Virtutes Philippi
Standard abbreviation: Acts Phil. (Lat.)
Other titles: Passion of Philip
Clavis numbers: ECCA 940; CANT 254
VIAF: 169144782965737622369 (Apostolic Histories)
Category: Apocryphal Acts
Related literature: Acts of Philip, Ever-New Tongue, History of Philip, Martyrdom of Philip, Preaching of Philip, Golden Legend 65, Fulget coruscans; Orderic Vitalis, Historia Ecclesiastica (PL 188:156–57)
Compiled by Tony Burke, York University
Citing this resource (using Chicago Manual of Style): Burke, Tony. “Acts of Philip (Latin).” e-Clavis: Christian Apocrypha. Accessed DAY MONTH YEAR. https://www.nasscal.com/e-clavis-christian-apocrypha/acts-of-philip-latin/.
Created August 2021. Currents as of January 2024.
1. SUMMARY
Acts. Phil. (Lat.) is so named as it does not include a martyrdom account, as in the other Latin acts that make up the Apostolic Histories corpus (and other stories of Philip). After Christ’s ascension, Philip teaches in Scythia for twenty years (Irish: forty). He is then taken by the gentiles and brought to the statue of Mars to perform a sacrifice. A dragon comes out of the statue and strikes the son of the priest who provided the fire for the sacrifice. It also strikes two tribunes in charge of the soldiers who guard Philip, and the soldiers become ill from the dragon’s breath. The Irish text mentions also that many people in the city were afflicted by the venom of the dragon with blindness, deafness, and illnesses, so that they would come to dragon and offer sacrifices to be healed; in doing so their souls would be damned. Philip promises to heal everyone and raise their dead if they remove the statue of Mars and replace it with a cross of Christ. Philip casts the dragon out of the statue and restores everyone who had fallen to its powers. A multitude of people become believers and begin to worship Philip as a god. He teaches them for a year about the coming of Jesus, his suffering, and resurrection and Pentecost; after these words, they break the statue of Mars and thousands are baptized. After ordaining clergy, he establishes many churches and then, following divine instructions, he returns to Asia and settles in Hierapolis where he refutes Ebionites.
Seven days (Irish: twelve) before his death, Philip calls all of the priests, deacons, and bishops to him. In his final message, he tells them to be mindful of the teachings of Jesus and be steadfast in the face of the snares of the enemy (Irish adds: “vanquish and crucify your carnal wills by fasting, by prayer and abstinence, by almsgiving of food and clothing to God’s poor and needy”). He dies at the age of 87 in Hierapolis, where he is buried. After several years his two virgin daughters are buried on his left and right.
Whereas Philip dies peacefully in the Latin text, the Irish interpolates local traditions found also in the Ever-New Tongue. Philip is opposed by Jewish priests who order his tongue to be cut out. But Philip continues teaching. They try again—seven times—yet Philip still speaks. The Jewish priests order Philip to be stoned, but he feels no pain. Finally, he is crucified but only succumbs when a “wicked” man places a rope around the apostle’s neck. He dies at the age of 86 and is buried with his daughters in Bethsaida.
Named historical figures and characters: daughters of Philip, Ebionites, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, Mars, Nathaniel, Peter (apostle), Philip (apostle).
Geographical locations: Bethsaida, Heirapolis, Scythia.
2. RESOURCES
Bread Stamp with the Apostle Philip (from Hierapolis; 6th/7th cent.): bears an image of Philip standing between two buildings—a domed martyrium and a basilical church containing the apostle’s tomb. The image is carved in reverse in order to make an impression on eulogia bread, distributed at the saint’s shrine.
3. BIBLIOGRAPHY
3.1 Manuscripts and Editions
3.1.1 Middle Irish (incorporated into the Leabhar Breac)
Dublin, Royal Irish Academy, 23 P 16 (the Leabhar Breac), pp. 179b–180b (1408–1411)
Atkinson, Robert, ed. and trans. The Passions and the Homilies from Leabhar Breac. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy, 1887 (text, pp. 110–13; English translation, pp. 356–58).
3.1.2 Latin (BHL 6814–6817)
Angers, Bibliothèque municipale, 281, fols. 118r–119r (11th cent.)
Bamberg, Staatsbibliothek Bamberg, Msc. Hist. 139 (12th cent.) ~ IMAGES
Dublin, Trinity College, 737 (olim G.04.16), fols. 23r–24v (9th and 12th/13th cent.)
Graz, Universitätsbibliothek, 412 (9th cent.) ~ IMAGES
Genève-Cologny, Bibliothèque Bodmer, MS Bodmer 127, fols. 52r–53r (12th cent.)
Montpellier, Bibliothèque de la Faculté de médicine, 55, fols. 35v–36v (ca. 800)
Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm 12641 (12th cent.) ~ IMAGES
Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm 22020, fols. 59v–60r) (12th cent.)
Paris, Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève, 547 (12th cent.)
Paris, Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève, 557 (11th/12th cent.)
Paris, Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève, 558 (13th cent.)
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, lat. 5273 (13th cent.) ~ IMAGES
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, lat. 5274 (12th cent.) ~ IMAGES
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, lat. 5563 (11th cent.) ~ IMAGES
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, lat. 9737 (12th cent.) ~ IMAGES
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, lat. 11750 (11th cent.)
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, lat. 12602 (12th cent.) ~ IMAGES
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, lat. 12604, fols. 18v–19r (12th cent.)
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, lat. 18298 (9th/10th cent.) ~ IMAGES
St. Gallen, Stiftsbibiothek, 561 (9th/10th cent.) ~ IMAGES
Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, cod. 455, fols. 26v–28r (9th cent.)
Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, cod. 497 (13th cent.) ~ CATALOG
Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, cod. 534, fols. 186v–189v (9th cent.)
Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, cod. 560 (12th/13th cent.) ~ CATALOG
Wolfenbüttel, Herzog August Bibliothek Weissenburg, 48, fols. 35r–36v (9th cent.)
Wolfenbüttel, Universitätsbibliothek Helmstedt, 497 (11th cent.) ~ IMAGES
Würzburg, Universitätsbibliothek, M.p.th.f. 78, fols. 35r–35v (8th cent.)
Fabricius, Johann Albert. Codex Apocryphus Novi Testamenti. 2 vols. 2nd ed. Hamburg: Schiller, 1719 (a reprint of Lazius’s edition via Lefèvre in vol. 2, pp. 736–42).
Giles, J. A. Codex Apocryphus Novi Testamenti: The Uncanonical Gospels and Other Writings. 2 vols. London: D. Nutt, 1852 (reproduction of Fabricius, vol. 1, pp. 453–56).
Lazius, Wolfgang. Abdiae Babyloniae episcopi et apostolorum discipuli de historia certaminis apostolici libri decem. Bale, 1552 (Repr. Paris: Guillard & Belot, 1566; reprint by Jean Lefèvre in 1560) (based on ONB 455 and 534 but with some editorial glosses at the beginning of the texts, pp. 122r–123v).
Nausea, Friedrich. Anonymi Pilalethi Eusebiani in vitas, miracula passionesque apostolorum rhapsodiae. Cologne: Peter Quentel, 1531 (edition based on unidentified source, fol. 59).
3.2 Modern Translations
3.2.1 English
Atkinson, Robert, ed. and trans. The Passions and the Homilies from Leabhar Breac. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy, 1887 (translation of the Irish text from Leabhar Breac, pp. 356–58).
3.2.2 French
L’Histoire apostolique d’Abdias, premier évêque de Babylon institué par les apostres, tournie d’hebreu en grec par Eutrope, puis en latin par Jule Africain . . . et nouvellement traduite en nostre vulgaire. Paris: G. Guillard, 1564. Second ed. Lyon: B. Rigaud, 1582 (translation of the edition by Lazius, pp. 142r–144r).
Alibert, Dominique, Gisèle Besson, Michèle Brossard-Dandré, and Simon Claude Mimouni. “Passion de Philippe.” Pages 763–70 in volume 2 of Écrits apocryphes chrétiens. Edited by Pierre Geoltrain and Jean-Daniel Kaestli. Bibliothèque de la Pléiade 516. Paris: Gallimard, 2005 (French translation based on Wolfenbüttel 48, Angers 281, Dublin 737 and Paris lat. 12604).
Migne, Jacques-Paul. Dictionnaire des Apocryphes. 2 vols. 1856. Repr., Turnhout: Brepols, 1989 (translation of the edition by Fabricius, vol. 2, cols. 687–90).
3.3.3 German
Borberg, Karl Friedrich. Bibliothek der neutestamentlichen Apokryphen, gesammelt, übersetzt, und erläutert. Stuttgart: Literatur-Comptoir, 1841 (translation of the edition by Fabricius, vol. 1, pp. 717–21).
3.3.4 Italian
Erbetta, Mario. Gli apocrifi del Nuovo Testamento. 3 vols. Italy: Marietti, 1975–1981 (translation of the edition by Fabricius, vol. 2, pp. 488–90).
Moraldi, Luigi. Apocrifi del Nuovo Testamento. 2 vols. Classici delle religioni, Sezione quarta, La religione cattolica 24. Turin: Unione Tipografico-Editrice Torinese, 1971 (translation of the edition by Fabricius, vol. 2, pp. 1604–6).
3.3 General Works
See also works on the Apostolic Histories collection.
Bovon, François. “Les Actes de Philippe.” ANRW II.25.6 (1988): 4431–527 (see pp. 4437–38).
Lipsius, Richard A. Die apokryphen Apostelgeschichten und Apostellegenden. 2 vols. in 3 parts. Braunschweig, 1883–1890 (see vol. 1, pp. 146–47 and 178, vol. 2, pp. 50–53).
McDowell, Sean. The Fate of the Apostles: Examining the Martyrdom Accounts of the Closest Followers of Jesus. Abingdon: Ashgate, 2008. Repr. London and New York: Routledge, 2015 (pp. 193–209).