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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 Acts of Andrew and Matthias narrate how *Matthias (the Apostle, S01784) is held prisoner in the land of the anthropophagoi (cannibals), and is rescued by *Andrew (the Apostle, S00288). Skeleton entry

Evidence ID

E07880

Type of Evidence

Literary - Hagiographical - Other saint-related texts

The Acts of Andrew and Matthias (BHG 109-110)

We have not examined this text.

Source

The Acts of Andrew and Matthias are generally dated to the 4th century. The text was translated into numerous languages (see Elliott 1993, 240-242); a Latin version was used by Gregory of Tours for his Miracles of Andrew (E07877).


Discussion

In some versions of the story narrated in the Acts of Andrew and Matthias, the Apostle rescued by Andrew is not Matthias (S01784), who was made an Apostle in the place of Judas, but the more celebrated figure of Matthew the Evangelist (S00791). This is the case in the treatment of the story by Gregory of Tours in his Miracles of Andrew (E07877).


Bibliography

Editions:
MacDonald, D.R., The Acts of Andrew and the Acts of Andrew and Matthias in the City of Cannibals (Texts and Translations 33; Atlanta: Scholars' Press, 1990), with English translation.

Blatt, F.,
Die lateinischen Bearbeitungen der Acta Andreae et Matthiae apud anthropophagos (Giessen, 1930).

Further reading:
Elliott, J.K., The Apocryphal New Testament: A Collection of Apocryphal Christian Literature in an English Translation (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993).

Flamion, J.,
Les Actes Apocryphes de l'Apôtre André. Les Actes d'André et de Mathias, de Pierre et d'André et les textes apparentés (Louvain, 1911).

Roig Lanzillotta, L.,
Acta Andreae Apocrypha: A New Perspective on the Nature, Intention and Significance of the Primitive Text (Geneva: Patrick Cramer, 2007).


Record Created By

David Lambert

Date of Entry

16/05/2020

Related Saint Records
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S00288Andrew, the ApostleCertain
S01784Matthias, the ApostleCertain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
David Lambert, Cult of Saints, E07880 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E07880