Book of martyrs

Title(s):
  • Book of martyrs
  • ܟܬܒܐ ܕܣܗ̈ܕܘܬܐ
    (ktābā d-sāhdwātā, Book of the martyrdoms)
  • ܬܫܥܝܬܐ ܕܣܗ̈ܕܐ ܕܒܐܪܥܐ ܕܡܕܢܚܐ
    (taš‘ītā d-sāhdē d-b-’ar‘ā d-madnḥā, History of the martyrs of the East)
Period covered:
Persecutions of Shapur II (339/340-379/380)
Language:
Syriac
State of Preservation:
Full
Genre:
  • Biography (collective)
Remarks:
The attribution of the work to Marutha has been questioned by Wiessner (1967), but Van Esbroeck (1977) has argued that the existence of a fifth-century Armenian translation speaks in favour of Marutha’s authorship.  Marutha probably gathered and compiled extant biographies during the first period of peace after the persecutions of Shapur II (Bettiolo 2006: 447). Abdisho bar Brika ascribes to Marutha a 'Book on the martyrdoms' together with various songs and hymns on the martyrs. According to the seven-book Liber Turris (Gismondi 1849: 26-27), Marutha only collected and copied the books on the martyrs that he found during his trip to Seleucia-Ctesiphon, and he then circulated copies of those books in the West.
Users:
Sources:
Bibliography:
  • J.S. Assemani (1725) Bibliotheca Orientalis Clementino-Vaticana. Volume Three, Part One. Rome.
  • S.E. Assemani, J.S. Assemani (1759) Bibliothecae Apostolicae Vaticanae codicum manuscriptorum catalogus. Partis primae tomus tertius, complectens reliquos codices Chaldaicos sive Syriacos. Rome.
  • S.E. Assemani, J.S. Assemani (1759) Bibliothecae Apostolicae Vaticanae codicum manuscriptorum catalogus. Partis primae tomus tertius, complectens reliquos codices Chaldaicos sive Syriacos. Rome.
  • I.A. Barsoum (2000) The scattered pearls: A history of Syriac literature and sciences. Piscataway (NJ): 240-241.
  • A. Baumstark (1922) Geschichte der syrischen Literatur, mit Ausschluss der christlich-palästinensischen Texte. Bonn: 53-54.
  • P. Bettiolo (2006) 'Syriac literature'. In: Patrology. Volume Five: The Eastern Fathers from the Council of Chalcedon (451) to John of Damascus (†750), ed. A. Berardino. Cambridge: 407-490.
  • E. Gismondi (1849) Maris Amri et Slibae De patriarchis nestorianorum commentaria. Volume One: Maris versio Latina. Rome.
  • E. Gismondi (1849) (tr.) De patriarchis nestorianorum commentaria. Part One: Maris textus arabicus. Rome.
  • L. Ter-Petrossian (1979) 'L'attribution du recueil des Passions des martyrs perses à Maroutha de Maypherqat'. Analecta Bollandiana 97.1-2: 129-130.
  • M. van Esbroeck (1977) 'Abraham le Confesseur (Ve s.), traducteur des Passions des martyrs persans: À propos d’un livre récent’. Analecta Bollandiana 95: 168-179.
  • G. Wiessner (1967) Zur Märtyrerüberlieferung aus der Christenverfolgung Schapurs II. Göttingen.