E05112: Coptic Martyrdom of *Viktor (son of Romanos, S00749), the second Martyrdom, relating the saint’s imprisonment and trial at Alexandria under Armenios, his tortures and miraculous recoveries, a journey into heaven to be greeted by the saints, as well as his eventual transport to the south of Egypt for further trial south of Antinoopolis (Middle Egypt); written presumably in the 6th/7th century.

Brit. Mus. MS. Oriental, No. 7022, fol. 11b–15a

The second martyrdom is introduced as follows:

ⲧⲙⲉϩ ⲥⲛⲧⲉ ⲙⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲓⲁ ⲙⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ ⲡⲉⲥⲧⲣⲁⲧⲏⲗⲁⲧⲏⲥ · ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲉⲓⲣⲏⲛⲏ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ · ⲉⲣⲉ ⲛⲉϥⲥⲙⲟⲩ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲛⲁⲉⲓ
ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ ⲉϫⲱⲛ · ⲛⲧⲛⲟⲩϫⲁⲓ ⲧⲏⲣⲛ ϩⲓ ⲟⲩⲥⲟⲡ ϩⲁⲙⲏⲛ

‘The second martyrdom of saint Apa Viktor Stratelates. In God’s peace. His holy blessings shall come down upon us and we shall be well all at once. Amen.’

The account begins with the comes/dux Armenios holding trials in the praetorium and passing sentences on soldiers refusing to sacrifice.

The next day, trials were held on the market place at Alexandria where the dux had Viktor brought before him. He threatened him with death by fire in the fiery furnace of the city’s bath if Viktor would not abide by the law to sacrifice to the imperial gods. They argued back and forth, with Viktor being subjected to various tortures and thrown back into prison.

No torture had any effect on him, as the saint’s heart and soul already ventured into heaven to be greeted by the saints and instructed by the archangel Michael.

Fol. 12b–13a; Budge, p. 22, lines 14–p. 23, line 5:

[ⲁ]ⲡⲁ ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ ⲇⲉ ⲁⲩϥⲓ ⲡⲉϥϩⲏⲧ ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ ⲉⲛⲉⲡⲟⲩⲣⲁⲛⲓⲟⲛ ⲛⲧⲡⲉ · ⲁⲩⲧⲥⲁⲃⲟϥ ⲉⲙⲙⲛⲧⲉⲣⲱⲟⲩ ⲛⲧⲡⲉ · ⲙⲛ ⲧⲡⲟⲗⲓⲥ ⲛⲛⲇⲓⲕⲁⲓⲟⲥ ·
ⲁⲛⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲁⲥⲡⲁⲍⲉ ⲙⲙⲟϥ · ⲁⲁⲃⲉⲗ ϯⲡⲉϥⲟⲩⲟⲓ ⲙⲛ ⲍⲁⲭⲁⲣⲓⲁⲥ · ⲡⲉϫⲁⲩ ⲛⲁϥ ϫⲉ ⲙⲓⲱⲕ ⲧⲱⲛⲟⲩ ⲱ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ · ⲡⲉϫⲉ ⲙⲓⲭⲁⲏⲗ
ⲛⲁϥ ϫⲉ ϩⲩⲡⲟⲙⲉⲓⲛⲉ ⲱ ⲡϣⲟⲉⲓϫ ⲛϫⲱⲱⲣⲉ · ⲙⲡⲣⲣϩⲟⲧⲉ ϩⲏⲧϥ ⲙⲡⲉⲓⲇⲩⲣⲁⲛⲛⲟⲥ · ϫⲉ ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ϯϣⲟⲟⲡ ⲛⲙⲙⲁⲕ · ⲉⲓⲛⲟⲩϩⲙ ⲙⲙⲟⲕ ·
ϯϫⲱ ⲙⲙⲟⲥ ⲛⲁⲕ · ϫⲉ ⲛⲑⲉ ⲉⲧⲉϣⲁⲣⲉ ⲛⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲟⲥ ⲟⲛⲟⲙⲁⲍⲉ ⲙⲡⲣⲁⲛ ⲛⲛⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ ϣⲁⲩⲟⲛⲟⲙⲁⲍⲉ ⲙⲙⲟⲕ ⲙⲛ ⲡϣⲟⲙⲛⲧ
ⲛϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲛⲁⲛⲓⲁ ⲙⲛ ⲁⲍⲁⲣⲓⲁ ⲙⲛ ⲙⲓⲍⲁⲏⲗ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡⲕⲑⲣⲟⲛⲟⲥ ⲡⲟⲣϣ ⲛⲧⲡⲉ ϩⲁϩ ⲡϫⲥ ⲓⲥ · ⲙⲡⲛⲁⲩ ϭⲉ ⲉϣⲁⲕϥⲓ ⲛⲛⲉⲕϭⲓϫ ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ ⲉⲧⲡⲉ ·
ϣⲁⲩⲣ ⲡⲉⲥⲙⲟⲧ ⲛⲧⲉⲥⲫⲣⲁⲅⲓⲥ ⲛⲧⲡⲉ · ⲉⲩⲣⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛ ⲙⲡϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲙⲡⲕⲁⲧⲁⲡⲉⲧⲁⲥⲙⲁ · ⲙⲡⲙⲧⲟ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲙⲡⲉⲑⲩⲥⲓⲁⲥⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ · ⲁⲩⲱ ϣⲁⲣⲉ
ⲟⲩⲥϯⲛⲟⲩϥⲉ ⲉⲛⲁϣⲱϥ ϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲙⲡⲉⲙⲧⲟ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲙⲡⲉⲓⲱⲧ · ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲧⲙⲟⲧⲛⲉⲥ ⲛⲛⲉⲧϩⲏⲛ ⲙⲡⲏⲩⲉ · ⲁⲩⲱ ϣⲁⲣⲉ ⲟⲩⲙⲟⲧⲛⲉⲥ ⲧⲁⲣⲉ
ⲛⲉⲧϩⲛⲛⲕⲟⲗⲁⲥⲓⲥ ·
ⲁⲩⲱ ϣⲁⲣⲉ ⲛⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲟⲥ ⲉⲩⲫⲣⲁⲛⲉ ⲉϫⲱⲕ · ⲛⲧⲉ ⲓⲥ ⲧⲉⲗⲏⲗ ϩⲓϫⲙ ⲡⲉϥⲑⲣⲟⲛⲟⲥ · ⲛⲧⲉ ⲛⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ ⲣⲁϣⲉ ⲛⲙⲙⲁⲕ · ⲙⲛⲛⲥⲱⲥ
ⲁⲙⲓⲭⲁⲏⲗ ⲕⲱ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲛⲧⲉⲯⲩⲭⲏ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ · ⲁⲥⲉⲓ ⲁⲥⲃⲱⲕ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲉⲡⲉϥⲥⲱⲙⲁ ⲛⲕⲉⲥⲟⲡ · ⲉϥⲧⲁⲗⲏⲩ ⲉⲡϩⲉⲣⲙⲉⲧⲁⲣⲓⲟⲛ · ⲁⲩⲱ
ⲁⲙⲓⲭⲁⲏⲗ ⲟⲩⲱ ⲉϥⲧⲁⲙⲟ ⲙⲙⲟϥ ⲉϩⲱⲃ ⲛⲙ ⲉⲧⲛⲁϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲙⲙⲟϥ ·

‘But Apa Viktor, his heart was taken up to the heavenly dwellings. He was instructed about the heavenly kingdom and the city of the righteous. The saints greeted him. Abel came up with Zacharias and they said to him: “Hail to you truly, Apa Viktor!” Michael said to him: “Endure, strong contestant. Do not fear this tyrant, for I am with you, protecting you. I am telling you that just as the angels call out the name for all the saints, they called out you together with the three saints Anania, Asaria and Misael. Your throne is prepared in heaven by the Lord Jesus. Now then, when you lift your hands up to heaven, they shall be like a heavenly seal illuminating the interior of the curtain near the altar. A heavy sweet smell exists in the presence of the father for the pleasure of those in heaven. And pleasure rises for those in chains. The angels rejoice over you and Jesus is jubilant on his throne and all the saints are thrilled with you.” Afterwards Michael returned the soul of Apa Viktor and it came and returned back into his body again, as he was hanging on the hermetarion. And Michael finished telling him everything that would happen to him.’

Once thrown into the furnace of the bath, Viktor prays to Christ. Michael descends and crushes the flames in the furnace freeing the saint and letting him appear to the dux, just as he was about to take a hot bath.

Fol. 14a; Budge, p. 24, lines 19–29:

ϩⲛ ⲧⲉⲩⲛⲟⲩ ⲇⲉ ⲉⲧⲙⲙⲁⲩ · ⲁϥⲉⲓ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲛ ⲧⲡⲉ ⲛϭⲓ ⲙⲓⲭⲁⲏⲗ ⲡⲁⲣⲭⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲟⲥ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ · ⲁϥⲃⲱⲕ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲉⲡⲙⲧⲱⲕ ⲛⲧⲥⲓⲟⲟⲩⲛ · ⲁϥⲡⲱⲣϣ ϩⲁⲣⲟϥ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ ⲛⲧⲉϥⲥⲧⲟⲗⲏ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲁϥⲧⲣⲉ ⲡϣⲁϩ ⲙⲡⲕⲱϩⲧ ϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲛⲑⲉ ⲛⲟⲩⲧⲏⲩ ⲙⲡⲛⲁⲩ ⲛϣⲱⲣⲡ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲁϥⲧⲁⲗⲟϥ
ⲉϫⲛ ⲛⲉϥⲧⲛϩ ⲛⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛ · ⲛⲉⲣⲉ ⲛⲧⲉⲛϩ ⲉⲓⲣⲉ ⲛⲟⲩⲥϯⲱϩⲉ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲁⲙⲓⲭⲁⲏⲗ ⲃⲱⲗ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲛⲙⲡⲉⲛⲓⲡⲉ ⲉⲧⲙⲏⲣ ⲉⲛⲉϥϭⲓϫ ⲙⲛ ⲛⲉϥⲟⲩⲣⲏⲏⲧⲉ ·
ⲁⲩϭⲱ ⲉⲩϣⲁϫⲉ ⲙⲛ ⲛⲉⲩⲉⲣⲉⲩ ϩⲛ ⲙⲙⲏⲥⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲛⲧⲙⲛⲧⲉⲣⲟ ⲛⲙⲡⲏⲩⲉ ⲙⲛ ⲧⲡⲟⲗⲓⲥ ⲛⲛⲇⲓⲕⲁⲓⲟⲥ ·

‘And at that moment, Michael, the holy archangel, came out from the heaven and entered the furnace of the bath. He wrapped Apa Viktor in his holy garment and let the flame of the fire become like an early morning breeze. He lifted him onto his shining wings and the wings were a field. Michael loosened the iron which was binding his hands and feet. They continued conversing with each other about the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven and the city of the righteous.’

Shocked by his appearance, the dux accuses the saint of being a magician and sentences him to be beheaded. But in order to avoid uproar in Alexandria, Viktor is sent south, further into Egypt to be executed there. For this reason, Armenios writes a letter to Eutychianos , the comes/dux of the Thebais, asking him to examine the delinquent and either to make him sacrifice or to execute him. Viktor is handed over to soldiers who bring him south into the Thebais.


(Text: E. A. W. Budge; summary and trans.: G. Schenke)