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E03568: Coptic fragments of the Martyrdom of bishop Apa *Psote (S01468) at Antinoopolis, relating his ascetic life and the care for his congregation; written most likely in the 6th/7th century.
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posted on 2017-08-15, 00:00 authored by gschenkeBishop Psote (Psate in other fragments) leaves his congregation, when all the bishops in the Thebais are summoned to appear at Antinoopolis in front of the governor Arianos. The governor asks him to sacrifice according to the imperial edict, which the bishop refuses to do. Consequently, he is tortured and dies as a martyr.
Bishop Apa Psote is described as following a strict ascetic life style and acting like a physician to those who receive communion from him.
Till, KHML I, p. 207, lines 19–30:
ϩⲛ ⲛⲉϩⲟⲟⲩ ⲇⲉ ⲉⲧⲙⲙⲁⲩ ⲁⲩϣⲓⲛⲉ ⲛⲥⲁ ⲡⲛⲟϭ ⲛϣⲟⲉⲓϫ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲯⲟⲧⲉ ⲡⲉⲡⲓⲥⲕⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲁⲩϩ[ⲉ ⲉⲣ]ⲟϥ ⲉⲣⲉ ⲡⲉ[ϥⲥⲱ]ⲙⲁ ϣⲱⲛ[ⲉ ϩⲓⲧⲙ]
ⲡⲉϩⲟⲩⲟ ⲛ[ⲛⲉϥⲁ]ⲥⲕⲏⲥⲓⲥ ⲙ[ⲛ ⲛ]ⲉϥⲡⲟⲗⲩⲧⲓⲁ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲁⲩⲧⲁⲙⲟϥ ϫⲉ ⲁϥⲣ ⲛⲟϭ ⲛⲣⲱⲙⲉ · ϩⲓⲧⲛ ⲧⲉⲓⲁⲧⲁ ⲟⲩⲛ ⲙⲡⲉ ⲡϩⲏⲅⲉⲙⲱⲛ ⲇⲓⲱⲕⲉⲓ
ⲛⲥⲱϥ · ⲗⲟⲓⲡⲟⲛ ⲛⲑⲉ ⲛⲟⲩⲥⲁⲉⲓⲛ ⲉϥⲑⲉⲣⲁⲡⲉⲩⲉ ⲛⲧⲉⲡⲗⲩⲅⲏ · ⲛⲉⲣⲉ ⲡⲙⲁⲕⲁⲣⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲯⲟⲧⲉ ⲑⲉⲣⲁⲡⲉⲩⲉ ⲛⲛⲁ ⲧⲉϥⲡⲟⲗⲓⲥ ⲙⲛ ⲡⲉϥⲧⲟϣ
ϩⲙ ⲡⲛⲁⲣⲇⲓⲝ ⲉⲧⲙⲉϩ ⲙⲡⲁϩⲣⲉ ⲉⲛⲱⲛϩ · ⲛⲉϣⲁϥⲥⲩⲛⲁⲅⲉ ⲙⲙⲟⲟⲩ ⲛⲧⲉⲩϣⲏ ⲙⲡⲥⲁⲃⲃⲁⲧⲟⲛ ⲛϥⲣⲧⲉⲩϣⲏ ⲛⲧⲕⲩⲣⲓⲁⲕⲏ ⲉϥⲕⲁⲑⲏⲅⲉⲓ ⲙⲙⲟⲟⲩ ⲛϥⲥⲩⲛⲁⲅⲉ ⲙⲙⲟⲟⲩ ⲛⲧⲉⲩϣⲏ ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲡⲇⲓⲱⲅⲙⲟⲥ ⲉⲧϩⲓϫⲛ ⲛⲉⲕⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ·
‘In those days, they were looking for the great athlete Apa Psote, the bishop. They found him, his body weak through his excessive asceticism and his way of life. They told him that he was an important person. For this reason then, the governor (hegemon) had not summoned him. Now just as a physician who treats the wound, the blessed Apa Psote was treating those of his city and his district through the casket (νάρθηξ) filled with vital medicine. He would gather them on the night of the Sabbath and would spend the night to Sunday teaching them, and he would gather them at night because of the persecution that had come over the churches.’
(Text: W. C. Till, KHML I, 205–209; summary and trans. G. Schenke)
Bishop Apa Psote is described as following a strict ascetic life style and acting like a physician to those who receive communion from him.
Till, KHML I, p. 207, lines 19–30:
ϩⲛ ⲛⲉϩⲟⲟⲩ ⲇⲉ ⲉⲧⲙⲙⲁⲩ ⲁⲩϣⲓⲛⲉ ⲛⲥⲁ ⲡⲛⲟϭ ⲛϣⲟⲉⲓϫ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲯⲟⲧⲉ ⲡⲉⲡⲓⲥⲕⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲁⲩϩ[ⲉ ⲉⲣ]ⲟϥ ⲉⲣⲉ ⲡⲉ[ϥⲥⲱ]ⲙⲁ ϣⲱⲛ[ⲉ ϩⲓⲧⲙ]
ⲡⲉϩⲟⲩⲟ ⲛ[ⲛⲉϥⲁ]ⲥⲕⲏⲥⲓⲥ ⲙ[ⲛ ⲛ]ⲉϥⲡⲟⲗⲩⲧⲓⲁ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲁⲩⲧⲁⲙⲟϥ ϫⲉ ⲁϥⲣ ⲛⲟϭ ⲛⲣⲱⲙⲉ · ϩⲓⲧⲛ ⲧⲉⲓⲁⲧⲁ ⲟⲩⲛ ⲙⲡⲉ ⲡϩⲏⲅⲉⲙⲱⲛ ⲇⲓⲱⲕⲉⲓ
ⲛⲥⲱϥ · ⲗⲟⲓⲡⲟⲛ ⲛⲑⲉ ⲛⲟⲩⲥⲁⲉⲓⲛ ⲉϥⲑⲉⲣⲁⲡⲉⲩⲉ ⲛⲧⲉⲡⲗⲩⲅⲏ · ⲛⲉⲣⲉ ⲡⲙⲁⲕⲁⲣⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲯⲟⲧⲉ ⲑⲉⲣⲁⲡⲉⲩⲉ ⲛⲛⲁ ⲧⲉϥⲡⲟⲗⲓⲥ ⲙⲛ ⲡⲉϥⲧⲟϣ
ϩⲙ ⲡⲛⲁⲣⲇⲓⲝ ⲉⲧⲙⲉϩ ⲙⲡⲁϩⲣⲉ ⲉⲛⲱⲛϩ · ⲛⲉϣⲁϥⲥⲩⲛⲁⲅⲉ ⲙⲙⲟⲟⲩ ⲛⲧⲉⲩϣⲏ ⲙⲡⲥⲁⲃⲃⲁⲧⲟⲛ ⲛϥⲣⲧⲉⲩϣⲏ ⲛⲧⲕⲩⲣⲓⲁⲕⲏ ⲉϥⲕⲁⲑⲏⲅⲉⲓ ⲙⲙⲟⲟⲩ ⲛϥⲥⲩⲛⲁⲅⲉ ⲙⲙⲟⲟⲩ ⲛⲧⲉⲩϣⲏ ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲡⲇⲓⲱⲅⲙⲟⲥ ⲉⲧϩⲓϫⲛ ⲛⲉⲕⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ·
‘In those days, they were looking for the great athlete Apa Psote, the bishop. They found him, his body weak through his excessive asceticism and his way of life. They told him that he was an important person. For this reason then, the governor (hegemon) had not summoned him. Now just as a physician who treats the wound, the blessed Apa Psote was treating those of his city and his district through the casket (νάρθηξ) filled with vital medicine. He would gather them on the night of the Sabbath and would spend the night to Sunday teaching them, and he would gather them at night because of the persecution that had come over the churches.’
(Text: W. C. Till, KHML I, 205–209; summary and trans. G. Schenke)
History
Evidence ID
E03568Saint Name
Psote, Apa Psote, bishop in the Thebais : S01468Saint Name in Source
ⲁⲡⲁ ⲯⲟⲧⲉRelated Saint Records
Type of Evidence
Literary - Hagiographical - Accounts of martyrdom Literary - Hagiographical - Lives of saintLanguage
- Coptic
