E04839: Coptic Encomion on *Michael the Archangel (S00181), from the Monastery of the Archangel Michael near Hamouli in the Fayum (Lower Egypt), attributed to Eustathius of Thrace, mentioning the feast celebrated at Michael’s oratory built by Eustathius in Thrace, claiming that this foundation was an idea by the late John Chrysostom, and relating the life of a pious woman named Euphemia, a local woman of Thrace, whom Michael protects, after she swore an oath in his name not to remarry upon her husband's death; written supposedly sometime between the 6th and 9th century.

Encomion on Michael the Archangel, attributed to Eustathius of Thrace

M592, fol. 50r–72v:

The text is introduced as follows:

ⲟⲩⲉⲅⲕⲱⲙⲓⲟⲛ ⲉⲁϥⲧⲁⲟⲩⲟϥ ⲛϭⲓ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲉⲩⲥⲧⲁⲑⲓⲟⲥ ⲡⲉⲡⲓⲥⲕⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲑⲣⲁⲕⲏ ⲧⲛⲏⲥⲟⲥ ⲡⲙⲁ ⲛⲧⲁⲩⲉⲝⲱⲣⲓⲍⲉ ⲙⲡⲙⲁⲕⲁⲣⲓⲟⲥ
ⲓⲱϩⲁⲛⲛⲏⲥ ⲡⲉⲭⲣⲩⲥⲟⲥⲧⲟⲙⲟⲥ ⲉⲣⲟϥ ⲡⲙⲁ ⲟⲛ ⲛⲧⲁϥϫⲱⲕ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲛϩⲏⲧϥ ⲛⲧⲁϥⲧⲁⲟⲩⲉ ⲡⲉⲓⲉⲅⲕⲱⲙⲓⲟⲛ ⲇⲉ ϩⲙ ⲡϣⲁ
ⲙⲡⲁⲣⲭⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲟⲥ ⲙⲓⲭⲁⲏⲗ ⲉϥⲉⲓⲣⲉ ⲙⲡϣⲁ ϩⲙ ⲡⲉϥⲉⲩⲕⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲛⲧⲁϥⲕⲟⲧϥ ⲛⲃⲣⲣⲉ ϩⲛ ⲧⲛⲏⲥⲟⲥ ⲉⲧⲙⲙⲁⲩ ⲉⲡⲣⲁⲛ
ⲙⲡⲁⲣⲭⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲟⲥ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲙⲓⲭⲁⲏⲗ ⲡⲁⲓ ⲛⲧⲁ ⲡⲙⲁⲕⲁⲣⲓⲟⲥ ⲓⲱϩⲁⲛⲛⲏⲥ ⲥⲙⲛ ⲥⲛⲧⲉ ⲙⲙⲟϥ ϩⲙ ⲡϣⲁϫⲉ ϩⲁⲑⲏ ⲉⲧⲣⲉϥⲕⲁ ⲥⲱⲙⲁ
ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ ⲉⲁϥϫⲉ ϩⲉⲛⲕⲟⲩⲓ ⲇⲉ ⲟⲛ ϩⲛ ⲑⲁⲏ ⲙⲡⲉⲓⲉⲅⲕⲱⲙⲓⲟⲛ ⲉⲡⲙⲁⲕⲁⲣⲓⲟⲥ ⲓⲱϩⲁⲛⲛⲏⲥ ⲡⲁⲣⲭⲏⲉⲡⲓⲥⲕⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲁⲩⲱ
ⲡⲉⲭⲣⲩⲥⲟⲥⲧⲟⲙⲟⲥ ⲉⲩⲉⲟⲟⲩ ⲛⲧⲉⲧⲣⲓⲁⲥ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲉⲓⲣⲏⲛⲏ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ϩⲁⲙⲏⲛ

‘An encomion which Apa Eustathius, the bishop of the peninsula of Thrace, delivered, the place where the blessed John Chrysostom was exiled and also the place where he died. He delivered this encomion at the feast of the Archangel Michael celebrating the feast in his holy oratory, which he (Eustathius) had built anew on that peninsula in the name of the holy Archangel Michael, this oratory which the blessed John founded by word before leaving the body, saying also a few things at the end of the encomion about the blessed John Chrysostom, the archbishop, in honour of the Holy Trinity. In God’s peace. Amen.’

The homily starts with an invitation to a banquet shared with biblical guests, before narrating the story of Euphemia a devotee of Michael whom he protects against the devil. Euphemia promises her husband never to remarry after his death, and invokes Michael as a witness to her promise. Following her husband’s death, she suffers many advances and attacks by the devil to break her oath, though Michael protects her successfully until she dies. During her funeral service he appears mid-air over the altar and remains there, a miracle many come to see.

(Text and trans. Depuydt 1993, pp. 233-4, modified)