7/21/2019 Martyrdom of Lacaron http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/martyrdom-of-lacaron 1/48 The Martyrdom of Lacaron Coptic and English Anthony Alcock This is the first of the Bohairic Coptic texts published by I. Balestri and . y!ernat Acta Martyrum "C#C$% &'()*+ the Martyrdom of Lacaron pp. , to -,. A Latin translation as published by Balestri and y!ernat in the C#C$ series in &'(/% and details of the manuscripts from hich they ha!e been taken are to be found there "pp. 0 to '*. The texts are in manuscripts that all bear the designation Cod.1at. Copt.% folloed by a classification number. Copies of the texts ere made by 2aphael Tuki "&)(&3&)/)*% an orthodox Copt ho con!erted to 2oman Catholicism as a young man% taught Coptic language and culture in 2ome for ,( years and as consecrated Catholic Bishop of the 4ayyum in &)5&. These copies ere used by 6eorg 7oega hen he compiled his catalogue of Coptic mss in the Borgia Museum in &/&(. & The term parrhsia 8free speech8 occurs se!eral times in the text% - as it does in other martyrological and hagiographical texts. 9robably the most useful ork for the reader to consult is 6iuseppe #carpat Parrhesia greca e parrhesia cristiana "-((&*% hich is essentially a lexicographical study of the term and ho it is used. $n the sub:ect of speech% I ha!e italici;ed all direct speech in the text. I hope that this ork may be useful to those in the early stages of reading Coptic. The language and structure of the text are relati!ely simple+ there is a good deal of repetition of !ocabulary% in!ol!ing 8he said8 and 8he replied8% hich is to be expected in a report based on the court proceedings that took place before the martyrdom% albeit one that has been 8ritten up8. & 6. 7oega Catalogus codicum manusriptorum qui in Museo Borgiano Velitris adservantur "&/&( - 4irst instance on p. & of the text. &
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&he martyrdom o# the holy martyr o# Christ Apa acaron' and all those %ho completed it
%ith him( )e completed his contest * and his glorious struggle on the +*th o# Paope, in
peace o# God( Amen(
It happened in year &/ of iocletian5 the laless emperor% hen Arianus as go!ernor of
Antinoe)% that he boarded his !essel/ and sailed south. e tied up on the banks of Asyut and
made his ay up to the city in search of Christians that they might orship the defiled idols.
The go!ernor sat in the theatre' and ordered those standing before him to bring him all the
Christians. hen they ere brought% the go!ernor said to them+ill you sacri#ice to these
imperial gods or not . They all said in unison+ e %ill not sacri#ice to these li#eless gods
and de#iled a"ominations( e are openly Christians and our God is in heaven( )e %ill help
us( At that moment he ordered them all to be beheaded by the sord. The completed their
martyrdom and ent up to hea!en in glory.
After this the praepositus&( made his ay to the go!ernor and said to him+ My lord
go!ernor% there is a soldier here ho does not orship the gods but scorns them as non3
di!ine beings and does not obey your order% saying+ / am a Christian(
, I am unable to find this name elsehere. The language used of martyrsresembles that used of athletes and% like the inning athlete in a contest% the pri;e
in!ol!es a 8cron8% financial reard and immortality in poetry being replaced by eternal life in hea!en.
0 9aope is the second month of the Coptic calendar. According to the <ulian calendar it starts on #eptember-/@6regorian calendar $ctober &&
5 The emperor ho presided o!er the 6reat 9erseuction% hich began in ,(,. It as so closely associated ith
iocletian "one of four emperors beteen c. -/0 and ,&&* in Egypt that the Christian calendar% knon as the Dear ofthe Martyrs% starts not ith the persecution itself but the accession date of iocletian "-/*
) Arianus is named in the earliest knon martyrological text as the go!ernor of the Thebaid% an area stretching from
Thebes "mod. Luxor* to Antinoe "mod. #hekh 8Ibada* cf. 9. !an Minnen 89. uke in!. ,/+ Martyrdom of #tephanosof Lenaios8 Analecta Bollandiana &, "&''0*+ &,3,/% ho dates it to the th cent. The emperors named in the text are
1alerius Constantius "year &* and Maximinus "year -*. I ha!e read only the English translation of this article posted by the author on the .
/ lezwrion+ lusorium% hich can ha!e the meaning 8pleasure !essel8.' $n the sur!i!al of an amphitheatre at Asyut cf. Charles 9oncet Voyage to Ethiopia +012-+344 English tr. &)(' p. , +
8I beheld the ruins of an ancient and magnificent amphitheatre8
&( The 6reek term is a transliteration of the Latin praepositus. L#< cite a th cent% papyrus text here it is a militarytitle.
The go!ernor became angry and had him brought before him. The praepositus brought him
before the go!ernor% ho said+ hat is your name The saint replied+ /# you are asking
%hat my name according to the #lesh is5 it is acaron( But the name in %hich / live ++is the
6one %ho has "een called in 7esus Christ 8. The go!ernor said+ )o% old are you Apa
Lacaron replied+ / am +* today.&- The go!ernor asked him hat he did. The saint replied that
he as a soldier ith a mortal king% but from no on it as his intention to be a soldier ith
an immortal king%&, the Fing of Fings and Lord of Lords% <esus Christ. The go!ernor asked
him+ hy have your le#t your soldiering . &ell me no% %here you are #rom. The saint
replied+ 8ince you %ish to kno% %here / am #rom5 / am #rom Med9el +* attached to a division+,
in Asyut( :or this reason / %ish to "ecome a soldier o# the king o# those in heaven and those
on earth5 my ord 7esus Christ5 king o# all the aeons( / have le#t my soldiering5 %hich is
mortal and corrupti"le( / am no% openly a Christian5 "elonging to the God o# heaven5 my
ord 7esus Christ .
The go!ernor ansered+ 8acri#ice to these gods and / %ill let you go5 especially "ecause you
are a soldier( ;ou have opposed the emperors "y con#essing that you are a Christian5 so+0 %e
%ant to "e merci#ul to you
&& Acts -,% &
&- 4or a soldier ho :oined the army aged & cf. E. Birley 8#ome 2oman Legionary Centurions8 79E )' "&''/*+ &&0&, The !erb bwl ebol has a ide range of meanings and the most suitable here is Crum ,,a meaning "p*.
& E. AmGlineau a g<ographie de l6=gypt copte "&/',* p. -,&0 numerus&5 loipon
saint and pierced the go!ernor ith them. The go!ernor cried out+ acaron5 / no% kno% that
the God you %orship is a po%er#ul God( /# you heal me5 / %ill "elieve in him . The saint
replied+ / kno% you %ill not "elieve5 "ut "ecause o# the many people standing here5 / %ill
"eg my ord 7esus Christ to grant you this cure this time too . At that moment Apa Lacaron
placed his hand all o!er his body and said+ /n the name o# my ord 7esus Christ %hom /
%orship5 %ill you sho% your po%er so that all these people may kno% that you are God and
there is none "eside you and that they may glori#y your name . At that moment the nails
sprang from the body of the go!ernor like ater falling upon the earth. The go!ernor cried
aloud+ &here is no god like Apollo and Artemis5 these upon %hom the entire %orld depends5
#or / have "een healed "ecause o# them. Apa Lacaron said to him+ ;ou %ill come into my
hands once again.,/
The go!ernor became angry and said to the executioners+ Bring me many instruments o#
torture and place them "e#ore him that / may torture him %ith them until / see %hether his
God %ill rescue him #rom my hands. hen they brought the instruments of torture and
placed them before the saint% as they ere mercilessly torturing him% no torture of theirs
touched his
,/ The go!ernor has used the phrase 8my hands8 more than once in the texts to express the control he has o!er Lacaron.
ith this statement the martyr seems to be re!ersing the discourse% hich of course infuriates the go!ernor. In thenext paragraph he e!en smiles as the go!ernor is 8hoist ith his petard8.
body. The executioners,' did not stop( torturing him from morning to e!ening.& The saint
did not feel anything at all. The go!ernor became !ery angry. e arose and took the
implement from one of the executioners that he might strike the head of the blessed Apa
Lacaron. At that moment% the implement in his hand escaped from him and fell upon his
on head% ounding his head. The blessed Apa Lacaron smiled and said+&ruly the Psalm o#
David does not lie %hen it says that those %ho #ight %ith us are those %ho have "een
humiliated and #allen5 consumed "y their s%ords and their arro%s "roken.-
The go!ernor replied and said+ By the po%er o# the omans and Apollo the great god
acaron is per#orming magical tricks. e then ordered a ooden heel to be brought and
said to the executioners+ Put this magician on it and sa% it *' in the middle. They put the
saint on the heel and dragged him on it. e as in great pain% for his hole body had
started to di!ide into to. The martyr then lifted up his eyes to hea!en and prayed+God
hear my prayer( Do not "e silent to me5 ord5 #or / am a stranger and complete e!ile as my
#athers too %ere( $o%5 ord God o# )osts5 do not remain distant #rom me( Do not
,' V\]NWX
( 4or auyatotou "they stopped* read mpouyatotou "they did not stop*& The phrase euerbasanizin Mmof 8they torturing him8 is repeated after rouxi 8e!ening8 and is not translated
here.- To 9salms referred to+ -5% - and ,5% &0% but more an allusion than a citation.
this entire multitude around him so that your holy name might "e glori#ied and all these
people might kno% that there is no God "ut the ord God the Almighty and )is only-
"egotten 8on and the )oly 8pirit #orever and ever( Amen(
As the blessed Apa Lacaron finished his prayer% the sandals on the go!ernor8s foot once
again became a calf before the go!ernor and the entire multitude. The go!ernor then said+
Did / not tell you . acaron is per#orming magical tricks. At that moment he ordered the
calf to be killed and its corpse thron to the dogs and a doctor to be bought to cut out
Lacaron8s tongue. hen the doctor arri!ed% the go!ernor said to him+ &ake this "oy and cut
his tongue out5 #or / can no longer listen to him.
hen the tongue of the saint as cut out% he said to the go!ernor+ ;ou have cut out my
tongue so / %ill not "e a"le to speak again( $o% / %ill take a spiritual tongue5 against
%hich neither you nor your #ather the devil has any po%er . The go!ernor replied to Apa
Lacaron+ isten to me and taste o# the meat on the altar and drink o# the %ine o# sacri#ice( /
%ill release you so that you can go and escape #rom this torture. The blessed
Lit. 8I ill not be able to bear the number of his ords.8 This is the only instance knon to me in a Copticmartyrological text of a doctor brought in to perform a surgical procedure on a martyr.
Apa Lacaron said to the go!ernor+ God #or"id that / %ill ever do this :or it is %ritten that
you cannot receive #rom the ta"le o# the ord and that o# the demons.0 The go!ernor
became extremely angry and ordered his mouth to be opened and the the meat stuffed into
it.
hen they stopped doing this to him% the go!ernor said+ acaron5 your open speech*0 "e#ore
your God has stopped today. Lacaron replied+ Do not re9oice too soon5*3 enemy o# God and
companion o# the demons %ho hates the mercy o# God and is a stranger to the practices o#
all the saints. At that moment the go!ernor became angry and sent him to prison. $n the
folloing day he had Apa Lacaron brought to him from the prison to the tribunal. Apa
Lacaron said to himself+ hat is this la%less one going to do me
hen he reached the tribunal the go!ernor said to him+ 8acri#ice to the gods5 acaron( Do
not die a pain#ul death at my hands. The blessed Apa Lacaron replied mildly+ / %ill not
sacri#ice( Do as you %ish %ith me( My God is %ith me5 helping me5 like an adamantine
%all *2 surrounding my soul and my "ody together . The go!ernor said to him+ acaron5 %ill
you #orce me to punish
0 & Cor. &(% -&
5 4or parousia read parrhsia
) Lit. 8before your :oy is complete8 Mpatepekra¥i jwk ebol
/ Coptic sobt. I can find no #criptural allusion to any such structure and I onder if the riter of this text might
ha!e been familiar ith the tradition in the Alexander 2omance of an adamantine all to keep out 6og and Magog%the forces of barbarism mentioned in 2e!. -(% /. This external threat may ha!e found some resonance in the lateClassical period. as the people knon as the uns began to appear as a threat to the 8ci!ilisation8 of the 2oman
you even more %ith your resolute %ords . 8acri#ice no% and / %ill let you go.
hen the go!ernor heard these ords of Apa Lacaron% he ordered him to be hung from a
column by his head for three days. The soldiers did to him as the go!ernor ordered. Apa
Lacaron% suspended from the colum% prayed as follos+ My ord 7esus Christ5 the #irst
martyr5*1 %ho is the ord o# Aeons %ith )is divine po%er5 %ill you send me your holy angel
to help me. As he said this% an angel of the Lord appeared and stood abo!e him. r released
him from the column and brought him don and set him on his feet ithout any trace of
harm.0( The angel said to him+ Be #irm and you %ill "e strong5 gladiator o# Christ5 #or the
completion o# your contest is near . After the angel of the Lord had said this% he embraced
him and ent up to hea!en% the saint looking after him.0&
$n completion of the third day the go!ernor said+Go and see this %retch5 %hether he is
dead or not . The soldiers ho had suspended
' Title used by 6elasisus Cy;icenus the 0th cent% church historian% hose ork can be found in <.9. Migne PatrologiaGraeca /0 &-/(. 4or the recent re!i!al of the idea of <esus as the 4irst Martyr "as distinct from #tephanos^cron_* cf. for example #. 9atterson Beyond the Passion "-((*
The go!ernor became angry and said+ / order them to "e "eheaded "y the s%ord % hich as
done instantly. $n the &st day of Thout0 they completed their contest and recei!ed the
unfading cron in hea!en.
After all these things Arianus said to Lacaron+ 8acri#ice to the gods and do not die a pain#ul
death at my hands5 #or you are an intelligent person. The saint replied+ / am an intelligent
person at all times5 #or / seek the the kingdom o# my ord 7esus Christ5 this one to %hom /
am going shortly,, to receive the indestructi"le cro%n. hen the go!ernor heard this% he
ground his teeth and said to him+ 8ince you are not going listen to me and do %hat the
emperors command5 / order you to "e "eheaded "y the s%ord .
hen the blessed one heard his sentence% he started thanking05 6od. At that moment the
soldiers put a narro bridle 0) on his mouth and brought him to the place here he as to
die. e said to the executioners+ Bear %ith me a little that / may o##er a prayer to God . A
large crod gathered. The blessed Apa Lacaron spread his hands and prayed as follos+ My
ord 7esus Christ stand "y me and give me strength that / may complete my contest .
The #a!iour <esus appeared to him at that moment. Oobody kne im0/ except the saint
alone% ho said to im+ My ord and my God5 you have heard me praying to you( $o%
0 The first month of the Coptic calendar.
00 Coptic+ +nou e+na¥e eratf I ha!e used the 9resent Continuous in English ?uite deliberately% because one of
its meanings is the future that has been arranged.
05 I understand af¥wpi ef¥epxmot to be inchoati!e. The same periphrasis is used in the #ahidic !ersion of Lk.
)% ,/% here as¥wpe es+pe translates the 6reek Imperfect "RZU`UN*% hich can be understood as continuing
8she began8 "JZW* in the early part of the sentence. The faithful Bohairic translator has folloed the 6reek+
nas+i.
0) I take it that the 6reek ord is Z]KX. Oone of the dictionaries I ha!e consulted "L#<% Moulton and Milligan and
Lampe * are especially helpful+ L#< supplies ords of hich it might be the e?ui!alent meaning 8cur!ed8 and8narro8. #ince this de!ice is attached to 8his mouth8 "erwf*% I ha!e used the term 8bridle8% but this is not the
meaning of the 6reek ord. The same ord in Mod. 6k. means 8loss% destruction8.
0/ t is not entirely clear to me hether this means that only Lacaron could see <esus and kne ho e as or hetherthe onlookers could see im too but did not kno ho e as.
my ord / "eg you to complete #or me that %hich / asked o# you5 "ecause you are merci#ul
and charita"le( &he 8aviour said to him? / %ill do as you %ish( &he "lessed Apa acaron
said?,1 / "eg you5 my ord5 not to let my "ody rot in the earth "ut to keep it %hole and "uild
a shrine over it and glori#y those %ho "uild the shrine in in heavenly 7erusalem in e!change
#or their e##orts and count them among your saints( /# one makes a pledge to my shrine and
#ul#ils it5 may you "less04 him and his entire household( ord5 do not let any storm or any
animals enter my shrine( et no polluted adulterers or unclean spirits approach the place
%here my "ody is laid( /# one sick o# any sickness or i# one possessed "y a demon comes to
my shrine to %orship my "ody5 may you grant them a cure( &he one %ho %rites my
martyrdom5 as an aide-m<moire50+ may you separate the %riter #rom his sins and and save
them #rom the evil snares o# the devil and your "lessing and mercy and peace "e enduring
im all their d%ellings and may you %atch over them and %rite their name in the Book o#
i#e and "less every one %ho hears my martyrdom and those %ho provide an agapF0 on the
day o# my commemoration( May you give them their %ages and #ul#il their requests and save
them #rom all %ickedness5 all those %ho in pain come to my shrine and %orship over my
"ody( May you pour #orth
0' hat follos seems to me an extraordinary prayer% in hich Lacaron emphasises the somehat 8pharaonic8
emphasis on the preser!ation of the physical body in marturion or topos. This contrasts rather sharply ith
the !ies of someone like #henoute.cf.% for example% the admirable discussion in Caroline T. #chroeder Monastic Bodies? Discipline and 8alvation in 8henoute o# Atripe "-(()* ch. .
5( The !erbal prefix "ere* used here and subse?uent sentences is hat A. Mallon Grammaire Copte th ed. "&'05*
calls 8futur Gnergi?ue8 . It follos the frame !erb in the pre!ious sentence+ 8I beg8. It is not the so3called $ptati!e
"mare*5& Coptic+ eu¥enermeui cf.Crum -(&a. Crum is not certain hat ¥e means. Lacaron8s reference to himself and
the composition of his martyrdom seems extraordinarily arrogant.
5- A commemorati!e meal% in this case held on the feast day of the martyr at the shrine% hich caused people like#henoute a certain amount of dis?uiet because of the rumours of inappropriate beha!iour on these occasions.