{"slug":"LIT2953RepCh234","id":"ethiopic:betmas:LIT2953RepCh234","title":"Image of the Suffering of the Martyrs of Akhmim","author":"Anonymous","genre":"hagiography","date":"","tradition":"ethiopic","coverage":"not-located","coverage_claim":{"status":"not-located","text":"No English translation was located by an automated check of the source corpus and one library catalogue. That is not evidence that none exists: the check matches English title words, so works catalogued under a Latin or original-language title are missed."},"publication":{"status":"machine-draft","reviewed_by":null,"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","generated":"2026-11-15T00:59:06Z","cost_usd":0.002531},"source":{"registry_id":"ethiopic:betmas:LIT2953RepCh234","work_id":"LIT2953RepCh234","edition":"betmas","language":"","license":"CC BY-SA 4.0 (per file); site footer states NC-SA - treat as NC","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT2953RepCh234"},"stats":{"passages":3,"english_words":586,"coptic_letters":0,"commentary_units":17,"commentary_kinds":7,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":7,"work_notes":5,"external_links":2,"timeline":5},"summary":{"work":"LIT2953RepCh234","abstract":"The 'Image of the Suffering of the Martyrs of Akhmim' is an Ethiopic hagiographic account of Christians martyred in Akhmim (Panopolis), Egypt, likely during the Diocletianic persecution (early 4th century). The Geʿez text is a translation from an Arabic Vorlage, itself based on Coptic originals. It survives in a single manuscript (EMML 2953) copied in the 18th–19th century, with a lost or illegible colophon. The work features a Trinitarian doxology, names leaders Dioscorus and Sucellasion, and uses imagery like the Nile flood and references to Elijah and Anthony the Great, suggesting monastic or local devotional use. It is not in the standard Ethiopic Synaxarion, indicating limited circulation.","historical_context":"The original martyrdom likely occurred in the early 4th century during the Diocletianic persecution (303–313 CE) in Akhmim (Panopolis), a city in Upper Egypt with a significant Christian community. The Geʿez translation, however, cannot be precisely dated; the sole manuscript (EMML 2953) was copied in the 18th–19th century, and the translation process from Arabic to Geʿez is undocumented. The Arabic Vorlage itself is based on Coptic originals, reflecting a chain of transmission from Coptic to Arabic to Geʿez, common for hagiographic texts in the Ethiopian Orthodox tradition. The text's absence from the standard Ethiopic Synaxarion and its survival in a single manuscript suggest it was used locally, possibly in a monastic setting for private edification. The references to Anthony the Great and Elijah link the martyrs to monastic and biblical models, reinforcing a devotional purpose.","significance":"This work provides rare evidence of the transmission of Egyptian martyrdom accounts into Ethiopic literature, illustrating the cultural and religious connections between Coptic and Ethiopian Orthodox traditions. Its limited circulation and unique manuscript survival highlight the diversity of hagiographic texts beyond the canonical Synaxarion, offering insights into local devotional practices and the adaptation of Coptic martyrologies in Ethiopia.","timeline":[{"date":"early 4th c.","event":"Martyrdom of Christians in Akhmim (Panopolis), Egypt, likely during the Diocletianic persecution."},{"date":"undated","event":"Composition of the original Coptic account of the martyrs."},{"date":"undated","event":"Translation of the account from Coptic into Arabic."},{"date":"undated","event":"Translation of the Arabic version into Geʿez (Ethiopic)."},{"date":"18th–19th c.","event":"Copying of the sole known Geʿez manuscript (EMML 2953)."}],"relations":[{"work":"Ethiopic Synaxarion (Senkessar)","relation":"Not included in this standard liturgical collection, indicating limited circulation.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Coptic martyrdom accounts of the Diocletianic persecution","relation":"Shares a common origin in the Coptic tradition of Egyptian martyrs.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Life of Anthony the Great","relation":"Reference to Anthony links the martyrs to monastic tradition.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"1 Kings 19:19–21","relation":"Allusion to Elijah calling Elisha models the call to repentance.","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[{"key":"betmas:LIT2953RepCh234","label":"EMML 2953 manuscript record","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT2953RepCh234","reason":"Primary manuscript source for the Geʿez text."},{"key":"ed:LIT2953RepCh234","label":"Edition of the text","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT2953RepCh234","reason":"Published edition of the Geʿez text."}],"cautions":["The date of the original martyrdom is inferred from the Diocletianic persecution but not explicitly stated in the text.","The Geʿez translation date is unknown; the sole manuscript is 18th–19th century, but the translation could be earlier.","The Arabic Vorlage and Coptic original are not extant, and their relationship to the Geʿez text is unexamined.","The colophon is lost or illegible, leaving the manuscript's provenance uncertain."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000508,"generated":"2026-11-15T00:27:37Z"},"checks":{"work":"LIT2953RepCh234","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":3,"translated":3,"commentary_passages":3,"commentary_units":17,"english_words":586,"source_letters":1375,"commentary_kinds":7},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The work is a hagiographic account of the martyrdom of Christians in Akhmim (Panopolis), Egypt, likely during the Diocletianic persecution. The Geʿez version is a translation from an Arabic Vorlage, itself based on Coptic originals.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT2953RepCh234","label":"betmas: Image of the Suffering of the Martyrs of Akhmim","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT2953RepCh234"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez text survives in a single known manuscript (EMML 2953), copied in the 18th–19th century. The translation process from Arabic to Geʿez is not documented in the manuscript.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT2953RepCh234","label":"betmas: Image of the Suffering of the Martyrs of Akhmim","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT2953RepCh234"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The original martyrdom likely occurred in the early 4th century, but the Geʿez translation cannot be dated precisely. The manuscript's colophon is lost or illegible, leaving the translation date uncertain.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT2953RepCh234","label":"betmas: Image of the Suffering of the Martyrs of Akhmim","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT2953RepCh234"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This text is not included in the standard Ethiopic Synaxarion (Senkessar) for liturgical reading, suggesting limited circulation. Its presence in a single manuscript indicates a local or private devotional use.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT2953RepCh234","label":"betmas: Image of the Suffering of the Martyrs of Akhmim","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT2953RepCh234"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The edition does not provide a critical apparatus for the Arabic source, nor does it collate the Geʿez text against other known versions. The relationship to the Coptic original remains unexamined.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT2953RepCh234","label":"betmas: Image of the Suffering of the Martyrs of Akhmim","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT2953RepCh234"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"derived_work_notes":[{"kind":"coverage","severity":"info","text":"No English translation was located by an automated check of the source corpus and one library catalogue. That is not evidence that none exists: the check matches English title words, so works catalogued under a Latin or original-language title are missed."},{"kind":"limit","severity":"caution","text":"The English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Coptic; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve."},{"kind":"register","severity":"info","text":"Register: hagiography in Geʿez; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 3 narrative."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: betmas — CC BY-SA 4.0 (per file); site footer states NC-SA - treat as NC"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":3},"term_index":[],"citations":{"betmas:LIT2953RepCh234":{"label":"betmas: Image of the Suffering of the Martyrs of Akhmim","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT2953RepCh234"},"ed:LIT2953RepCh234":{"label":"source edition: Image of the Suffering of the Martyrs of Akhmim","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT2953RepCh234"}},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"ስብሐት፡ ለአብ፡ ወስብሐት፡ ለወልድ፡\nምስለ፡ መንፈስ፡ ቅዱስ፡ ዋሕድ፨ ከመ፡ እንዘ፡ እብል፡ እጽሐፍ፡ ሰማዕተ፡ አክሚም፡ ዐጸድ፨ ዜና፡ ገድልክሙ፡ ዘእምተጋድሎ፡ ብዑድ፨ መንፈሰ፡ ጥበብ፡ ምልኡኒ፡ እስመ፡ አነ፡ አብድ፨\n\nተማኅጸንኩ፡ በደምክሙ፡ ከመ፡ ማየ፡ ፈለፍ፡ ዘተክዕወ፨ በዕለተ፡ ልደቱ፡ እምድንግል፡ ለዘተሠገወ፨ ሰማዕታተ፡ አክሚም፡ በገድል፡ ዘአሥመርክሙ፡ ሕያወ፨ ክብረክሙ፡ ለተሳትፎ፡ ከመ፡ እትረከብ፡ ድልወ፨ በሀብተ፡ ትሩፋት፡ ወገድል፡ ኩነኒ፡ አበወ፨\n\nተማኅፀንኩ፡ በኅድረትክሙ፡ ውሣጤ፡ ዓባይ፡ ፈለግ፨ ለፈጽሞ፡ መፍቅድ፡ ዘነፍስ፡ እንዘ፡ አልብክሙ፡ ጹግ፨ ዲዮስቆሮስ፡ ሥርዓት፡ ወሰከላስዮስ፡ ሕግ፡\nምስሌክሙ፡ ወቢጽክሙ፡ አማዕታተ፡ አክሚም፡ አእሩግ፨ ረስዩኒ፡ ቢጸ፡ አሀሉ፡ በደርግ፨\n\nተማኅጸንኩ፡ በሑረትክሙ፡ እንዘ፡ ቃለ፡ ራእይ፡ ትሰምዑ፨ መንገለ፡ አረጋይ፡ ሙሴ፡ ሥርዓተ፡ እንጦኒ፡ ትንሥኡ፨ ሰከላስዮስ፡ ፩ወዲዮስቆሮስ፡ ካልኡ፨ ኪያየ፡ እምኃጢአት፡ መንገለ፡ ንስሐ፡ ጸውዑ፨ ከመ፡ ቀዳሚ፡ ኤልያስ፡ ጸውዖ፡ ለረድኡ፨","english":"Praise to the Father, and praise to the Son, with the Holy Spirit, one. As I speak, I write the martyrs of Akhmim, the field. The account of your struggle, which is far from the struggle. Fill me with the spirit of wisdom, for I am a servant.\n\nI have taken refuge in your blood, like the water of a river that has overflowed. On the day of his birth from the Virgin, for him who was incarnated. The martyrs of Akhmim, in the struggle by which you have made me remember the living. Your glory, for participation, that I may find it fitting. By the gift of grace and struggle, make me a father.\n\nI have taken refuge in your presence within the great river. For the completion of the will of the soul, while you have no limit. Dioscorus, the ordinance, and Sucellasion, the law. With you and through you, the elders of the martyrs of Akhmim. Accept me, a small one, I am on the path.\n\nI have taken refuge in your journey, while you hear the word of the vision. Toward the elder Moses, you take up the ordinance of Anthony. Sucellasion, the first, and Dioscorus, the second. Call me from sin toward repentance. As the first Elijah called his companion.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ስብሐት፡ ለአብ፡ ወስብሐት፡ ለወልድ፡ ምስለ፡ መንፈስ፡ ቅዱስ፡ ዋሕድ","severity":"info","text":"The opening doxology to the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) is a standard hagiographic invocation, establishing the liturgical frame before the narrative proper.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT2953RepCh234","label":"betmas: Image of the Suffering of the Martyrs of Akhmim","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT2953RepCh234"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ሰማዕተ፡ አክሚም፡ ዐጸድ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'martyrs of Akhmim, the field' likely refers to the location of martyrdom (a field in Akhmim) or a metaphorical 'field of struggle'; Akhmim (Panopolis) is a city in Upper Egypt.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT2953RepCh234","label":"betmas: Image of the Suffering of the Martyrs of Akhmim","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT2953RepCh234"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ዲዮስቆሮስ፡ ሥርዓት፡ ወሰከላስዮስ፡ ሕግ","severity":"info","text":"Dioscorus and Sucellasion are named as leaders among the martyrs; the pairing of 'ordinance' (ሥርዓት) and 'law' (ሕግ) may reflect their roles as monastic or ecclesiastical authorities.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT2953RepCh234","label":"betmas: Image of the Suffering of the Martyrs of Akhmim","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT2953RepCh234"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ከመ፡ ቀዳሚ፡ ኤልያስ፡ ጸውዖ፡ ለረድኡ","severity":"info","text":"The reference to Elijah calling his companion alludes to 1 Kings 19:19–21, where Elijah calls Elisha; here it models the call to repentance.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ተማኅጸንኩ፡ በደምክሙ፡ ከመ፡ ማየ፡ ፈለፍ፡ ዘተክዕወ","severity":"info","text":"The image of taking refuge in the martyrs' blood as overflowing river water echoes the Nile's annual flood, a familiar symbol of life and purification in Egyptian Christian literature.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT2953RepCh234","label":"betmas: Image of the Suffering of the Martyrs of Akhmim","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT2953RepCh234"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"እንጦኒ፡","severity":"info","text":"The mention of Anthony (likely St. Anthony the Great) links the martyrs to the monastic tradition; the text may have been used in a monastic context for edification.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT2953RepCh234","label":"betmas: Image of the Suffering of the Martyrs of Akhmim","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT2953RepCh234"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'Sucellasion' (ሰከላስዮስ) is uncertain; it may be a variant of a Coptic or Greek name, possibly a corruption or alternative spelling.","The phrase 'the field' (ዐጸድ) could be a toponym or a metaphor; the text does not clarify."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"ተማኅፀንኩ፡ በፍልሰትክሙ፡ ከመ፡ እምድራር፡ ኀበ፡ ድራር፨ ውስተ፡ ዓፀደ፡ ሞት፡ እሞት፡ በአምልኮ፡ ዋሕድ፡ ወበኵር፨ ኦሰማዕታት፡ ከዋክብተ፡ አክሚም፡ ጠፈር፨ ኮከብ፡ ከመ፡ መርሖሙ፡ ለነገሥተ፡ ርኁቅ፡ ብሔር፨ ምርሑኒ፡ ፍናሆሙ፡ ለጥበብ፡ ወምክር፨\n\nተማኅጸንኩ፡ በገድልክሙ፡ ኮርዮን፡ ወፊልሞን፨ ምስለ፡ ሕዝበ፡ አክሚም፡ ሀገር፨ ሰማዕተ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ መድኅን፨ ደመ፡ አዕሩግ፡ አንትሙ፡ ለገብርክሙ፡ ሕፃን፨ ይኩነኒ፡ ልብሰ፡ ብርሃናዊ፡ አመምግበ፡ ጽልመት፡ ዕርቃን፨ እስመ፡ ደምክሙ፡ ውእቱ፡ ብርሃን፨\n\nተማኅጸንኩ፡ አጋእዝትየ፡ ሰማዕታተ፡ አክሚም፡ ብክሙ፨ እምገድልክሙ፡ ኅዳጠ፡ እንዘ፡ አነብብ፡ ለክሙ፨ ባሕቱ፡ ኅዳጠ፡ ኢትበልዎ፡ አንትሙ፨ ነጽሩ፡ አፍቅሮትየ፡ ወቀድሱኒ፡ ዳእሙ፨ በዘቅዱሳን፡ አንትሙ፡ ኮንክሙ፨\n\nሰላም፡ ለክሙ፡ ለርስትክሙ፡ አክሚም፡ ልሳናተ፡ ኵሉ፡ መካን፨ ሰማዕታቲሃ፡ አንትሙ፡ እስመ፡ ኅሩያን፨ ሰመይዋ፡ ደብረ፡ ጽዮን፨\n\nሰላም፡ ለክሙ፡ ሥጋክሙ፡ ልብሰ፡ ሰማዕታተ፡ ሀገር፡ አክሚም፨ በየማነ፡ መንግሥት፡ ትቁሙ፡ እምነ፡ ፀጋም፨ ሐፀብክሙ፡ በማየ፡ ደም፨","english":"I have taken refuge in your flight, as from a nest to a nest. In the field of death, I die in the worship of the One and the Only. O martyrs, stars of Akhmim, the field. A star, as their guide to the kings of a distant land. Guide me on their path of wisdom and counsel.\n\nI have taken refuge in your struggle, Koryon and Philimon, with the people of the city of Akhmim, martyrs of Christ the Savior. The blood of the elders, you, for your servant, a child. May it be for me a garment of light when I am naked in the darkness of night. For your blood is light.\n\nI have taken refuge, my lords, martyrs of Akhmim, in you. From your struggle, a portion, while I read for you. Only a portion, say it yourselves. Behold my love and sanctify me always. In that you are the saints, you have become.\n\nPeace to you, to your inheritance, Akhmim, the tongues of every place. Its martyrs are you, for you are chosen. Its name is Mount Zion.\n\nPeace to you, your body, a garment of the martyrs of the city of Akhmim. On the right of the kingdom you stand, from the shadow. You are dyed with the water of blood.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ተማኅፀንኩ፡ በፍልሰትክሙ፡ ከመ፡ እምድራር፡ ኀበ፡ ድራር","severity":"info","text":"The passage opens with a repeated formulaic invocation (ተማኅፀንኩ፡ በ…), marking a liturgical or hagiographic refrain. This pattern recurs three times, structuring the narrative as a series of petitions to the martyrs.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT2953RepCh234","label":"betmas: Image of the Suffering of the Martyrs of Akhmim","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT2953RepCh234"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ፍልሰት","severity":"info","text":"ፍልሰት (fəlsät) means 'flight' or 'exile,' but in hagiographic contexts often connotes a spiritual refuge or the martyrs' escape from worldly persecution into heavenly glory. The Geʿez plays on the double sense of physical and spiritual flight.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ከመ፡ እምድራር፡ ኀበ፡ ድራር","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'as from a nest to a nest' echoes Psalm 84:3 (LXX) imagery of the soul seeking refuge, though not a direct quotation. It evokes the idea of the martyrs moving from one place of safety to another, possibly alluding to the soul's journey.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ኮርዮን፡ ወፊልሞን","severity":"info","text":"Koryon and Philimon are named as martyrs of Akhmim. These figures are not widely attested in standard hagiographies; their inclusion may reflect local Coptic traditions or a conflation with other martyr cycles. Akhmim (Panopolis) was a center of early Christian martyrdom.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT2953RepCh234","label":"source edition: Image of the Suffering of the Martyrs of Akhmim","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT2953RepCh234"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ሰላም፡ ለክሙ፡ ለርስትክሙ፡ አክሚም፡ ልሳናተ፡ ኵሉ፡ መካን","severity":"info","text":"The closing salutation 'Peace to you, to your inheritance, Akhmim, the tongues of every place' suggests the text was used in a liturgical setting, possibly as a hymn or reading for the feast of the martyrs of Akhmim. The reference to 'tongues' may indicate a multilingual community.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT2953RepCh234","label":"betmas: Image of the Suffering of the Martyrs of Akhmim","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT2953RepCh234"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ኢትበልዎ፡ አንትሙ","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'say it yourselves' (ኢትበልዎ፡ አንትሙ) is ambiguous: it may be a rhetorical address to the martyrs, or a textual instruction for the reader to complete the narrative. The Geʿez is corrupt or elliptical here, and the intended sense is uncertain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of Koryon and Philimon is unclear; they may be local martyrs or conflated with other figures.","The phrase 'say it yourselves' may indicate a lacuna or a performative instruction in the liturgy.","The reference to 'Mount Zion' for Akhmim is unusual and may be symbolic or a textual corruption."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"ሰላም፡ ለክሙ፡ ጥብሐ፡ በግዕ፡ ወላህም፡ በይነ፡ ክብረ፡ በዓል፡ ልማድ፨ ህየንተ፡ ዝንቱሰ፡ ዮም፡ ሰማዕታተ፡ ወልድ፨ ከዓውክሙ፡ ደመ፡ ክሳድ፨\n\nሰላም፡ ለክሙ፡ መንግሥተ፡ ሰማያት፡ ለክሙ፡ እስመ፡ ይእቲ፡ ድሉት፨ ትግርምተ፡ መኰንን፡ ወሰይፍ፡ ከመ፡ ኢምንት፨ ኮነክሙ፡ ሰማዕታት፨\n\nሰላም፡ ለክሙ፡ ለእሳተ፡ ምድር፡ መግርህ፡ አእንተ፡ ፍቅረ፡ አብ፡ ወወልዱ፨ ሰማዕታተ፡ አክሚም፡ አንትሙ፡ ለለ፩፨ ቆምክሙ፡ ውስተ፡ ዓፀዱ፨\n\nሰላም፡ ለክሙ፡ ሰማዕታተ፡ አክሙም፡ ጥዑም፡ ለተናግሮ፡ በአፍ፨ ዜና፡ ገድልክሙ፡ ጥቀ፡ ፍካሬ፡ መጽሐፍ፨ ክብርክሙ፡ እስመ፡ ትሩፍ፨\n\nሰላም፡ ለክሙ፡ አዕባነ፡ ህንደኬ፡ አክሚም፡ ሰማዕታተ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ ሥሉጥ፨ በኃፍረት፡ ኢይሑር፡ ውስተ፡ ምሥራጥ፨ ማኅቶተ፡ ብርሃን፡ ይኩነኒ፡ እንበለ፡ ተውላጥ፨ ገድልክሙ፡ ዘአፍአ፡ ወውሥጥ፨","english":"Salutation to you, slain by the sword, and a victim in the place of honor, by custom. For this day, martyrs and sons, I have seen your blood upon the neck.\n\nSalutation to you, the kingdom of heaven is yours, for it is manifest. The sword of the judge and the blade, like a mother, became for you, martyrs.\n\nSalutation to you, fire of the earth, a furnace of stones, by the love of the Father and His Son. Martyrs of Akhmim, you, each one, stood in the field.\n\nSalutation to you, martyrs of Akhmim, sweet to speak of with the mouth. The account of your struggle is a great adornment of the book. Your glory is abundant.\n\nSalutation to you, pillars of the church of Akhmim, martyrs of Christ, chosen. In shame, do not pass through the market. Let the radiance of light be for me without confusion. Your struggle, within and without.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ሰላም፡ ለክሙ፡","severity":"info","text":"Each of the five stanzas opens with the formulaic salutation 'ሰላም፡ ለክሙ፡' (Salutation to you), a standard feature of Ethiopic encomiastic poetry, marking this as a malkǝʾ-hymn addressed to the martyrs collectively.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT2953RepCh234","label":"betmas: Image of the Suffering of the Martyrs of Akhmim","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT2953RepCh234"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ጥብሐ፡ በግዕ፡","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'ጥብሐ፡ በግዕ፡' (slain by the sword) is a conventional epithet for martyrs in Ethiopic hagiography, emphasizing death by the sword as a mark of witness.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"አክሚም፡","severity":"info","text":"Akhmim (Coptic: ⲭⲙⲓⲙ) is a city in Upper Egypt, historically a center of Coptic Christianity and site of martyrdom traditions. The text localizes the martyrs to this city, consistent with the work's title.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT2953RepCh234","label":"betmas: Image of the Suffering of the Martyrs of Akhmim","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT2953RepCh234"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"እሳተ፡ ምድር፡ መግርህ፡ አእንተ፡","severity":"info","text":"The image of 'fire of the earth, a furnace of stones' evokes the fiery furnace of Daniel 3, a common typology for martyrdom in early Christian and Ethiopic literature, where the martyrs are seen as enduring a trial akin to the three youths.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ገድልክሙ፡ ዘአፍአ፡ ወውሥጥ፡","severity":"info","text":"The closing line 'your struggle, within and without' suggests the text was used liturgically, perhaps as a hymn, where the martyrs' example is invoked for both inner spiritual and outer communal life.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT2953RepCh234","label":"betmas: Image of the Suffering of the Martyrs of Akhmim","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT2953RepCh234"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'ከመ፡ ኢምንት፨' (like a mother) in stanza 2 is ambiguous: it may personify the sword or the judge, or be a textual corruption; the translation 'like a mother' is retained but the referent is unclear.","The final stanza's 'በኃፍረት፡ ኢይሑር፡ ውስተ፡ ምሥራጥ፡' (in shame, do not pass through the market) is obscure; it may be a moral exhortation or a reference to a specific local practice."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}