Acta Xanthippae et Polyxenae
Standard abbreviation: Xanth.
Other titles: Acts of Xanthippe and Polyxena
Clavis number: ECCA 189; BHG 1877
Category: Apocryphal Acts
Related literature: Acts of Paul, Hypomnema on Peter and Paul
Compiled by: David L. Eastman, The McCallie School ([email protected]).
Citing this resource (using Chicago Manual of Style): Eastman, David L. “Life and Conduct of the Holy Women Xanthippe, Polyxena, and Rebecca.” e-Clavis: Christian Apocrypha. Accessed DAY MONTH YEAR. https://www.nasscal.com/e-clavis-christian-apocrypha/life-and-conduct-of-the-holy-women-xanthippe-polyxena-and-rebecca/.
Created August 2017. Most recent update June 2023.
1. SUMMARY
This work recounts the conversions and adventures of three fictional women: Xanthippe, a matron in Spain; Polyxena, her younger sister; and Rebecca, a Jewish slave girl who meets Polyxena in Greece. The text is categorized as an apocryphon because Paul is featured prominently and there are cameo appearances by several other apostles; nevertheless, the apostles are only background players in this drama about the main female characters. The focus of the text, like other apocryphal acts, is the glorification of sexual abstinence.
An unnamed servant of a Spanish aristocrat is in Rome and hears Paul’s preaching, but he is forced by duty to return to Spain before he can hear the entire message. There he falls deathly ill, leading his master, Probus, to ask how he might be cured. The servant speaks of a physician in Rome who alone can restore him (1). Xanthippe, Probus’s wife, overhears this conversation and is herself overcome by sickness and longing for this mysterious doctor and teacher. She embraces extreme asceticism and sexual abstinence and calls out to a god whose name she does not know. Some time later, Paul comes to Spain and Xanthippe immediately identifies him as the doctor from Rome. Probus compels Paul to stay with them, hoping that the apostle can heal his wife (nothing more is said of the sick servant), but soon those desiring to hear Paul overrun the house (7–10). Realizing that Probus is about to expel Paul, Xanthippe begs for baptism, but the devil prompts Probus to throw out Paul and lock away Xanthippe before this can occur (11). While Probus sleeps, Xanthippe sneaks away to visit Paul by bribing the gatekeeper. Demons assail her on the way, but she is saved by a vision of Paul and Christ and is then baptized by Paul (12–16). Once awake, Probus summons two wise men to explain a disturbing dream, and they warn Probus that they must all seek baptism from Paul. Probus finally acquiesces, and Xanthippe is overjoyed (17–21).
Meanwhile, Xanthippe’s younger sister, Polyxena, has a disturbing dream in which she is devoured by a serpent, and that very night a powerful enemy of her suitor kidnaps her (22–23). She is smuggled to the dock and put on board a ship headed for “Babylonia” (possibly the fortress in Egypt, not the city in Mesopotamia). In her travels, she nearly meets Peter on a ship bound to Rome (24), is freed from her kidnappers by Philip in Greece (25), and then meets Andrew (26–28). Andrew and Polyxena journey on and encounter Rebecca, a Jewish slave girl and, like Xanthippe and Polyxena, is said to be a virgin. She begs them to free her from slavery. Andrew baptizes both women and then departs (29–30). A kindly mule-driver takes the women to the coast to find a ship. Polyxena is kidnapped again, this time by a prefect (31–35). But the prefect’s son, who had heard Paul’s preaching in Antioch, befriends Polyxena and attempts to smuggle her to safety. Unfortunately, they are caught and condemned to death. The lioness in the arena refuses to attack them, and the prefect and everyone in the city come to believe (36–37).
At this point Onesimus, speaking in the first person, is introduced into the narrative. He stops in Greece on his way to carry letters to Paul in Spain. Obeying a direct command from God, he brings Polyxena, Rebecca, and the prefect’s son to Spain, where they are welcomed by Paul (38–39). Xanthippe rejoices at the safe return of her sister, whose virginity is intact. Polyxena’s original kidnapper is present at this reunion, and he becomes a believer and is baptized. Everyone praises God, and thereafter Polyxena remains with Paul (40–42).
Named historical figures and characters: Andrew (apostle), Barandus, devil, Gnosteas, Jesse (patriarch), Jesus Christ, Judah (patriarch), Lucius (disciple of Paul: Luke?), Mary (Virgin), Nero, Onesimus, Paul (apostle), Peter (apostle), Philip (apostle), Philotheus, Polyxena, Probus, Rebecca (slave girl), Satan, Simon (Magus), Xanthippe.
Geographical locations: Antioch, Greece, Hades, Rome, Spain.
2. RESOURCES
2.1 Web Sites and Other Online Resources
Entry for Xanthippe and Polyxena (commemorated September 23) in the Upper Egypt Coptic Synaxarium published by the St. George Coptic Orthodox Church in Chicago.
“Acts of Xanthippe, Polyxena, and Rebecca.” Wikipedia.
2.2 Art and Iconography
Illustration of Xanthippe and Polyxena The Menologion of Basil II, Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. gr. 1613, p. 63 (10th cent.)
3. BIBLIOGRAPHY
3.1 Manuscripts and Editions
3.1.1 Greek
Moscow, State Historical Museum, gr. 161, fols. 259–272 (11th cent.)
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, gr. 1458, fols. 5v–17v (11th cent.)
Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. gr. 803, fols. 66–79v (11th cent.)
Note: the identification of the text in Moscow, Russian State Library, gr. 68 [521], fols. 86v–101v (15th cent.) is erroneous.
Bonnet, Maximilian. “Sur les actes de Xanthippe et Polyxène.” Classical Review 8.8 (1894): 336–41 (corrections to James’s standard edition).
James, Montague Rhodes. Apocrypha Anecdota: A Collection of Thirteen Apocryphal Books and Fragments. TS 2. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1893 (standard edition based on Paris gr. 1458, pp. 58–85).
James, Montague Rhodes. Apocrypha Anecdota 2. TS 5.1. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1897 (corrections to James’s earlier edition, pp. 139–40).
Vesselovskij, Alexander N. “The Christian Transformation of the Greek Romance: The Life of Xanthippe, Polyxena, and Rebecca.” (in Russian). Anthology of the Department of Russian Music and Literatures of the Imperial Academy of Sciences 40.2 (1886): 29–64 (includes excerpts from Moscow gr. 161 and summaries of other Xanth. manuscripts, but no substantive updates to the James edition).
3.1.2 Menologion of Basil II
Preliminary translation: September 25. Commemoration of the holy women Xanthippe and Polyxena. Saint Xanthippe, the wife of Probus the prefect of Spain at the time of Claudius, the emperor of Rome, had a virgin sister named Polyxena. But when the holy apostle Paul came to the region of Spain and preached Christ, Xanthippe went to him, and was taught the faith by him, and was first baptized; then she persuaded her husband Probus to become a Christian. In like manner also her sister Polyxena was taught at that time by the same apostle; but after his departure, when she had heard Andrew, the great apostle of the Father, preaching the truth in Achaia, she went to him, and from him, after she had learned more perfectly what pertains to Christ, she received baptism. She soon returned to her country, where she found her sister Xanthippe shining in every kind of virtue, and was received by her with joy. And when both had taught the faith of Christ to many, they ended their lives.
Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. gr. 1613, p. 63 (10th cent.) ~ Pinakes; BAV
Migne, Jacques-Paul. Patrologiae cursus completus: Series graeca. Vol. 117. Paris: Cerf, 1903 (Greek text with facing Latin translation, cols. 69–70).
3.1.3 Menaea
Preliminary translation: They lived in the region of Spain in the time of Claudius Caesar. Xanthippe was the wife of Probus, the prefect in charge of the region. And she was taught by the apostle Paul when he was dwelling in the region, with the others and her husband. But Polyxenes was captured by an evil person, but by the grace of God she remained unscathed, and was baptized by the apostle Andrew. Many of those who believed because of her, Onesimus the apostle brought to her homeland of Spain. After a long voyage and delays, they were joined also by Rebekah, with whom (Polyxenes) was baptized, and she was reunited with her sister Xanthippe. And after passing the rest of life well and displaying many miracles, they were restored to the Lord.
Menaea graecae ecclesiae. Vol. 3: September. Venice: Spinellus, 1541 (Greek edition; unpaginated).
3.2. Modern Translations
3.2.1 English
Craigie, William A., trans. “The Acts of Xanthippe and Polyxena.” Pages 205–17 in vol. 9 of The Ante-Nicene Fathers. Edited by Philip Schaff. 14 vols. 3rd ed. New York: Scribner’s Sons, 1899.
Eastman, David L. “Life and Conduct of the Holy Women Xanthippe, Polyxena, and Rebecca.” Pages 416–52 in vol. 1 of New Testament Apocrypha: More Noncanonical Scriptures. Edited by Tony Burke and Brent Landau. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2016.
3.2.2 French
Junod, Éric. Xanthippe et Polyxène: un roman chrétien. Apocryphes 18. Turnhout: Brepols, 2023 (translation of edition by James, pp. 115–73).
3.3 General Works
Bennett, E. N. “James’ Apocrypha Anecdota.” Classical Review 8.3 (1894): 101–103.
Burrus, Virginia. “Desiring Women: Xanthippe, Polyxena, Rebecca.” Pages 9–27 in Reading and Teaching Ancient Fiction: Jewish, Christian, and Greco-Roman Narratives. Edited by Sara R. Johnson, Rubén R. Dupertuis, Christine Shea. Writings from the Greco-Roman World Supplements 11. Atlanta: SBL Press, 2018.
Davies, Stevan L. The Revolt of the Widows: The Social World of the Apocryphal Acts. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press, 1980.
Gorman, Jill. “Reading and Theorizing Women’s Sexualities: The Representation of Women in the Acts of Xanthippe and Polyxena.” (PhD diss., Temple University, 2003). From chapters in this dissertation Gorman published two articles: “Thinking with and about ‘Same-Sex Desire’: Producing and Policing Female Sexuality in the Acts of Xanthippe and Polyxena.” Journal of the History of Sexuality 10.3–4 (2001): 416–41; “Sexual Defense by Proxy: Interpreting Women’s Fasting in the Acts of Xanthippe and Polyxena.” Pages 206–15 in A Feminist Companion to the New Testament Apocrypha. Edited by Amy-Jill Levine. London: T&T Clark, 2006.
Hadas, Moses. Three Greek Romances. Indianapolis and New York: Bobbs-Merrill, 1953.
Hunink, V. J. C. “Following Paul: The Acts of Xanthippe, Polyxena, and Rebecca as an Ancient Novel.” Pages 147–59 in Early Christian and Jewish Narrative. The Role of Religion in Shaping Narrative Forms. Edited by Ilaria Ramelli and Judith Perkins. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2015.
Junod, Éric. “Vie et conduit des saintes femmes Xanthippe, Polyxène et Rébecca.” Pages 83–106 in Oecumenica et patristica: Festschrift für Wilhelm Schneemelcher zum 75. Geburtstag. Edited by Damaskinos Papandreou, Wolfgang A. Bienert, and Knut Schäferdiek. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer, 1989.
Klauk, Hans-Josef. The Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles: An Introduction. Translated by Brian McNeil. Waco: Baylor University Press, 2008. English trans. of Apokryphe Apostelakten. Stuttgart: Katholisches Bibelwerk, 2005 (pp. 250–51).
Junod, Éric. Xanthippe et Polyxène: un roman chrétien. Apocryphes 18. Turnhout: Brepols, 2023.
Lipsius, Richard A. Die Apokryphen Apostelgeschichten und Apostellegenden. Ein Beitrag zur altchristlichen Literaturgeschichte. 2 vols. Braunschweig: Schwetschke, 1883–1887 (see vol. 2.1, p. 227).
Pervo, Richard I. “Dare and Back: The Stories of Xanthippe and Polyxena.” Pages 161–204 in Early Christian and Jewish Narrative: The Role of Religion in Shaping Narrative Forms. Edited by Ilaria Ramelli and Judith Perkins. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2015.
Peterson, Erik. “Die Acta Xanthippe et Polyxenae und die Paulusakten.” AnBoll 65 (1947): 57–60.
Szepessy, Tibor. “The Narrative Model of the Acta Xanthippae et Polyxenae.” Acta Antiqua Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 44 (2004): 317–40.