have travelled to Jerusalem and come across an earlier narrative about Apa Klaudios at the end of the second encomium.
Posthumous appearances
The third miracle is the only one in which Apa Klaudios is not explicitly described as appearing. Meanwhile, in the fourth and seventh miracles Klaudios and Viktor appear together. These saints are not unique for appearing together, however. Viktor is also found in the martyrdom of Paese and Thekla, and Kosmas and Damianos are found in an encomium of Viktor. In addition, in the posthumous miracles of Apa Phoibammon, he appears alongside Apa Serine (probably Apa Serenos) in the sixth miracle and alongside Apa Hatre in the eighth.
There is also a reference to Viktor in the fifth and sixth miracles. Although he does not appear, his shrine is one of those robbed in the sixth miracle, along with that of Kollouthos. Of the shrines mentioned in this miracle, there is only one of Kollouthos attested at Antinoopolis. It is, of course, no coincidence that the hagiographer attributes to Klaudios the power to return all the booty stolen from these shrines, rather than to the other saints who had been robbed.
Klaudios also refers to Viktor as escorting the deceased to heaven, which is something that he does in an encomium in Pierpont Morgan Codex M591, when he escorts a priest across a river of fire. However, it is worth noting that Viktor’s surviving hagiography in Coptic does not mention Klaudios.
Demonic possession
While many martyr saints posthumously perform exorcisms for supplicants, it is less common for them to encounter demons or the Devil while they are still alive. One young military saint who does so is Phoibammon who, during his trial, encounters magicians who try to best him with demons, only for him to cause them to become possessed and consequently convert to Christianity. A similar exploit is found in Phoibammon’s posthumous miracles, where he responds to an emperor’s failure to fulfil his promise of rebuilding his shrine by causing his daughter to be possessed until he repents. It is worth noting, however, that Phoibammon is presented as a youth in his late teens or early twenties, who is already a soldier and symbolically sheds his military garb when he confesses his Christian faith. There is a version of Viktor’s confession where he does the same at the age of nineteen, but in the hagiography where he encounters the Devil while still alive he is actually a child between nine and twelve years old. Noticeably, at one point the Devil even takes the guise of a soldier sent by his father to try to persuade Viktor to renounce his faith. These encounters with the Devil are similar to that which Viktor and Klaudios experience together in the first encomium on Apa Klaudios attributed to Constantine of Assiut.
Another justification for Klaudios and Viktor’s joint encounter with the Devil comes from early in the first encomium, since Klaudios performs an exorcism while still young. This seems to foreshadow the third and final miracle in the first encomium, since the exorcism that Klaudios performs when young prevents the possessed man from being decapitated and the demon in the third miracle refers to decapitation while taunting the saint. In that miracle, the writer may have implicitly reassured the audience that the saint would triumph over the demon, since, when it taunts Klaudios, it refers to him as ‘man of Antioch’, alluding to the divine power that can be summoned through a saint’s name. This allusion seems to be confirmed by the fact that Klaudios overpowers the demon in significantly less time than it spends taunting him. While one possible translation of what Klaudios does to the demon is ‘hanged’, ‘suspended’ is probably more accurate, since, in his Coptic posthumous miracles Apa Menas exorcises a possessed man by suspending him in the air and beating him until the demon leaves his body; furthermore, in the miracles of Phoibammon the saint punishes a man who intended to swear a false oath in the same way.
Familial relationships
The Devil’s attempt to tempt Viktor using his relationship with his father bears similarities to Phoibammon’s relationship with his own father. Both saints, as their fathers’ only sons, are expected to follow in their fathers’ footsteps or to at least make them proud. Their chosen path of martyrdom instead has the opposite effect. That is not to say that in Coptic hagiography every martyr saint has a negative relationship with their parents: Kollouthos’ parents, in contrast, are pious Christians whose sole issue with their only son’s choices is that he will not marry his cousin (not that they were to know that she would end up marrying Arian instead). However, the motif of a negative relationship seems to occur often with military saints.
Other family member that are often found in Coptic hagiography are martyr saints’ sisters. For example, Phoibammon asks the archangel Gabriel to take a message to his sister Sarah just before he is executed. Kollouthos likewise seems to have nothing against Tadiane beyond his decision to remain celibate, and she performs a similar function as a pious female witness. Klaudios, meanwhile, has a sister called Theognosta who is married to a senator, whom Klaudios instructs to care for her when he is exiled. Viktor and Theognosta learn of Klaudios’ demise when Arian is imprisoned in Antioch. Until his own exile to Egypt, Viktor becomes a close companion of hers through their shared grief. The particular emphasis on Klaudios’ relationships was probably intended to give the account of his martyrdom an especially emotional impact.
Magic
A final point of note is that in the seventh miracle Apa Klaudios appears to use magic. In other miracles where saints heal those unable to conceive or those who have been cursed by magicians, such as Kollouthos, usually the saint either performs a healing miracle on the spot or gives supplicants explicit instructions to follow, in order to be healed. However, Klaudios performs a miracle enabling a woman to conceive by drinking from an inscribed bowl. It may be assumed that it was acceptable for Klaudios to do this because he was a saint, which is reinforced by the fact that he explicitly instructs the magician to only write his name on the bowl and no magical spells.
Bibliography
Editions and translations of the first and second encomium on Apa Klaudios attributed to Constantine of Assiut:Drescher, J., ‘Apa Klaudios and the thieves’, Bulletin de la Société d’Archéologie Copte 8 (1942), 63-86.
Godron, G., ‘Premier Panégyrique de Saint Claude d’Antioche par Constantin, Évêque d’Assiout’, in G. Godron, Textes relatifs à Saint Claude d’Antioche. Patrologia Orientalis 35. (Turnhout: Brepols, 1970), 86-169.
Godron, G., ‘Second Panégyrique de Saint Claude d’Antioche par Constantin, Évêque d’Assiout’, in G. Godron, Textes relatifs à Saint Claude d’Antioche. Patrologia Orientalis 35. (Turnhout: Brepols, 1970), 170-247.
Editions and translations of other hagiography of Apa Klaudios:
Amélineau, E. C., ‘Martijre d’apa Claudios d’Antioche (fragment Thébain)’, in W. Pleyte, A. P. M. van Oordt, and F. de Stoppelaar (eds.), Études archéologiques, linguistiques et historiques. (Leiden: Brill, 1885), 89-94.
Browne, G. M., ‘Notes on the Sahidic Gospel of Mark’, Enchoria 5 (1975), 9-11, 10, no. 5.
Drescher, J., ‘An Encomium attributed to Severus of Antioch’, Bulletin de la Société d’Archéologie Copte 10 (1944), 43-68.
Godron, G., Recherches sur les Textes coptes relatifs à saint Claude d’Antioche. (Leuven: Peeters, 1976).
Till, W. C., Koptische heiligen- und martyrerlegenden; texte, übersetzungen und indices herausgegeben und bearbeited von Walter Till (2 vols). (Rome: Pont. institutum orientalium studiorum, 1935-6), II, 29-32.
Von Lemm, O., ‘LVI. Zu einem Encomium den hl. Klaudios 1-6’, in O. Von Lemm, 1900-12, Kleine koptische Studien (3 vols.), III (St Petersburg: Buchdruckerei der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1912), 1-89.
Further reading on Apa Klaudios:
Agar, C., On the representation of visions in Coptic hagiographical texts. (DPhil. thesis, University of Oxford, 2022).
Depuydt, L., Catalogue of Coptic manuscripts in the Pierpont Morgan Library (2 vols). (Leuven: Peeters, 1993), I, 242-6, no. 121.
O’Leary, D., The saints of Egypt. (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge; New York: Macmillan, 1937), 54, 111.
Orlandi, T., ‘Hagiography, Coptic’ in A. S. Atiya (ed.), The Coptic Encyclopedia. (New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1991), IV, 1191a-1197b.
Further reading on Apa Viktor, son of Romanos:
Agar, C., On the representation of visions in Coptic hagiographical texts. (DPhil. thesis, University of Oxford, 2022).
Agar, C., ‘Politics and Piety: Martyr Saints and Emperors in Hagiography Preserved in Coptic’, in R. Whelan, M. McEvoy, and R. Flower (eds.), Christian Political Cultures in Late Antiquity. (Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, forthcoming).
Budge, E. A. W., Coptic martyrdoms etc. in the dialect of Upper Egypt (2 vols). (London: British Museum department of original print books and MSS, 1914), I, pp. xxiii-xliv, 1-101, 253-355.
Depuydt, L., Catalogue of Coptic manuscripts in the Pierpont Morgan Library (2 vols). (Leuven: Peeters, 1993), I, 301-5, no. 157.
Naguib, S.-A., ‘The martyr as witness: Coptic and Copto-Arabic hagiographies as mediators of religious memory’, NUMEN 41 (1994), 223-54.
O’Leary, D., The saints of Egypt. (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge; New York: Macmillan, 1937), 51, 278-81.
Reymond, E. A. E. and Barns, J. W. B., Four martyrdoms from the Pierpont Morgan codices. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1973), 39-40, 156-7.
Samir, K., S. J. 1991, ‘Victor Stratelates, Saint – Copto-Arabic Tradition’ in A. S. Atiya (ed.), The Coptic Encyclopedia, (New York: Macmillan, 1991), VII, 2304b-2308a
Sauget, J.-M., ‘Vittore il generale’, in Pontificia Università lateranense. Istituto Giovanni XXIII, Bibliotheca sanctorum, XII (Rome: Istituto Giovanni XXIII nella Pontificia Università lateranense, 1969), cols. 1258-60
Scott, A. B., ‘Encomium on St. Victor (M591, ff. 34v–49v), attributed to Theopempus of Antioch’, in L. Depuydt (ed.), Encomiastica from the Pierpont Morgan Library: Five Coptic Homilies Attributed to Anastasius of Euchaita, Epiphanius of Salamis, Isaac of Antinoe, Severian of Gabala, and Theopempus of Antioch. (CSCO 544: Copt. 47. Leuven: Peeters, 1993), 133-52.
Scott, A. B., ‘Encomium on St. Victor (M591, ff. 34v–49v), attributed to Theopempus of Antioch’, in L. Depuydt (ed.), Encomiastica from the Pierpont Morgan Library: Five Coptic Homilies Attributed to Anastasius of Euchaita, Epiphanius of Salamis, Isaac of Antinoe, Severian of Gabala, and Theopempus of Antioch. (CSCO 545: Copt. 48. Leuven: Peeters, 1993), 103-18
Till, W. C., Koptische Heiligen- und Martyrerlegenden: Texte, Übersetzungen und Indices herausgegeben und bearbeitet von Walter Till (2 vols). (Rome: Pont. institutum orientalium studiorum, 1935-6), I, 45-55, 72-3, 84-5.
Van Esbroeck, M. 1991, ‘Victor Stratelates, Saint – Coptic Tradition’ in A. S. Atiya (ed.), The Coptic Encyclopedia. (New York: Macmillan, 1991), VII, 2303a-2304b.
Further reading on Constantine of Assiut:
Booth, P., ‘A circle of Egyptian bishops at the end of Roman rule (c. 600): Texts and contexts’, Le Muséon 131 (1-2) (2018), 21-72, especially 30-5.
Coquin, R.-G., ‘Saint Constantin, Evêque d’Asyut’, Studia orientalia christiana. Collectanea 16 (1981), 151-70.
Coquin, R.-G., ‘Constantine – History’, in A. S. Atiya (ed.), The Coptic Encyclopedia. (New York: Macmillan, 1991), II, 590b-592a.
Garitte, G., ‘Constantin, evêque d’Assiout’, in M. Malinine (ed.), Coptic Studies in Honor of Walter Ewing Crum. Bulletin of the Byzantine Institute 2. (Boston: The Institute, 1950), 287-304.
Samir, K., S. J., ‘Constantine – Constantine’s Writings’ in A. S. Atiya (ed.), The Coptic Encyclopedia. (New York: Macmillan, 1991), II, 592a-593b.
Timm, S., Das christlich-koptische Ägypten in arabischer Zeit : eine Sammlung christlicher Stätten in Ägypten in arabischer Zeit, unter Ausschluss von Alexandria, Kairo, des Apa-Mena-Klosters (Dēr Abū Mina), der Skētis (Wādi n-Naṭrūn) und der Sinai-Regio (7 vols). (Wiesbaden: Reichert, 1984-2007), I, 235-51.
Further reading on Severus of Antioch:
Booth, P., ‘Towards the Coptic Church: The Making of the Severan Episcopate’, Millennium 14 (2017), 151-89.
Davis, S. J., The Early Coptic Papacy: The Egyptian Church and Its Leadership in Late Antiquity. (Cairo; New York: American University in Cairo Press, 2004), 99-111, 135, 138-9.
Frend, W. H. C., The Rise of the Monophysite Movement: Chapters in the History of the Church in the Fifth and Sixth Centuries. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 1972).
Knezevich, L., ‘Severus of Antioch’ in A. S. Atiya (ed.), The Coptic Encyclopedia. (New York: Macmillan, 1991), VII, 2123b-2125b.
Maspero, J., Histoire des patriarches d’Alexandrie depuis la mort de l’empereur Anastase jusqu’à la réconciliation des églises jacobites (518–616). (Paris: É. Champion, 1923).
Menze, V.-L., Justinian and the making of the Syrian Orthodox Church. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008).
Chloé Agar
12/07/2025
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00641 | Kollouthos, physician and martyr of Antinoopolis | ⲕⲟⲗⲟⲩⲑⲟⲥ | Certain | S00749 | Viktor, martyr of Egypt, son of Romanos; and companion martyrs | ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ | Certain | S02667 | Klaudios Stratelates, martyr at Alexandria and Antinoe | ⲕⲗⲁⲩⲇⲓⲟⲥ | Certain | S03104 | Timotheos (martyr of Perginoeit, Middle Egypt) | ⲇⲓⲙⲟⲑⲉⲟⲥ ⲙⲡⲉⲣϭⲓⲛⲟⲉⲓⲧ | Certain | S03105 | Elias, martyr of Koussai, Middle Egypt | ⲏⲗⲓⲁⲥ | Certain |
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