E01850: Coptic Miracles of *Viktor (son of Romanos, Egyptian martyr, S00749), taking place at his martyr shrine (martyrion) of unknown Egyptian provenance. The miracles include healing a woman from swollen breasts and intercession and help against foreign attackers; written most likely in the 6th/7th century.
online resource
posted on 2016-09-12, 00:00authored byBryan
K 09442, p. 19/20:
The first preserved miracle concerns a woman named Kaliotropia, sister of the ruler Honorius, whose breasts had been seized by an unclean spirit. No physician was able to heal her from the swelling and pain.
‘And after being in all this suffering, she heard about the miracles and wonders which were taking place at the martyr shrine of saint Viktor. She asked her brother and her husband to let her go to the shrine (topos) of saint Viktor. “Perhaps”, she said, “his mercy will come upon me and he will grant me healing.”’
‘After they had brought her to the martyr shrine, she called out in a loud voice saying: “My Lord, Stratelates, saint Viktor, I implore you, have mercy on me and take away the suffering that is upon me, because you are a saint of God.” In the middle of the night, behold saint Apa Biktor had pity on her. He brought a light slumber upon her and she fell asleep. Afterwards he came to her in a dream.’
‘He said to her: “Woman, do you wish to be well? When you rise early in the morning, take a little bit of oil from the lamp …”’
Text: W.C. Till, KHML I, 46–47. Translation: G. Schenke.
K 09443, p. 47/48:
This miracle concerns worries over an attack by barbarians who were recapturing a certain area of the land. All the citizens, the clerics, and the government gathered in the martyr shrine of the holy general to invoke his intercession hoping for divine help against the attackers.
‘The king together with all the people gathered inside the shrine of saint Viktor, together with the archbishop and the entire clerus. [They bowed at the] altar, saying: “Saint Viktor, mighty general, do implore Christ on our behalf and he prepares all our lands, so that the godless barbarians will not be able to overpower us.” In this way, they held a great Catholic service which lasted until [the tenth hour of the day].’
Text: W.C. Till, KHML I, 47–48. Translation: G. Schenke.
History
Evidence ID
E01850
Saint Name
Viktor, son of Romanos, Egyptian martyr, ob. 303–311 : S00749
Literary - Hagiographical - Collections of miracles
Late antique original manuscripts - Parchment codex
Language
Coptic
Evidence not before
500
Evidence not after
900
Activity not before
400
Activity not after
900
Place of Evidence - Region
Egypt and Cyrenaica
Place of evidence - City name in other Language(s)
Hermopolis
ϣⲙⲟⲩⲛ
Ashmunein
Hermopolis
Cult activities - Places
Martyr shrine (martyrion, bet sāhedwātā, etc.)
Cult activities - Non Liturgical Practices and Customs
Saint as patron - of a community
Cult Activities - Miracles
Miracle after death
Healing diseases and disabilities
Miraculous interventions in war
Cult Activities - Protagonists in Cult and Narratives
Women
Ecclesiastics - bishops
Ecclesiastics - lesser clergy
Monarchs and their family
Crowds
Cult Activities - Cult Related Objects
Oil lamps/candles
Source
Two leaves of a fragmentary parchment codex a housed at the papyrus collection in Vienna. The parchment’s layout and script suggest a 9th/10th century date for the manuscript.
K 09442, p. 19/20
K 09443, p. 47/48
The codex seemingly also included a copy of the Encomion on Viktor Stratelates of which three leaves still survive in the collection in Vienna:
K 09446, p. 135/136
K 09447, p. 139/140
K 09448, p. 141/142
Discussion
See also E01715.
Bibliography
Text and German translation:
Till, W.C., Koptische Heiligen- und Martyrlegenden. Vol. 1 (Rome: Pont. institutum orientalium studiorum, 1935), 45–55.
Further reading:
O'Leary, De L., Saints of Egypt (London: SPCK, 1937).
Papaconstantinou, A., Le culte des saints en Égypte des Byzantins aux Abbassides (Paris: CNRS, 2001).