Homily on Titus, by Andrew of Crete

Homilia in apostolum Titum

Standard abbreviation: Hom. Titus

Other titles: Oratio XVI in sanctum et beatum, celebratissimumque Christi apostolum Titum

Clavis numbers: ECCA 631

Category: Apocryphal Acts

Related literature: Acts of Titus

Compiled by: Michael Scott Robertson, Universität Regensburg

Citing this resource (using Chicago Manual of Style): Robertson, Michael Scott. “Homily on Titus, by Andrew of Crete.” e-Clavis: Christian Apocrypha. Accessed DAY MONTH YEAR. https://www.nasscal.com/e-clavis-christian-apocrypha/homily-on-titus-by-andrew-of-crete/.

Created December 2024.

1. SUMMARY

This homily is generally laudatory in nature, praising Titus as being a Cretan paragon and mediator for the people of the island. Andrew does recount much of the life of Titus (derived, likely, from the Acts of Titus), but not necessarily in order. Titus comes from a Cretan family, being related to the proconsul of Crete and from the lineage of Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Zeus. Titus abandoned the polytheism of his ancestors and discovered the Hebrew scriptures. Titus became fluent in Hebrew such that he was essentially indistinguishable from a native speaker. Titus persuaded his relative, the proconsul, to let him go to Jerusalem where he met the twelve apostles just before the descent of the spirit at Pentecost, at which time Titus was one of the first to believe in Jesus. Then, Titus accompanied Paul on his journeys around the Mediterranean. Eventually, Titus became the founder of the church on Crete.

Named Historical Figures and Characters: Amalek, Ananias (disciple), Minos, Paul (apostle), Rhadamanthus, Solomon, Titus (of Crete), Zerubbabel, Zeus.

Geographical Locations: Crete, Damascus, Illyricum, Jerusalem, Judea.

2. RESOURCES

2.1 Web Sites and Other Online Resources

“S01204: Titus, disciple of Paul.” The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity.

“Saint Titus.” Wikipedia.

“Saint Titus Cathedral.” Wikipedia. The Hagios Titus in Heraklion was built in the nineteenth century (replacing earlier structures, first in Gortyn and later in Heraklion) and houses the remains of Titus.

3. BIBLIOGRAPHY

3.1 Manuscripts and Editions

3.1.1 Greek (BHG 1852, CPG 8185)

Athens, Benaki Museum, T.A. 141, fols.  205^v–214^r (11th cent.) ~ Pinakes

Firenze, Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Plut. 9.33, fols. 415^r–426^v (14th cent.) ~ Pinakes; BML

Halle, Hauptbibiothek. des Waisenhauses, W.A. 119, fols. 1^r–214^r (18th cent) ~ Pinakes

Messina, Biblioteca Regionale Universitaria ‘Giacomo Longo’, San Salvatoris 29, fols. 227^r–233^r (14th cent) ~ Pinakes; Messina

Mount Athos, Monē Xēropotamou, Mss. 514, fols 1^r–34^v (20th cent.) ~ Pinakes

Mount Athos, Monē Pantokratoros, Mss 53, fols. 88^r–107^v (12th cent) ~ Pinakes

Oxford, Bodleian Library, Barocci 199, fols. 343^r–352^v (10th cent) ~ Pinakes; Oxford

Oxford, Bodleian Library, Laud gr. 64a, fols. 219^r–239^r (16th/17th cent) ~ Pinakes; Oxford Catalog

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, gr. 548, fols. 196^v–210^r (11th cent)

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, gr. 1177, fols. 222^v–236^v (11th cent) ~ Pinakes; Gallica

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, gr. 1197, fols. 171^v–186^r (12th cent) ~ Pinakes; Gallica

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, gr. 1470, fols. 214^r–223^v (9th cent)

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Supplément grec 241, fols. 233^v–245^r (10th cent) ~ Pinakes; Gallica

Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Barb. gr. 510, fols. 79^r–93^r (17th cent.) ~ Pinakes

Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. gr. 582, fol. 2^r (13th cent.) ~ Pinakes

Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. gr. 1671, fols. 326^v–340^v (10th cent.) ~ Pinakes; BAV

Venice, Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana (BNM) gr. Z. 360 (coll. 696), fols. 415^v–440^v (10th/11th cent) ~ Pinakes; BNM

Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Cod. hist. gr. 45, fols. 263^v–273^r (11th cent)

Combefis, François. Sanctorum patrum Amphilochii Iconiensis, Methodii Patarensis et Andreae Cretensis opera omnia. Paris, 1644 (pars posterior, pp. 155–75).

Gallandi, Andreas. Bibliotheca veterum patrum antiquorumque scriptorum ecclesiasticorum. Vol. 13. Venice: Joaniis Baptistæ Albritii Hieron, 1765–1781 (pp. 156–67).

Migne, Jacques Paul, ed. Patrologiae cursus completus: Series graeca. Vol. 97. Paris: Cerf, 1865 (reprinting of Combefis’s edition, cols. 1141–1169).

3.2 Modern Translations

3.3 General Works

Rouquette, Maïeul. “Étude comparée sur la construction des origines apostoliques des Églises de Crète et de Chypre à travers les figures de Tite et de Barnabé.” PhD diss., l’Université de Lausanne et l’Université d’Aix-Marseille, 2017 (pp. 291–322).

Detorakis, Theocharis Eus. “Οι Αγιοι της Πρωτης Βυζαντινης Περιοδου της Κρητης και η Εχετικη προς Αυτος Φιλολογια.” PhD diss., National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 1970 (pp. 36–37).