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E01436: The early 5th c. Syriac Martyrology commemorates on 23 February the martyrdom of Polycarp/Polykarpos (bishop and martyr of Smyrna, 00004), Aratus (martyr of Asia Minor, 00964), Cosconius (martyr of Asia Minor, 00965), Melanippos (martyr of Asia Minor, 00966), and Zēnōn (martyr of Asia Minor, 00967).

online resource

posted on 2016-06-03, 00:00 authored by sminov

ܘܒܬ̈ܠܬܐ ܘܥܣܪܝܢ ܒܐܣܝܐ ܡܢ ܡܘ̈ܕܝܢܐ ܩ̈ܕܡܝܐ ܦܘܠܘܩܪܦܘܤ ܐܦܣܩܘܦܐ ܘܐܪܘܛܘܤ ܘܩܣܩܘܢܝܤ ܘܡܠܢܘܗܦܘܤ ܘܙܢܘܢ.

'And on twenty third (day) – in Asia, of the ancient martyrs, Polycarp the bishop, and Aratus, and Cosconius, and Melanippos, and Zēnōn.'

Text: Nau 1912, p. 13. Translation: Sergey Minov.

History

Evidence ID

E01436

Saint Name

Polycarp, bishop and martyr, and other martyrs in Smyrna, ob. 2nd c. : S00004 Aratus, martyr in Asia Minor : S00964 Cosconius, martyr in Asia Minor : S00965 Melanippos, martyr in Asia Minor : S00966 Zēnōn, martyr in Asia Minor : S00967

Saint Name in Source

ܦܘܠܘܩܪܦܘܤ ܐܪܘܛܘܤ ܩܣܩܘܢܝܤ ܡܠܢܘܗܦܘܤ ܙܢܘܢ

Related Saint Records

Type of Evidence

Liturgical texts - Calendars and martyrologies

Language

Syriac

Evidence not before

411

Evidence not after

412

Activity not before

360

Activity not after

411

Place of Evidence - Region

Mesopotamia

Place of Evidence - City, village, etc

Edessa

Place of evidence - City name in other Language(s)

Edessa Edessa Edessa Ἔδεσσα Edessa

Major author/Major anonymous work

Syriac Martyrology of 411

Cult activities - Festivals

Saint’s feast

Source

The Syriac Martyrology of the year 411 is the earliest liturgical calendar preserved in Syriac. It appears in the manuscript BL Add. 12150. The manuscript's colophon relates that it was produced in the city of Edessa in the year 411. Composed during the last decades of the fourth or the first decade of the fifth century, the Martyrology is divided into the two main sections - the main one, devoted to the Christian martyrs of the Roman empire, and the shorter one, devoted to the Christians executed in the Sasanian empire. The former section is derived from a lost Greek martyrology. For more information, see E00465 Syriac text: Wright 1865-1866; Nau 1912, pp. 11-26; Brock and van Rompay 2014, pp. 389-392; English translation: Wright 1865-1866, pp. 423-432; French translation: Nau 1912, pp. 11-26; German translation: Lietzmann 1903, pp. 9-16; Latin translation: Mariani 1956. For general information, see Taylor 2012, pp. 80-81; Schäferdiek 2005.

Discussion

The Martyrology provides the earliest evidence for the liturgical commemoration of the martyrs Polycarp of Smyrna, Aratus, Cosconius, Melanippos and Zēnōn among Syriac-speaking Christians.

Bibliography

Main editions and translations: Brock, S.P., and van Rompay, L., Catalogue of the Syriac Manuscripts and Fragments in the Library of Deir al-Surian, Wadi al-Natrun (Egypt) (Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta 227; Leuven: Peeters, 2014). Lietzmann, H., Die drei ältesten Martyrologien (Kleine Texte für Theologische Vorlesungen und Übungen 2; Bonn: A. Marcus und E. Weber, 1903). Mariani, B., Breviarium syriacum seu martyrologium syriacum saec. IV (Rerum ecclesiasticarum documenta, Series minor: Subsidia studiorum 3; Roma: Herder, 1956). Nau, F., Martyrologes et ménologes orientaux, I–XIII. Un martyrologie et douze ménologes syriaques édités et traduits (Patrologia Orientalis 10.1 [46]; Paris: Firmin-Didot, 1912). Wright, W., “An Ancient Syriac Martyrology,” Journal of Sacred Literature and Biblical Record NS VIII, 15 (1865), 45-56; 16 (1866), 423-432. Further reading: Schäferdiek, K., “Bemerkungen zum Martyrologium Syriacum,” Analecta Bollandiana 123:1 (2005), 5-22. Taylor, D.G.K., “Hagiographie et liturgie syriaque,” in: A. Binggeli (ed.), L’hagiographie syriaque (Études syriaques 9; Paris: Paul Geuthner, 2012), 77-112.