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‘In Defiance of his Cloth’: Monastic (Im)Piety in Late Antique Egypt
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 May 2024
Abstract
Hagiographical writing promotes a vision of Egyptian monasticism in which pious ascetic figures are isolated from the world. Peter Brown highlighted the role of the holy man as patron, but nonetheless reinforced a traditional view of Egyptian monasticism based on his readings of works such as the sixth-century Aphothegmata Patrum. Surviving monastic correspondence, in contrast, demonstrates that there was a highly individualized approach to the monastic vocation. In this article, I turn to documentary material to consider the complexities of the early development of the movement. As a case study, I use the Greek and Coptic correspondence of a fourth-century monk called Apa John. My conclusion is that activities and behaviours described in the texts do not always accord with any known typology or ideal, but they are invaluable for exploring aspects of the early monastic impulse and the role played by the movement in wider society.
- Type
- Research Article
- Information
- Studies in Church History , Volume 60: THE CHURCH, HYPOCRISY AND DISSIMULATION , June 2024 , pp. 43 - 63
- Copyright
- Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Ecclesiastical History Society.
References
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63 ‘προσαγορεύω σου τοιγαροῦν τὴν εὐλάβειάν{σου} δ̣ι̣ὰ τούτων μου τ̣[ῶν γ]ραμμάτων, παρα̣κ̣α̣λῶν ὅπως μνημονεύῃς καὶ καμοῦ τοῦ σε προσκυνοῦντος καὶ π̣αντὸς τοῦ οἴκου μου ἐ̣ν̣ α̣ῖ̣̣̔ ἀναπέμπεις̣ [ἀεὶ] πέποιθα γὰρ ὡς διὰ τῶ̣ν ἁγιοτάτων καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν εὐχαῖς τῷ κυρίῳ σωτῆρει ἡμῶν. πέποιθα γὰρ ὡς διὰ τῶ̣ν ἁγιοτάτων σου εὐχῶν καὶ το̣ῦ̣ κ̣[α]μάτου τούτου ἐν ᾧ ἐσμὲ̣ν̣ ἐλ̣ε̣υ̣θ̣ερωθῆναι καὶ ἐπανελθεῖν πρὸς [ὑ]μᾶς. λ̣οιπόν, δ̣έ̣σποτα, ἀληθῶς Θεοῦ̣ ἄνθρωπε, καταξίωσον ἐ̣[ν] μνήμαις̣ ἔχειν ἡμᾶς’: P.Herm. 8.12–20. Author's translation.
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68 ‘ⲁⲉⲓⲧⲛⲟⲟⲩϥ̣ ϣⲁⲣⲟⲕ ϫⲉⲁⲛⲁ̣ⲣⲭⲱⲛ ϫⲟⲟⲥ ⲛⲁⲓ ϫⲉϥϩⲏϣ ⲉⲧⲃⲉⲟⲩ ⲡⲣⲁⲕⲙⲁ ⲟⲩ̣ⲁⲛⲁⲅⲅⲉⲟⲛ̣ ⲛ̅ⲣⲱⲙⲉⲡⲉ ⲕⲁⲧⲁ ⲧⲥⲩⲛⲧⲉⲥⲓⲥ ⲁⲗ̣ⲗⲁ ⲟⲩϭⲱⲃ ⲕⲁⲧⲁ ψⲱⲙⲁ ⲧⲉⲛⲟⲩϭⲉ ⲡⲉⲡⲣⲁⲅⲙⲁ ⲛ̅ϩⲉⲛⲉⲓⲱϩⲉⲡⲉ ⲉⲁⲡⲙⲟⲟⲩ ϥⲓⲧⲟⲩ ⲉⲛⲁψⲁ ⲛⲉⲕⲥⲁⲕⲧⲱⲣⲛⲉ . . . ⲁⲩϫⲟⲟⲥ ⲛⲁϥ ϫⲉⲥⲙⲙⲉ ⲛ̅ⲫⲏⲅⲉⲙⲟⲛ’: P.Ryl. Copt. 272.14–15. Author's translation.
69 ‘ϫⲉⲁⲣⲓ ⲟⲩⲥⲡⲟⲩⲇⲏ ⲛⲅⲥ̣ϩⲁ̣ⲓ ⲛⲁ[ⲡ]ⲁ ⲓⲟⲁⲛⲏⲥ ⲡ̣ⲡⲣⲉ̣ⲥ̣…’: P.Ryl. Copt. 273.12. Author's translation.
70 On the role of monks as ombudsmen, see Peter Van Minnen, ‘The Roots of Egyptian Christianity’, Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik 40 [hereafter: ZPE] (1996), 71–86, at 80.
71 P.Ryl. Copt. 310.
72 ‘ⲟⲩⲇⲉ ⲙⲡⲓⲟⲩⲱⲙ ⲛ[ϩⲏ]ⲧⲟⲩ ⲙⲡⲓⲥⲱ ⲛϩⲏⲧⲟⲩ’: P.Ryl. Copt. 310.20–2. Author's translation.
73 ‘ⲁϥⲧⲁⲁϥ ⲛⲧⲛⲡϩ̣ⲩⲡⲁⲣⲏⲥ ⲛⲁⲛⲧⲓⲛⲟⲟⲩ’: P.Ryl. Copt. 310.15–16. Author's translation.
74 Herbert C. Youtie, ‘ὑπογραφεύς: The Social Impact of Illiteracy in Graeco-Roman Egypt’, ZPE 17 (1975), 201–21.
75 ‘κύριέ μου, διὰ των Θεὼν πύει’: P.Herm. 17.6. Author's translation.
76 P.Ryl. Copt. 268 and 313.
77 P.Ryl. Copt. 270.
78 ‘[ⲙ]ⲡⲣϯ ⲱⲡ ⲛⲉⲙⲁⲓ ⲕⲁ[ⲧ]ⲁ ⲛ[ . . . .] ϫⲉⲛⲧⲁⲛⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲧⲁ [. . .]ⲥⲟⲟⲕ ⲙⲡⲉϯ ⲱⲡ ⲛⲉⲙⲁⲓ ϩⲛⲃⲟⲗ ⲛⲡⲁⲣⲙ̣ⲁ̣ⲧ̣ⲁ̣ⲩ’: P.Ryl. Copt. 270.5–9. Author's translation.
79 P.Herm. 7.
80 John Bagnall, Egypt in Late Antiquity (Princeton, NJ, 1993), 178.
81 ‘γράψον̣ εις ἐπιστολη πρὸς Ψοις ἀπὸ Ταετὼ̣ ἀπὸ τριβουνου, ἵνα ἀπολύομαι ἐαν μὴ ἀπ̣ο̣-λυ̣θήσο̣μαι. ἤδη γὰρ ὁ υἱὸς Ψοῖς ἀπαίτησέ̣ μαι χρυσ(οῦ) νομ(ισμάτια) ζ καὶ τοῦ βοηθὸς ἄλλα̣ χρυ̣σ̣(οῦ) νομ(ισμάτιον) α̣⋅ ἔλαβες γὰρ παρ' ἐμοῦ ἵνα ἀπολ̣ύ̣ω̣μαι καὶ οὐκ ἀπόλυσόν μαι. ἀξιῶ τὸν Θεὸν ἵνα ἢ ἀπόλυσόν μαι ἢ παραδοτε μ̣οι το χρυσ(οῦ) νομ(ισμάτια) η. ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι Ψόϊς Κυλλός ἀπὸ κώμης [Π]ώχεως το̣ῦ̣ Ἀνταιουπολείτου νο̣μ̣οῦ. νῦν οὖν μὴ ἀ̣μελήσῃς, δέσ̣πο̣τα̣, διὰ̣ τὸ̣ν̣ [Θ]εό̣[ν]. ἤ̣δη γὰρ τὰ τ̣έκνα μου ἔδωκας ὑποθήκ̣α̣ς̣ [τ]ῷ̣ δανι̣[στ]η̣ς διὰ τὸ̣ χ̣ρ̣υσάφι̣ν̣’: P.Herm. 7. Author's translation.
82 See also the letters to Apa Paieous on the same topic: P.Lond. VI 1915 and P.Lond. VI 1916.
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