PASSION of SAINT ONESIMUS of Colossael BHG 1377C
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PASSION OF SAINT ONESIMUS OF COLOSSAEl BHG 1377c. C R G L. S Department of History, University of Washington Seattle. Onesimus Colossae, the runaway Phrygian slave converted to Christianity by St. Paul, is one the more intriguing characters de- picted in the New Testament and yet, for the most part, has remained an enigma to historical inquiry. For, although the general course his turbuJent early life can be reconstructed from PauJ's Let.ter to Phil- emon (ca. 60),2little is known about his later years and stiJlless con- 1. The following abbreviations have been used this article: AASS = Acta SanctoI·um...col!egit J. Bollandus cet., Jan (Antwerp: 1643)- (Brussels: 1925). BHG = Bibliotheca Hagiographica Graeca3 , ed. F. Halkin, 3 vols. (Brussels: 1957) [Subsidia Hagiographica, 8a]. Ehrhard = Ehrhard, Oberlieferung und Bestand der hagiographischen und homiletischen Literatur der gI'iechischen Kirche (Jon bis zum Ende des 16. JahrhundeI·ts, 3 vols. (Leipzig: 1937-1952) [Texte und Untersuchungen zur Geschichte der altchI'istlichen Literatur, 50-52]. PG Patrologia Graeca, ed. J. Migne, 162 vols. (Paris: 1857-1866). Patrologia OI'ientalis, ed. R. Graffin and F. Nau (Paris: 1907-). PW Paulys der classischen Altel·tumswissenschaft, ed. G. Wissowa, and W. Kroll (Stuttgart: 1893·). 2. Basic studies Onesimus and the Letter to include: Dibe- lius and Greeven, die Kolosser, Epheser, Phile,non. 3d ed. 1953); L. Jang, Der Philelnonbrief mit dem theologischen Denken des Apostels Paulus, [Unpublished Dissertation] 1964); J. Lightfoot St. Paul's Epistles the Colossians Philemon, 4th ed. (London: 1892); Lohmeyer, Die Briefe die Philipper, die Kolosser und Philemon. 13th ed. (Gottingen: 1964); Lohse, Colossians and Philemon, trans. W. Poehlmann and R. Karris 1971); C. F. Moule, Epistles of Paul to (London: 1957); and R. Vincent, Epistles to Philippians and to 5th ed. (Edinburgh: 1955). 350 Craig L. cerning the circumstances his death.3 Nonetheless, Onesjmu8 did figure prominently in the ecclesiastical and hagiographicel tradit.ion8 early Christia.nity,4 while his cultus seems to have enjoyed some promine.nce during the Middle Ages. 6 The text presented here, entitled <Xytou <XyLOU represents one -such hagiographical tradition, that of One simu8' martyrdom i.n the city Puteoli under the prefect TertU]]U8. 7 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Onesimus was the slave Philemon, an earlier convert Pau1 8 and a prominent member the Christian community at Col08sae.' It appears that Onesimus wronged his master in some waylO and sub- sequently fled to Rome where he met PauI.l1 Under Paul's jnf]uence 3. What evidence does remain is contradictory and limited historical Much the confusion surrounding Onesimus' later can be attributed the popularity the name (meaning «useful, beneficia1>,) among later Christians. See BHG 2:155 and PW 4. survey these traditions can be found Feb. 11 (1735): 855-859. 5. It is surprising that St. Onesimus, as a celebrated New Testament figure and patron servants and slaves, was venerated many areas Europe and the Near East. Such veneration was especially strong Byzantium. Constan- tself possessed two churches the Saint, as well a most cherished relic: the hand Onesimlls. See Anthony Novgorod, Le Lipre du pe- lerin=B. de Khitrowo, trans., Itineraires russes en Orient (Geneva: 1889), 106; Constantine Porphyrogenitus, De ceremoniis byzantinae 1.26 Vogt, ed. and trans., Constantin VII Porphyrogenete: Le LiIlre des Ceremoni<J8, 2 vols. 4 (Paris: 1935-1940), 93; and J. Ebersolt, Recueil d' etudes, d' arcMologie et d' histoire (Faris: 1951), 108. 6. 2:155 1377c). 7. Onesimus' martyrdom at Puteoli is commemorated by the Eastern Churches 15 February. 8. 19. 9. Philem. 5, 7. 10. Onesimus probably stole from Philemon, though Paul tactfully refrains from stating this. (Philem. 18: 7) 11. The Letter to Philemon itself gives hint about the site Onesimus' encounter with Paul. The traditional view that Onesimus fled to Rome remains the most viable alternative and supported by Lightfoot 310-311), Moule 24-25), and Vincent 161-162). Cf. Dibelius/GreevM 52, 102) and Loh- meyer 172) who opt for Caesarea; and Jang 7) and Lohse 165-167, 188) who propose Ephesus. The Passion of Saint Onesimus of Co1ossae 351 a.nd instruction Onesimus became a Christian12 and entered into a. close with the Apostle.13 Pau1 eventual1y decided tha.t a. recollci- liation of Onesimus a.nd Philemon was necessary.14 Since wa.s preparing to journey to Colossae and La.odicea bearing let.ters from Pa.u1, Onesimus was placed his charge. Pau1 also supplied Onesimus with the Letter to Philemon, which he related the circumstances of Onesimus' conversion, praised his noble Christian zeal and fidelity, a.nd Philemon to receive his former sla.ve with compassion.16 though the Pa.ul's appeal is unknown, the tradition t.hat Phi- lemon not on1y forgave but a.lso emancipated his slave is believable.17 More dou.btful and are those18 which identify Onesimus as bishop Beroea itinerant preacher Spa.in,20 bi- shop of Ephesus at the of Ignatius' journey,21 maJ.'tyr 12. Philem. 10. 13. Philem. 10-13, 16, 17. cf. Col. 4:9. 14. Legal, as well as mora1 considerations may have prompted Pau1's deci- sion. See Co1eman-Norton, «The Apost1e Pau1 and the Roman Law of Slavery,» Studies in Economic HistOJOY in Honor C. Thomson (Prince- ton: 1951), 155-177; Goodenough, «Paul and Onesimus,» Review 22 (1929), 181-183; Roberti, di S. Filemone e condizione schiavo luggitivo (Milan: 1933); and Verdam, «St Paul et un serf fugitif (Etude sur' l' ep1tre iJ. Phi1emon et 1e droit),» Symbolae Jus et Historiam Pertinentes Julio Christiano Oven (Leiden: 1946), 211-230. 15. Tychicus was a c10se associate of Pau1 and a well-kno,vn Christian native of Asia Minor. cf. Acts 20:4, Eph. 6:21, Col. 4:7, 2 Tim. 4:12 and Tit. 3:12. 16. How long a time e1apsed between Onesimus' flight from Co1ossae and his reunion with Philemon cannot be determined, since (Philem. 15) is a re1ative expression of time. 17. 82=F.X. Funk, ed., et Constitutiones Apostolorum, 2 vo1s. (Paderborn: 1905), 1: 589-590; Theodoret of Cyrrhus, Inter- Philemonem, vers. 14=PG 82:876; Jerome, Epistula philum 6= J. Labourt, ed. and trans., Jerome: Lettres, 8 vols. (Paris: 1949- 1963), 4:118. 18. See note 4 above. 19. Constitutiones 7.46=Fun1{, cit., 1:453-454. 20. SS. et Rebeccae = M.R. James, ed., crypha 2 vo1s. (Cambridge, Eng·a1nd: 1893 [Texts Studies 3), 1: 58-85. Cf. BHG 2:316 (1877). A1so, see AASS, Sept. (1867): 535-536. 21. Ado of Ma/'tyroLogium, 16 Feb. = Quentin, Les historiques du moyen dge (Paris: 1908), 595-596; Usuard of Paris, 16 Feb. = J. Dubois, Le d' (Brusse1s: 1965) [Subsidia graphica, 40}, 181-182; Martyrologium 16 Feb. = Propylaeum ad Sanctorum Decembris (Brusse1s: 1940), 65. 352 Craig L. Ha.nson at Colossae under Nero,22 martyr at Rome under Trajan,2S and martyr at Puteoli under Domitian( 11. EVOLUTION OF PUTEOLI TRADITION Our earliest reference to Onesimus' martyrdom comes from the deacon Eutha1ius (fl. ca. 400),26 who his prologue to the Pauline tles states: It should be noted that this account is by means historically secure. Evidence for a of Rome urbi) .named Tertullus is lack- ing,21 and only Eut.halius among numerous patristic sources reports that Onesimus was martyred.28 Thus, in the absence of· firm historical the statement of Euthalius must be accepted with caution. The following excerpt from the for 15 February (which faithfully abbreviates the extant demonstrates the dependence of the Puteoli tradition upon this 22. Synaxarium Constantinopolitanae 23 = Propylaeum ad Acta Sanctorum NOrJembris (Brussels: 1902), cols. 247-248. Properly speaking, this tradition belongs to Pllilemon, Appllia and Arcllippus, since Onesimus is mentioned few the extant texts, and then the title. cf. BHG 3:11 (2039, 2040). 23. See note 21 above. 24. Synaxarium Ecclesiae Constantinopolitanae 15 Feb. = Propylaeum... NOrJembris, cols. 465-467. Altllough accounts within the Puteoli tra- dition (including the Passio presented here) provide an actual chronological for this martyrdom, the assertion by George Cedrenus (Historiarum eompendium = PG 121:469) and Nicephorus Callistus (Historia 3.11=PG 145:920) that Onesimus was martyred under Domitian may derive from a common source. 25. Euthalius and his work, see L. C. Willard, Critical Study Eu- thalian [Unpublished Dissertation] (New Haven, Conn.: 1970). 26. PG 85:705. cf. Willard, cit., 19, 202. This statement found a slightly altered form the Euthalian to the Letter to Philemon 85:788) and the writings Oecumenius Tricca (PG 119:261). 27. See G. Vitucci, Ricerche sulla Urbi imperiale (sec. (Rome: 1956), 115-117 (late first and early second centuries). 28. Nor does the name Onesimus appear early Christian calendars and mar· tyrologies, such as the Depositio episcoporum and the Depositio martyrum (ca. 354) the Roman Chronographer, the BrerJiarium (ca. 400), and the so-called Martyrologium Hieronymianum (ca. 450). Note that the Latin tradition Ado and Usuard ultimately derives from Euthalius, while Onesimus' connection with the Colossae tradition is tenuous at best. The Passion of Saint Onesimus of Colossae 353 Euthalian account: '" ['0\ -, ,. 1 both texts Onesimus' death is said to have resulted from his legs being broken and is described as prefect of Rome. AIso, it can be that the two texts differ significantly only in their geograph- ical setting for Onesimus' execution. The question then arises: why the difference in setting? The answer is found in the of SS. Alphius, Philadelphus and Cyrinus,30 where the martyrdom another Onesimus (Onesimus Leontinis) at Puteoli is reported. According to this source, the brothers Alphius, Philadelphus and Cyrinus, having been instructed t.he Chris- tian faith by Onesimus Leontinis, were arrested with him the perse- cution alerian (258-260), brought to Rome and there tortured.