Acta Maximiliani. Introduction, Russian translation and commentary

Aleksey Dmitrievich Panteleev PhD in History, assosiate professor, Institute of History, Saint-Petersburg State University (Universitetskaya naberezhnaya, 7, Saint-Petersburg, Russia, 199034)
a.panteleev@spbu.ru; alpant@hotmail.com

Panteleev A. D. Acta Maximiliani. Introduction, Russian translation and commentary, Religiya. Tserkov’. Obshchestvo. Issledovaniya i publikatsii po teologii i religii [Religion. Church. Society: Research and publications in the field of theology and religious studies], Saint-Petersburg, 2013, vol. 2, pp. 240–262.

DOI: 10.24411/2308-0698-2013-00017

Language: Russian

The publication is the Russian translation of the Early Christian Hagiographical text Acta Maximiliani (BHL 5813) with introduction and commentaries. This is a story about the events that took place on March 12, 295 in the African city of Teveste, where Fabius Victor and his son Maximilian, who refused to enlist in the Roman army, were brought to the court of proconsul Dion. Despite the persuasion of the proconsul, Maximilian did not change his decision and was sentenced to a death. Sometimes this text is viewed as a manifesto of early Christian pacifism. The main problem of Introduction is issue of dating and authenticity of the text. The analysis of historical realities (temonarius, signaculum, depositio ad sanctos etc.) and inconsistencies in the text allows us to make conclusion that the basis of the Acta is the genuine record of the trial, but the text contains clear signs of editing, one or more. Acta was greatly influenced by the writings of Cyprian of Carthage. First of all, we have the pointing to the burial place of Maximilian at the grave of Cyprian, and then there are several parallels with the works of the Carthaginian bishop. We think, it’s possible to attribute Acta to the circle of North African martyrdoms that experienced the influence of Cyprian’s writings and stories about his life and death. The text is translated from H. Musurillo, The Acts of the Christian Martyrs and A. Bastiansen, Atti e passioni dei martiri.

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Key words: martyrdom, hagiography, acts, Maximilian

Permanent link: http://rcs-almanac.ru/panteleev-2013-en/

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