E05114: Coptic Martyrdom of *Viktor (son of Romanos, S00749), the fourth Martyrdom, relates the saint’s interaction with the dux Sebastianos, his miraculous strength during tortures, his contest with a magician who converts to Christianity, and his eventual beheading causing miracles; written presumably in the 6th/7th century.
Creators: name: Gschenke
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2018
Subjects: History

description: Brit. Mus. MS. Oriental, No. 7022, fol. 20a–26a <br><br>The account is introduced as follows:<br><br>Fol. 19b; Budge, p. 34, lines 1–3:<br><br>ⲡⲙⲉϩ ϥⲧⲟ · ⲇ · ⲙⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲓⲁ · ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ⲃⲓⲕ(ⲧⲱⲣ) ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲉⲓⲣⲏⲛⲏ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ · ⲥⲙⲟⲩ ⲉⲣⲟⲛ · ϩⲁⲙⲏⲛ ⁖<br><br>‘The fourth martyrdom of Apa Biktor. In peace of God. Bless us. Amen.’<br><br>When the dux Sebastianos arrived, he set up trial in the middle of the castron and had Viktor placed before him. Refusing to sacrifice, Viktor is subjected to many tortures and a contest with a magician who loses and converts to Christianity. The numerous tortures, including another fire in a furnace, leave the saint unharmed, but when a young girl of 15 named Stephanou (ⲥⲧⲉⲫⲁⲛⲟⲩ), the wife of a soldier, witnessed the trial, she became a martyr immediately.<br><br>Prior to his death, Viktor announces what he had been told about his future cult and asks the soldiers to hand over his body to the people who will come looking for it. He makes it clear that there will be two different shrines in which miracles will take place. One where is body will be placed, and one where his head will be located.<br><br>Fol. 25b; Budge, p. 43, line 25–p. 44, line 7:<br><br>ⲁⲩⲱ ⲙⲛⲛⲥⲁ ⲙⲏⲧ ⲛϩⲟⲟⲩ · ⲛⲁⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲛⲁⲉⲓ ⲉⲩϣⲓⲛⲉ ⲛⲥⲁ ⲡⲁⲥⲱⲙⲁ ⲧⲁⲁϥ ⲛⲁⲩ · ⲁⲓⲟⲩⲱ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲉⲓϣⲱⲡ ⲛⲧⲁⲕⲁⲓⲥⲉ ⲙⲛ ⲧⲁⲧⲏⲃⲉ · ϫⲉⲕⲁⲥ <br>ⲛⲛⲉⲩⲕⲟⲥⲧ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲕⲁⲓⲥⲉ ⲛϣⲙⲙⲟ · ⲙⲟⲛⲟⲛ ⲙⲡⲣⲕⲱⲗⲩ ⲙⲡⲁⲥⲱⲙⲁ ⲉⲧⲁⲁϥ ⲛⲁⲩ ⲉⲩϣⲁⲛϣⲓⲛⲉ ⲛⲥⲱϥ · ϫⲉ ⲟⲩⲛⲟϭ ⲉⲙⲁⲁⲧⲉ ⲡⲉ <br>ⲡⲉⲥⲕⲩⲗⲙⲟⲥ ⲛⲑⲁⲗⲁⲥⲥⲁ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲁϣⲉ ⲛϭⲟⲙ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲛⲁϣⲱⲡⲉ ϩⲙ ⲡⲙⲁ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲛⲁⲕⲁ ⲡⲁⲥⲱⲙⲁ ⲛϩⲏⲧϥ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲉⲭⲱⲣⲁ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ ⲛⲏⲩ <br>ⲉⲣⲁⲧϥ ⲙⲡⲁⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ · ⲁⲩⲱ ϩⲉⲛⲛⲟϭ ⲛϭⲟⲙ ⲛⲁϣⲱⲡⲉ ϩⲙ ⲡⲙⲁ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲛⲁϥⲓ ⲛⲧⲁⲁⲡⲉ ⲛϩⲏⲧϥ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲉⲭⲱⲣⲁ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ ⲛⲏⲩ ⲉⲣⲁⲧϥ <br>ⲙⲡⲁⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ · ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲛϭⲟⲙ ⲉⲧⲛⲁϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲛϩⲏⲧϥ · ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϫⲉ ⲁⲛⲅ ⲟⲩϣⲏⲣⲉ ϣⲏⲙ ⲉⲓϩⲛ ϫⲟⲩⲱⲧⲉ ⲛⲣⲟⲙⲡⲉ · ϯϣⲓⲛⲉ ⲉⲣⲱⲧⲛ ⲧⲏⲣⲧⲛ <br>ⲛⲁϣⲃⲏⲣ ⲙⲁⲧⲟⲓ · ϫⲉ ⲉⲓⲛⲁⲃⲱⲕ ⲉⲣⲁⲧϥ ⲙⲡⲁϫⲥ ⲓⲥ ⲡⲉⲭⲣⲥ ϫⲉ ⲡⲁⲓ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉϩⲟⲟⲩ ⲉⲧⲉⲓϭⲱϣⲧ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲏⲧϥ · ⲉⲓⲥ ϩⲏⲏⲧⲉ ⲁϥⲧⲁϩⲟⲓ ⲙⲡⲟⲟⲩ · <br><br>‘After ten days, my people will come looking for my body. Give it to them. For I have already obtained my burial shroud and my coffin, so that they shall not bury me in a foreign shroud. Only do not prevent my body to be given to them, if they are looking for it, since it is a very long sea journey (from Antioch). Many are the miracles that will take place at the spot where my body will be laid. All the countries (will) come to my shrine. Great miracles will take place in the place where my head will be placed. All the countries (will) come to my shrine because of the miracles that will take place there. <br><br>Because I am a young man, being twenty years of age, I am greeting you all my fellow soldiers, so that I will go to my Lord Jesus Christ, since this is the day for which I have been looking out. Behold it has come upon me today.’<br><br>When the decapitation goes wrong and the saint’s head is not fully cut off, he begs Horion, a reluctant fellow soldier, to do it properly for him.<br><br>Fol. 26a; Budge, p. 45, lines 1–12:<br><br>ⲁⲡⲕⲁⲥⲧⲣⲟⲛ ⲛⲟⲉⲓⲛ ⲛϣⲟⲙⲛⲧ ⲛⲥⲟⲡ · ⲁϥϥⲓ ϭⲉ ⲛⲧⲉϥⲁⲡⲉ ⲁϥϫⲱⲕ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲛⲧⲉϥⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲓⲁ · ϩⲟⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲇⲉ ⲁϥϥⲓ ⲛⲉϥⲃⲁⲗ ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ ⲉⲧⲡⲉ · <br>ⲁϥⲛⲁⲩ ⲉⲧⲉⲯⲩⲭⲏ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ · ⲉⲁⲩⲥⲟⲩⲉⲗ ⲟⲩⲱⲗⲥ ϩⲛ ϩⲉⲛⲙⲁⲡⲡⲁ ⲛϣⲛⲥ · ⲁⲛⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲁⲥⲡⲁⲍⲉ ⲛⲧⲉⲯⲩⲭⲏ ⲛ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ · <br>ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲧⲉⲣⲟⲩϥⲓ ⲛⲧⲉϥⲁⲡⲉ · ⲁⲩⲥⲛⲟϥ ⲉⲓ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲙⲛ ⲟⲩⲉⲣⲱⲧⲉ · ⲁϥϫⲱⲕ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲛⲧⲉϥⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲓⲁ ⲉⲧⲧⲁⲓⲏⲩ · ⲛⲥⲟⲩ ϫⲟⲩⲧⲥⲁϣϥⲉ ⲙⲡⲉⲃⲟⲧ ⲡⲁⲣ{ⲡⲁⲣ}ⲙⲟⲩⲧⲉ · ⲛϫⲡ ⲙⲏⲏⲧⲉ ⲙⲡⲉϩⲟⲟⲩ :- ⲁⲩⲱ ϣⲁϫⲉ ⲛⲙ ⲛⲧⲁϥϫⲟⲟⲩ ⲙⲡⲁⲧⲟⲩϥ ⲛⲧⲉϥⲁⲡⲉ · ⲁⲩϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲛⲁⲙⲉ ·<br><br>‘The castron shook three times. He (Horion) then took off his head and he (Viktor) completed his martyrdom. But Horion lifted his eyes up to heaven and saw the soul of Apa Viktor as Ausouel was holding it in linen clothes. The saints greeted the soul of Apa Biktor. When his head was taken off, blood and milk came forth. He completed his glorious martyrdom on day 27 of the month Parmouthe (22 April) at the tenth hour of the day. Every word he said before his head was taken off became true.’ <br><br>(Text: E. A. W. Budge; summary and trans.: G. Schenke)