Commentarius, auctore Symeone Metaphrasta
Standard abbreviation: Hypom. Bapt.
Other titles: A Writing Treating the Birth, Conduct, and Decapitation of the Holy and Prophet and Baptist John the Forerunner
Clavis numbers: ECCA 537; CANT 182
Category: Hagiographa
Related literature: Decapitation of John the Forerunner, Discovery of John the Baptist’s Head, Life of John the Baptist by Serapion, Martyrdom of Zechariah, Protevangelium of James.
Compiled by Tony Burke, York University
Citing this resource (using Chicago Manual of Style): Burke, Tony. “Hypomnema on John the Baptist, by Symeon Metaphrastes.” e-Clavis: Christian Apocrypha. Accessed DAY MONTH YEAR. https://www.nasscal.com/e-clavis-christian-apocrypha/hypomnema-of-john-the-baptist-by-symeon-metaphrastes/.
Posted December 2024.
1. SUMMARY
Hypom. John can be divided into two sections: the first is a retelling of tales of John from the canonical Gospels and apocryphal sources interspersed with interpretive asides, the second is an account of the finding of John’s head.
After a short introduction, the text begins the story of John from Luke’s infancy narrative. The only added detail is that Zechariah was a priest from the line of Abijah and Elisabeth was from the line of Aaron. Symeon turns next to the death of Zechariah, incorporating two versions of the event. In one, Zechariah allows Mary to bring Jesus into the Holy of Holies. This angers other Jews, who, when Zechariah tells them that the King of Creation had come into the world, fear they would not obey the King. So they kill Zechariah in the sight of the altar (recalling Matt 23:35) and hide his body in the ground. The second account is drawn from the Protevangelium of James. Zechariah is killed for refusing to reveal the location of his son to Herod’s soldiers. For his actions, Symeon says, Zechariah obtains a double crown: he is baptized at the altar and is first to be sacrificed to Christ, along with the children.
The text moves on to John’s emergence from the wilderness during the administration of Pontius Pilate. Information is presented about Herod Antipas breaking the law by marrying Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. For this, he is rebuked by John, who is, in turn, seized and incarcerated. John knows the time of his death is near, so he sends two disciples to Jesus to ask him if he is the Messiah (from Matt 11:1–19; Luke 7:18–35). Symeon explains that John knew he was the Messiah but sent the disciples to learn this themselves. John meets his death at Herod’s birthday party. Herod hides John’s head so that John will not rise from the grave.
Symeon concludes this section of the narrative with additional information about the war between Aretas and Herod Antipas (perhaps from Eusebius or Josephus) and the death of Herodias, who falls into a frozen river and is decapitated by the ice.
The second section of the text tells the story of the first and second findings of the head of John the Baptist, celebrated 24 February in churches of the East. John appears to two monks journeying to Jerusalem, telling them that his head is buried in Herod’s house and they must remove it. They do so and on their way home, they meet an impoverished potter from Emesa. John appears to the potter and tells him to take the head because the monks were not treating it with enough care. As a result, the potter is rewarded with treasures for the rest of his life. Upon his death, he gives the head to his sister and then it passes through the hands of other righteous people until it reaches a certain Eustace, an Arian monk and priest, who uses the miracles performed through the power of the head to spread his heresy. When discovered, he is expelled from Emesa.
The monastery comes under the leadership of Marcellus, who is considered by John to be the right person to reveal the location of his remains. Marcellus has a dream of a river rushing through the monastery’s doors, carrying in a fleet from the East. He sees two halls, one facing west and one facing south and a temple between them where people worship. Voices declare the arrival of John and Marcellus sees him in the temple with two people standing on his left and his right. John blesses each fleet as it approaches. Marcellus prostrates at John’s feet and the Baptist embraces him and gives him a vessel full of milk, saying, “This shall be for your blessing.” John vanishes in a pillar of fire and Marcellus wakes up.
The next evening, a voice tells Marcellus to follow a star that will guide him to a cave and there he must dig. There Marcellus finds a jar, which he opens and bows before it. The Archimandrite Gennadius meets him at the cave entrance and tells him of a dream in which many people were coming to Marcellus and Gennadius for endless bread of barley as pure as the sun. Marcellus decides to share what he discovered with Stephen, the Archimandrite of Daromnius, so that he can inform the bishop Uranius. While he waits to see Stephen, Marcellus shows the discovery to the Archimandrite Cyriacus. Suddenly, Marcellus is struck violently in the knees. Gennadius tells him it is because he did not immediately notify the bishop of his discovery. The next day they inform bishop Uranius and he arrives the following day with priests and deacons.
One of the priests, Malchus, doubts that the head belongs to John. He touches the hairs of the head and his hand dries up and sticks to the mouth of the jar. After fervent prayers, the hand is released. Uranius takes John’s head and places it in in the diaconicon of the monastery’s church until a dedicated church is built. John appears to Malchus in a dream and tells him on the occasion of his deposition to touch the jar and he will be fully healed. The head is deposited in the church of Emessa on 5 October 453.
The third finding of the head of John, not told here, takes place around 850. Before that time, John’s head was transferred to Constantinople. At the time of the iconoclasts, pious Christians left Constantinople, taking the head with them and hiding it in Komona, Cappadocia. Its return, considered the third finding, is celebrated 25 May.
Named historical figures and characters: Aaron, Abijah (priest), Annas (scribe/high priest), Archelaus, Aretas (king), Caiaphas, Cyriacus (archimandrite), David (king), Elijah (prophet), Elizabeth, Gennadius (archimandrite), Herod Antipas, Herod (the Great), Herodias, John (the Baptist), Joseph (of Nazareth), Luke (evangelist), Lysanias, Malchus (priest), Marcellus (monk), Mary (Virgin), Martianus (emperor), Philip (tetrarch), Pontius Pilate, Stephen (archimandrite), Uranius (bishop), Valentinian (emperor), Zechariah.
Geographical locations: Abilina, Bethlehem, Daromnius, Emesa/Homs, Itauraea, Judea, Nazareth, Rome, Tiberias, Trachonitis.
2. RESOURCES
3. BIBLIOGRAPHY
3.1 Manuscripts and Editions
3.1.1 Greek (BHG 835–837b)
Athens, Ethnikê Bibliothêkê tês Hellados, 282, fols. 383v–406 (16th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Athens, Ethnikê Bibliothêkê tês Hellados, 998, fols. 193–210v (16th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Athens, Ethnikê Bibliothêkê tês Hellados, 2471, fols. 378–394 (14th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Athens, Ethnikê Bibliothêkê tês Hellados, 2628, fols. 71–83v (14th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Athens, Ethnikê Bibliothêkê tês Hellados, Metochion tou Panagiou Taphou 852, fol. 1 (10th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Basel, Universitätsbibliotek, A.III.12, fols. 29–33 (14th/15th c.) ~ Pinakes; images
Brescia, Biblioteca Queriniana, A.III.03, fols. 244r–248v (16th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Escorial, Real Biblioteca, y.II.11 (Andrés 319), fols. 135–149v (12th cent.) ~ Pinakes; images
Firenze, Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Plut. 9.33, fols. 426v –443v (14th cent.) ~ Pinakes; BML
Genova, Biblioteca Franzoniana, Urbani 35, fols. 1–21v (11th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Grottaferrata, Biblioteca Statale del Monumento Nazionale, B.α.23.9 (gr. 98), fols. 15–22v (11th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Istanbul, Patriarchikē Bibliothēkē, Theologikē scholē, 40 ~ Pinakes
Jerusalem, Patriarchikē bibliothēkē, Hagiou Saba 105, fols. 272–288 (14th cent.) ~ Pinakes; images
Jerusalem, Patriarchikē bibliothēkē, Panaghiou Taphou 134, fols. 303v–325 (1582) ~ Pinakes; images
Jerusalem, Patriarchikē bibliothēkē, Panaghiou Taphou 135 (14th cent.) ~ Pinakes; images
Manchester, John Rylands University Library, gr. 8, fols. 139–160 (11th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Messina, Biblioteca Regionale Universitaria, S. Salv. 49, fols. 244–266v (12th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Meterora, Monē Metamorphōseōs, 552, fols. 188v (13/14th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Milan, Biblioteca Ambrosiana, C186 inf. (Martini-Bassi 878), fols. 158–174 (1073) ~ Pinakes; images
Moscow, Gosudarstvennyj Istoričeskij Musej, Sinod. gr. 9 (Vlad 382), fols. 210–233 (1063) ~ Pinakes
Moscow, Gosudarstvennyj Istoričeskij Musej, Sinod. gr. 160 (Vlad 383) (11th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Moscow, Gosudarstvennyj Istoričeskij Musej, Sinod. gr. 173 (Vlad 378), fols. 255v–276 (11th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Moscow, Rossijskaja Gosudarstvennaja Biblioteka, Φ.270 (P. I. Sevast’janov), 34 (gr. 35), fols. 40–57 (15th cent.) ~ Pinakes; RGB
Mount Athos, Monē Batopediou, 425, fols. 99–105 (14th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Mount Athos, Monē Batopediou, 435, fols. 47–57 (16th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Mount Athos, Monē Batopediou, 632, fols. 256–264 (1422) ~ Pinakes
Mount Athos, Monē Batopediou, 634, fols. 215–243 (1422) ~ Pinakes
Mount Athos, Monē Batopediou, 788, fols. 89v–112 (14th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Mount Athos, Monē Batopediou, 826, fols. 33–56 (18th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Mount Athos, Monē Dionusiou, 52 (Lambros 3586) (13th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Mount Athos, Monē Dionusiou, 54 (Lambros 3588) (11th/12th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Mount Athos, Monē Dionusiou, 181 (Lambros 3715), fols. 173v–189 (14th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Mount Athos, Monē Dionusiou, 228 (Lambros 3762), fols. 361–379 (1420–1421) ~ Pinakes
Mount Athos, Monē Dionusiou, 501 (Lambros 4035) (16th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Mount Athos, Monē Dionusiou, 641 (1594) ~ Pinakes
Mount Athos, Monē Docheiariou, 69 (Lambros 2743), fols. 171–186v (14th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Mount Athos, Monē Ibērōn, 16 (Lambros 4136), fols. 259v–282v (1042) ~ Pinakes; BVMM
Mount Athos, Monē Koutloumousiou, 109 (Lambros 3182), fols. 61–79 (15th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Mount Athos, Monē Megistēs Lauras, Δ53 (Eustratiades 429), fols. 255–272 (11th/12th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Mount Athos, Monē Megistēs Lauras, Δ62 (Eustratiades 438), fols. 35–37 (14th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Mount Athos, Monē Megistēs Lauras, Ε182 (Eustratiades 644), fols. 312–341 (12th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Mount Athos, Monē Megistēs Lauras, Η179 (Eustratiades 834), fols. 359–378 (14th cent.) ~ Pinakes; LOC
Mount Athos, Monē Megistēs Lauras, Ω154 (Eustratiades 1966), fols. 727–734 (1668) ~ Pinakes
Mount Athos, Monē Pantokratos, 6 (Lambros 1040), fols. 305–313v (1301–1325) ~ Pinakes
Mount Athos, Monē Pantokratos, 156 (Lambros 1190), fols. 351v–374v (1672) ~ Pinakes
Mount Athos, Monē Philotheou, 87 (Lambros 1851), fols. 433–454 (1340) ~ Pinakes
Mount Athos, Monē Stauronikēta, 18 (Lambros 883), fols. 340v–354v (13th/14th cent.) ~ Pinakes; Athos
Mount Athos, Monē Xēropotamou, 39 (Lambros 2372), fols. 144v–167v (16th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Mount Sinai, Monē tēs Hagias Aikaterinēs, gr. 516, item 14 (undated) ~ Pinakes; LOC
Naples, Biblioteca Nazionale, II.C.25 (1380) ~ Pinakes
Oxford, Bodleian Library, Barocci 234, fols. 393–398 (12th/13th cent.) ~ Pinakes; Oxford
Oxford, Bodleian Library, Cromwell 6, pp. 125–172 (15th cent.) ~ Pinakes; Oxford catalog
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Coisl. 307, fols. 375–383v (1552) ~ Pinakes; Gallica
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Coisl. 383, fols. 309–340 (15th cent.) ~ Pinakes; Gallica
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, gr. 1474, fols. 174v–191r (11th cent.)
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, gr. 1475, fols. 136v–151v (11th cent.) ~ Pinakes; Gallica
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, gr. 1516, fols. 144v–160 (11th cent.) ~ Pinakes; Gallica
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, gr. 1527, fols. 179v–197v (11th/12th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, gr. 1528, fols. 197r–216r (12th cent.)
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, gr. 1548, fols. 152–166 (11/12th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Patmos, Monê tou Hagiou Iôannou tou Theologou, 179, fols. 307r–308v, 1, 3 (11th/12th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Patmos, Monê tou Hagiou Iôannou tou Theologou, 183 (11th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Rome, Biblioteca Vallicelliana, B 14, fols. 245r–256r (11th cent.)
Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Chig. R.VII.50 (gr. 41), fols. 177–195v (11th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Ottob. gr. 87, fols. 39–48, 57–60 (13th cent.) ~ Pinakes; BAV
Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. gr. 820, fols. 271–284v (14th/15th cent.) ~ Pinakes; BAV
Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. gr. 822, fols. 225v–247v (12th cent.) ~ Pinakes; BAV
Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. gr. 823, fols. 186–203v (12th cent.) ~ Pinakes; BAV
Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. gr. 1190, fols. 407v–414r (1542)
Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. gr. 2043, fols. 220v–240v (11th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Venice, Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, gr. II.131 (coll. 1361), fols. 290–334v (16th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Venice, Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, gr. II.168c (coll. 1113), fols. 752v–768 (1481) ~ Pinakes
Latyšev, Vasilij V. Menologii anonymi byzantini saeculi X quae supersunt. 2 vols. St. Petersburg: Tipografija Imperatorskoj Akademii Nauk, 1911–1912 (edition based on Moscow, Sinod. gr. 9, with readings from Sinod. gr. 160, and Sinod gr. 173, in vol. 2, pp. 384–408).
Lippomano, Luigi (Aloisius Lipomanus). Sanctorum priscorum patrum vitae numero centum sexagintatres, per gravissimos et probatissimos auctores conscripta. 8 vols. Rome: ex Officina Salviana and Venice: ad Signum Spei, 1551–1560 (Greek edition, vol. 6, pp. 199–203).
Surius, Laurentius. Historiae seu vitae sanctorum, juxta optimam coloniensem editionem. 1570–1575. 13 vols. Turin: Marietti, 1875–1880 (Latin translation, vol. 8, pp. 706–23).
3.2 Modern Translations
3.3 General Works
Høgel, Christian. Symeon Metaphrastes: Rewriting and Canonization. Copenhagen: Museum Tusculanum Press, 2002.