E05113: Coptic Martyrdom of *Viktor (son of Romanos, S00749), the third Martyrdom, relates the saint’s transport to the south of Antinoopolis (Middle Egypt) for further trial, as well as his final banishment to an abandoned former military camp at Hierakonpolis (Upper Egypt) where he receives a visit from Christ who lays out the saint’s future cult; written presumably in the 6th/7th century.

Brit. Mus. MS. Oriental, No. 7022, fol. 15a–19b

The account is introduced as follows:

Fol. 15a; Budge, p. 26, lines 1–3:

ⲧⲙⲉϩ ϣⲟⲙⲧⲉ · ⲅ · ⲙⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲓⲁ ⲙⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ · ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲉⲓⲣⲏⲛⲏ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ϩⲁⲙⲏⲛ ·

‘The third martyrdom of saint Apa Viktor. In God’s peace. Amen.’

Four soldiers accompany the chained saint to Antinoopolis, but upon arrival find that Eutychianus, the dux/hegemon of the Thebais, has set sails to travel further south. They follow him and when they meet his boat midstream, they hand over the saint and the letter of instructions from Armenios at Alexandria.

Eutychianus then sets up trial at the riverbank and accuses Viktor of being a magician. When Viktor refuses to sacrifice, numerous brutal tortures are inflicted on him. As they seem to have no effect on him, the decision is reached to banish Viktor to a former castron at Hierakion/Hierakonpolis, south of Thebes.

Viktor is brought to the deserted castron by four soldiers and left there to die of starvation. The saint, however, remembered his carpentry skills, producing chairs and lamp stands to sell and live off. Leading the life of a hermit, he prays and keeps alive, until one day, Christ comes to visit him disguised as an old man. They prayed together and spent much time together until at last Christ revealed his true identity, telling the saint that he was before and would always be by his side during the suffering that still awaited Viktor. He then laid out the parameters of the saint’s future cult, before leaving him to carry on as before. Viktor then made preparations for his burial by acquiring the necessary material, fasted and prayed extensively, and was joined by many soldiers who admired his conduct.

Fol. 19a–19b; Budge, p. 32, line 29–p. 33, line 13:

Christ addresses Viktor:

Ϯϫⲱ ⲙⲙⲟⲥ ⲛⲁⲕ ϫⲉ ⲕⲛⲁϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲛⲙⲙⲁⲓ ϩⲛ ⲑⲓⲉⲗⲏⲙ ⲛⲧⲡⲉ ⲧⲁⲡⲟⲗⲓⲥ ⲙⲙⲉⲣⲓⲧ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲕⲁⲧⲁ ⲑⲉ ⲉϣⲁⲓϩⲙⲟⲟⲥ ϩⲓ ⲡⲁⲑⲣⲟⲛⲟⲥ ·
ⲕⲛⲁϩⲙⲟⲟⲥ ϩⲱⲱⲕ ϩⲓϫⲙ ⲡⲱⲕ · ⲁⲩⲱ ϯⲛⲁⲧⲣⲉ ⲇⲩⲣⲁⲛⲛⲟⲥ ⲛⲓⲙ · ϩⲓ ⲁⲣⲭⲏ ⲛⲓⲙ · ⲥⲱⲧⲙ ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲡⲉⲕⲣⲁⲛ ⲛⲥⲉⲣϣⲡⲏⲣⲉ · ⲁⲩⲱ
ϯⲛⲁⲧⲣⲉⲩⲉⲓ ⲉⲣⲁⲧϥ ⲙⲡⲉⲕⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ · ⲛⲥⲉⲛ ⲇⲱⲣⲟⲛ ⲛⲁⲕ ϩⲙ ⲡⲁⲣⲁⲛ · ϯⲛⲁ ⲧⲣⲉ ϩⲉⲛⲛⲟϭ ⲛϣⲡⲏⲣⲉ ⲙⲛ ϩⲉⲛⲙⲁⲉⲓⲛ ⲟⲩⲱⲛϩ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ
ϩⲙ ⲡⲉⲕⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ · ⲟⲩⲟⲛ ⲛⲓⲙ ⲉⲧⲛⲁⲉⲓ ⲉⲡⲉⲕⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲛϥⲉⲣⲏⲧ ⲛϥⲧⲙⲧⲁⲁⲩ · ϯⲛⲁ ϫⲓ ϩⲁⲡ ⲛⲙⲙⲁϥ ϩⲁⲣⲟⲟⲩ⁖
ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡⲉⲓⲡⲩⲣⲅⲟⲥ ⲉⲧⲕⲟⲩⲏⲏϩ ⲛϩⲏⲧϥ · ⲥⲉⲛⲁⲱϫⲛ ⲁⲛ ⲛϭⲓ ⲙⲙⲏⲏϣⲉ ⲉⲧⲛⲏⲩ ⲉⲣⲁⲧⲕ ⲛⲉⲕⲡⲟⲗⲩϯⲁ ⲙⲛ ⲛⲉⲕⲙⲛⲧϫⲱⲱⲣⲉ ⲛⲁⲃⲱⲕ
ϣⲁ ⲁⲣⲏϫϥ ⲙⲡⲕⲁϩ · ⲕⲛⲁⲣ ⲧⲉⲓⲣⲟⲙⲡⲉ ϩⲛ ⲧⲉⲝⲱⲣⲓ[ⲥ]ⲧⲉⲓⲁ · ϩⲣⲁⲓ ϩⲛ ⲧⲕⲉⲣⲟⲙⲡⲉ ⲥⲉⲛⲁϥⲓ ⲛⲧⲉⲕⲁⲡⲉ ϩⲛ ⲧⲙⲏⲏⲧⲉ ⲙⲡⲉⲓⲕⲁⲥⲧⲣⲟⲛ ϩⲛ
ⲧⲥⲏϥⲉ · ⲕⲛⲁϣⲉⲡ ϩⲉⲛⲕⲉⲕⲟⲩⲓ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲛϩⲓⲥⲉ ⲉϫⲙ ⲡⲁⲣⲁⲛ · ϯⲛⲏⲩ ⲟⲛ ⲛⲧⲁϯϭⲟⲙ ⲛⲁⲕ ϣⲁⲛⲧⲕϯϣⲓⲡⲉ ⲙⲡⲇⲟⲩⲝ ⲙⲛ ⲛⲉϥⲃⲁⲍⲁⲛⲟⲥ ·

‘I am telling you that you will be with me in the heavenly Jerusalem, my beloved city. Just as I am sitting on my throne, so you yourself will be sitting on yours. I will let every tyrant and every ruler hear about your name and they will marvel. I will let them come to your shrine and they will bring gifts for you in my name. I will let great miracles and wonders appear at your shrine. Anyone who will come to your shrine and who will make an oath and will not deliver on it, I shall judge him for it.

This tower in which you are living, the multitudes that come to you will not destroy it. Your ways of conduct and your strengths will advance to the end of the earth. You will spend this year in banishment. Next year, your head will be cut off by the sword in the middle of this castron. For you will endure a few more sufferings for my name. I will come again and I will give you strength, until you shame the dux with his tortures.’

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