Commentarius, auctore Symeone Metaphrasta
Standard abbreviation: Hypom. Andr.
Other titles: none
Clavis numbers: ECCA 433; CANT 234
Category: Apocryphal Acts
Related literature: Acts of Andrew, Encomium on Andrew by Nicetas of Paphlagonia, Life of Andrew by Epiphanius the Monk
Compiled by: Tony Burke, York University
Citing this resource (using Chicago Manual of Style): Burke, Tony. “Hypomnema on Andrew, by Symeon Metaphrastes.” e-Clavis: Christian Apocrypha. Accessed DAY MONTH YEAR. https://www.nasscal.com/e-clavis-christian-apocrypha/hypomnema-on-andrew-by-symeon-metaphrastes/.
Created November 2024.
1. SUMMARY
Symeon’s Hypomnema repeats much of what is found in the Life of Andrew by Epiphanius the Monk. It begins with Andrew as a follower of John. As in the Gospel of John, Andrew leaves the Baptist to follow Jesus and brings along his brother Peter. Symeon praises Andrew as an apostle, particularly for his role in the story of the feeding of the multitude. He notes also the episode from the Gospel of John of Andrew interacting with Greeks in Jerusalem wishing to see Jesus.
After the death of Jesus, Andrew begins preaching in Asia Minor. After some time, he journeys to Jerusalem to observe Passover, hoping to converse with Paul and Peter. Then he goes on to Ephesus with John, and there receives a vision urging him to return to Bythinia. He enters the city of Nicea and uses healing miracles to convert the inhabitants, wielding an iron rod with a cross at its apex. He destroys statues of Aphrodite and Artemis and causes their spirits to escape, then he transforms their temples into sacred shrines and appoints priests.
After two years he journeys to Nicomedia, moves eastward along the shores of the Black Sea, and reaches Amastria, encountering difficulties along the way. Next he arrives at Sinope where he spends time with Matthias. Even now, Symeon writes, the seats of the two apostles can be found there in white marble and there is an image of Andrew that works wonders. More of the tale of Andrew and Matthias is related. In this telling, the maneaters of Sinope are identified as Jews. After Andrew frees the people from prison, the Jews attempt to burn down his lodging; then they drag him through the streets, beat, and stone him. They cast Andrew out of the city but Jesus appears to him and heals him. When those who scorned him see this, they marvel, forget their savagery, and accept his teaching.
After ordaining priests, Andrew moves on to Aminsus, teaches the Trabzonians, visits Neochaesarea and Samosata, before returning to Jerusalem. From there he is accompanied for a time by Matthias and Thaddaeus. Thaddaeus goes on to Edessa and Andrew to Sebastopolis. He also preaches to the Ziches and the Bosporans. The wild Ziches are not easily convinced but the Bosporans create two caskets for the two Simons: the Zealot and the Canaanite.
Andrew once again comes to Sinope and appoints Philologus as bishop. Then he sails on to Byzantium where he appoints Statius, one of the Seventy, as bishop and sets up a church. Having journeyed through all of Thessaly and Greece, Andrew reaches the Peloponnese itself. From here the text relates episodes from the Acts of Andrew, including his healing of Sosius and the paralyzed man in the portico, his interactions with Aegeas, Maximilla and Stratocles, and his martyrdom.
The text finishes with an account of the translation of Andrew’s body to Constantinople under Constantius, along with the relics of Luke and Timothy.
Named historical figures and characters: Aegeates (proconsul), Andrew (apostle), Aphrodite, Artemis, Artemius (of Antioch), Constantius II (emperor), Herod Antipas, John (the Baptist), John (son of Zebedee), John (father of Peter and Andrew), Lazarus, Luke (Evangelist), Matthaias (apostle), Maximilla (wife of Aegeates), Naaman, Paul (apostle), Peter (apostle), Philologus (bishop), Philip (apostle), Simon (the Canaanite/Zealot), Sogdians, Sosius, Stratocles, Thaddaeus (apostle), Timothy, Tychicus (bishop), Trajan (emperor), Zechariah (priest).
Geographical locations: Abasgia, Achaea, Amastra, Aminsus, Amisos, Athens, Bethsaida, Bithynia, Black Sea, Boeotia, Bosporus, Byzantium, Chalcedon, Cherson, Constantinople, Edessa, Ephesus, Gennesaret, Greece, Gulf of Astacus, Herakleia, Ista River, Lazica, Macedonia, Nicaea, Nicomedia, Neocaesarea, Patras, Pontus, Propontis, Samosata, Sebastopolis, Sinope, Thessaly, Thrace, Trapezunt, Zechia.
2. RESOURCES
2.1 Online Resources
“St. Andrew the First-Called.” St. Andrew Greek Orthodox Church. Synaxarion reading for Andrew translated into English.
3. BIBLIOGRAPHY
3.1 Manuscripts and Editions
3.1.1 Greek (BHG 101; additional manuscripts listed on Pinakes)
B Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Cod. graec. 179, fols. 191r–210v (11th cent.) ~ Pinakes
M Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Cod. graec. 634, fols. 332–335 (11th cent.) ~ Pinakes; images
P St. Petersburg, Russian National Library/Rossijskaja Akademika Nauk, Biblioteca, Inostrannych rukopisej, F. № 4, fols. 176v–178r (11th cent.) ~ ending mutilated; Pinakes
Athens, Ethnikē Bibliothēkē tēs Hellados, gr. 985, fols. 278r–284v (14th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Athens, Ethnikē Bibliothēkē tēs Hellados, gr. 992, fols. 121r–130v (14th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Athens, Ethnikē Bibliothēkē tēs Hellados, gr. 2470, fols. 392r–402v (14th/15th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Athens, Ethnikē Bibliothēkē tēs Hellados, gr. 2522, fols. 282v–294v (12th cent.) ~ Pinakes; ATHENS
Copenhagen, Det Kongelige Bibliothek, GKS 167 2°, fols. 222r–232v (11th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Istanbul, Patriarchikē Bibliothēkē, Hagias Triados 82, fols. 392–407 (11th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Istanbul, Patriarchikē Bibliothēkē, Hagias Triados 83, fols. 215v–222r (11th/12th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Istanbul, Patriarchikē Bibliothēkē, Hagias Triados 84, fols. 273r–282v (14th and 16th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Jerusalem, Patriarchikē bibliothēkē, Hagiou Saba 170, fols. 202–? (11th cent.) ~ Pinakes; IMAGES
Meteora, Monē Barlaam, 16, fols. 437r–446r (16th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Meteora, Monē Hagias Triados, 96, fols. 134r–146r (1345–1346) ~ Pinakes
Meteora, Monē Metamorphōseōs, 370, fols. 247v–260r (16th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Moscow, Gosudarstvennyj Istoričeskij Musej, Sinod gr. 170 (Vlad 361), fol. 431v (11th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Mount Athos, Bibliothēkē tou Prōtatou (Karues), 2 (Lambros 2), fols. 167r–172v (11th cent.) ~ Pinakes; Athos
Mount Athos, Monē Batopediou, 491, fols. 378–? (11th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Mount Athos, Monē Batopediou, 496, fols. 378–388 (11th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Mount Athos, Monē Megistēs Lauras, Ω 150 (Eustratiades 1962), Part 1, fols. 273–284 (1756) ~ Pinakes
Oxford, Bodleian Library, Holkham gr. 16, fols. 181–190 (14th cent.) ~ Pinakes; Catalog
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, gr. 774, fols. 626r–628v (11th cent.) ~ Pinakes; Gallica
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, gr. 1513, fols. 259v–270v (12th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, gr. 1525, fols. 496r–506v (13th cent.) ~ Pinakes; Gallica
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, gr. 1530, fols. 199r–210v (12th cent.) ~ Pinakes; Gallica
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, gr. 1544, fols. 46r–56v (15th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, gr. 1545, fols. 255r–262v (13th cent.) ~ Pinakes; Gallica
Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Barb. gr. 524, fols. 235–250 (12th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. gr. 806, fols. 227r–238v (11th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. gr. 1190, fols. 1026r–1034v (1542)
Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. gr. 1595, fols. 159r–166v (12th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. gr. 1596, fols. 182r–188r (11th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Venice, Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, gr. VII.53 (coll. 1304), fols. 303v–311v (12th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Koutlumusianos, B., ed. Menaea Novembris. Venice, 1843 (pp. 235–45).
Μηναῖον Νοεμβρίου. Athens, 1990 (pp. 390–99).
Du Saussay, André. Andreas frater Simonis Petri seu de gloria sanctae Andreae apostoli libri XII. Paris: Frater Simonis Petri seu de gloria sanctae, 1656 (Greek text with Latin translation, 309–28).
Vinogradov, Andrej. Греческие предания о св. апостоле Андрее. [Greek Legends about St. Apostle Andrew]. Библиотека “Христианского Востока” 3. St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg University Press, 2005 (overview, pp. 50–53; manuscript descriptions, pp. 87–92; Greek text based on MBP and the 1990 edition of the Menaea for November, pp. 230–43).
3.1.2 Imperial Menologion (BHG 101a)
V Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. gr. 793, fols. 78r–84r (12th/13th cent.) ~ Pinakes
Vinogradov, Andrej. Греческие предания о св. апостоле Андрее. [Greek Legends about St. Apostle Andrew]. Библиотека “Христианского Востока” 3. St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg University Press, 2005 (overview, pp. 53–55; manuscript descriptions, pp. 92–93; Greek text based on V, pp. 244–50).
3.2 Modern Translations
3.3 General Works
Flamion, Joseph. Les Actes apocryphes de l’apôtre André: Les Actes d’André et de Matthias, de Pierre et d’André et les textes apparentés. Leuven: Bureau du recueil, 1911 (pp. 85–87).
Lipsius, Richard A. Die Apokryphen Apostelgeschichten und Apostellegenden. Ein Beitrag zur altchristlichen Literaturgeschichte. 2 vols. Braunschweig: Schwetschke, 1883–1887 (see vol. 1, pp. 584–85).
Peterson, Peter M. Andrew, Brother of Simon Peter: His History and his Legend. NovT Sup 1. Leiden: Brill, 1958 reprinted 1963 (p. 21).
Prieur, Jean-Marc. “Les Actes apocryphes de l’apôtre André: Présentation des diverses traditions apocryphes et état de la question.” ANRW II 25,6 (1988): 4384–4414 (p. 4403)