Breviarium apostolorum
Standard abbreviation: Brev. apost.
Other titles: none
Clavis numbers: ECCA 914
Category: Lists of Apostles and Disciples
Related literature: various apocryphal acts
Compiled by: Tony Burke, York University
Citing this resource (using Chicago Manual of Style): Burke, Tony. “Breviary of the Apostles (Breviarum apostolorum).” e-Clavis: Christian Apocrypha. Accessed DAY MONTH YEAR. https://www.nasscal.com/e-clavis-christian-apocrypha/breviary-of-the-apostles-breviarum-apostolorum/.
Created January 2022. Current as of January 2024.
1. TRANSLATION
The text is here provided in full from Calder and Allen 1976 (see full reference below).
Simon, which in Hebrew means “the obedient,” surnamed Peter, was the son of John and the brother of Andrew; he is said to have been born in the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee. Because of Simon Magus, although it was God’s hidden will, Peter came to Rome. He preached the Gospel there and was pontiff of the city for twenty-five years. But in the thirty-sixth year after our Lord’s Passion, under the Emperor Nero, he was crucified, as he himself wished. His feast is celebrated on the 29th of June.
Paul, which means “the devout,” was born in the tribe of Benjamin and was the apostle to the Gentiles. He was baptized in the second year after the Lord’s Ascension, and was beheaded under Nero on the same day as Peter and buried in Rome.
Andrew, which means “manly or handsome,” was Peter’s brother. He preached in Scythia and Achaea and was crucified and died in the city of Patras on the 30th of November.
James, which means “the supplanter,” was the son of Zebedee and brother of John. He preached in Spain and the west and was executed by the sword under Herod. He was buried in Achaea Marmarica on the 24th of November.
John, which means “the grace of God,” was an apostle and an evangelist, the son of Zebedee, the brother of James and the Lord’s beloved. He preached in Asia and was buried in Ephesus on the 27th of December; but another of his feasts is the 24th of June, when the feast of Saint John the Baptist is also celebrated.
Thomas, which means “the abyss,” was called Didymus, that is “similar to Christ.” He preached to the Parthians and Medes; he then left for the eastern shore and preached the Gospel there. He died in the east, pierced by a lance, in the Indian city of Calamine and was buried with honor on the 21st of December.
Philip, which means “the mouth of the lamp,” was born in the town of Bethsaida where Peter was also born. He preached Christ to the Gauls. Then he was crucified and stoned in the province of Phrygia, where he rests with his daughters. His feast is celebrated on the 1st of May.
James was the Lord’s brother and the first bishop of Jerusalem. While he was preaching Christ, the Son of God, in Jerusalem, he was hurled down from the temple by the Jews, stoned to death and buried there near the temple. His feast day and ordination are the 27th of December.
The apostle Bartholomew, whose name derives from the Syriac and means “the son of him who holds up the waters,” preached in Lycaonia. Eventually he was flayed alive by barbarians in Albanopolis, a city in Armenia Major, and beheaded at King Astrages’ command. He was buried there on the 25th of August.
Matthew, apostle and evangelist, whose name means “he who has been given,” also received his surname from the tribe of Levi. Christ chose him while he was living as a publican, and he first preached in Judea and afterwards in Macedonia. He suffered in Persia and rests in the Parthian Mountains. The 21st of September.
Simon the Zealot, which means “the zealous,” was first called Cananeus (“blazing with God’s zeal”). He shares his name, Simon, with Peter and is likewise honored. He received the lordship of Egypt and is said to have been the next bishop of Jerusalem, following James the Just. After a hundred and twenty years he was found worthy to receive a martyr’s passion and was crucified under Hadrian. He lies in the Bosphorus, His feast is celebrated on the 28th of October.
Jude, which means “the confessor,” was the brother of James. He preached in Mesopotamia and the interior regions of Pontus. He was buried in Beirut, a city in Armenia. His feast is celebrated on the 28th of October.
Matthias was one of the seventy disciples and he became the substitute for Judas Iscariot among the twelve apostles. He was chosen by lot and is alone in not having a surname. He was assigned to preach the gospel in Judea.
2. RESOURCES
2.1 Web Sites and Other Online Resources
“Martyrologium Hieronymianum.” Wikipedia.
Vukovic, Marijana. “Martyrologium Hieronymianum.” The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity.
3. BIBLIOGRAPHY
3.1 Manuscripts and Editions
3.1.1 Georgian (list of apostles with evangelizing locations)
Mount Athos, Iviron, Geo. 42, fol. 233v (963–969)
Esbroeck, Michel van. “Une liste des apôtres dans le codex géorgien 42 d’Iviron.” AnBoll, 86 (1968): 139–50 (edition and Latin translation, pp. 145–46).
3.1.2 Latin (BHL 652)
Manuscripts utilized by Schermann (Prophetarum vitae fabulosae):
A St. Gallen, Stiftsbibiothek, Cod. Sang. 110, p. 275 (9th cent.) ~ e-codices; Biblissima
B Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, lat. 2316, fol. 120 (10th cent.) ~ Gallica
b Paris, Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève, H. L. 10, fol. 1 (13th cent.)
C Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, lat. 12604, fols. 88v–89r (12th cent.)
D Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, lat. 2543, fol. 91v (13th cent.) ~ Gallica
E Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm. 6382, fol. 41v–42v (9th cent.) ~ Munich; Biblissima
Additional manuscripts listed by de Gaiffier (“Breviarium Apostolorum,” 92–99):
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, lat. 7193, fols. 41–56 (fols. 55r–56v) + Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Reg. lat. 316 (8th cent.) ~ Gallica; DigiVatLib; earliest known copy of the Gelasian Sacramentary; incomplete at end
Barcelona, Archivo General de la Corona de Aragón, Cugat 22, fol. 2v (11th cent.)
Berlin, Deutsche Staatsbibliothek, Phill. 1667, fols. 186v–187v (ca. 800) ~ Berlin
Bern, Burgerbibliothek, 289, fol. 53v (8th cent.) ~ Bern catalog
Brussels, Bibliothèque Royale de Belgique, 15111-28, fol. 2r–3v (10th cent.)
Dublin, Trinity College, 50 (A. 4. 20), fols. 3v–5v (ante 1082) ~ codecs
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, lat. 894, fols. 51v–52r (10th cent.) ~ Gallica
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, lat. 9433, fol. 4 (11th cent.) ~ Gallica
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, lat. 12048, fols. 263–264 (8th cent.) ~ Gallica
Rome, Archivo de San Giovanni in Laterano, A. 78, fols. 168–169 (12th cent.)
St. Gallen, Stiftsbibiothek, Cod. sang. 914, fols. 236–240 (9th cent.) ~ e-codices; Biblissima
St. Gallen, Stiftsbibiothek, Cod. sang. 682, fol. 410 (9th cent.) ~ e-codices
Trier, Bibliothèque municipale, 1245, fols 36v–38r (9th cent.)
Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Pal. lat. 235, fols. 43v–44r (11th cent.) ~ DigiVatLib
Wolfenbüttel, Herzog August Bibliothek Weissenburg, 81, fol. 9v–11v (ante 772) ~ images
Zurich, Zentralbibliothek, Rh. 30, fols. 165r–166v (8th cent.)
Bolland, Jean et al., eds. Acta Sanctorum, Octobris. Vol. 13. Paris: V. Palmé, 1863 (edition by Wilhelm F. Arndt based on Bern 289, pp. ii–iii).
d’Achery, Luc. Spicilegium: Veterum aliquot scriptorum qui in Galliae bibliothecis latuerant. 13 vols. Paris: Carolum Savreaux, 1655–1677. 2nd edition, by Louis-François-Joseph de la Barre. Paris, 1723–1733 (edition based on a St. Gallen manuscript, vol. 13, pp. 388–90; 2nd ed., vol. 2, pp. 25–26).
Fiorentini (Florentius), François-Marie. Vetustius occidentalis Ecclesiae martyrologium. Lucca: H. Pacii, 1668 (description based on Wolfenbüttel 82, p. 92).
Gerbert, Martin. Monumenta veteris liturgiae alemannicae. 4 vols. St. Blasien: Typis San-Blasianis, 1777–1779. (edition based on Zurich Rh. 30, vol. 1, pp. 453–54).
Lowe, Elias Avery. “The Vatican MS of the Gelasian Sacramentary and its Supplement at Paris.” JTS 27 (1926): 357–73 (edition based on Paris, BNF, lat. 7193, pp. 368–69).
Martène, Edmond, and Ursin Durand. Thesaurus novus anecdotorum. 5 vols. Paris: Lutetiae, 1717. (edition based on an unidentified manuscript, vol. 3, p. 1549).
Mohlberg, Leo Cunibert. Liber sacramentorum Romanae aeclesiae ordinis anni circuli (Sacramentarium Gelasianum). Rome: Herder, 1960 (edition based on Paris, BNF, lat. 7193, pp. 260–61).
Schermann, Theodor. Prophetarum vitae fabulosae, indices apostolorum discipulorumque Domini, Dorotheo, Epiphanio, Hippolyto aliisque vindicata. Leipzig: B. G. Teubneri, 1907 (edition based on ABbCDE and the editions of d’Archey, Gerbert and Martène-Durand, pp. lxvi–lxviii; 206–11).
Smedt, Carolus de, et al. “Martyrologium Hieronymianum e codice Trevierensi.” AnBoll 2 (1883): 7–34 (edition based on Trier 1245, pp. 9–10).
3.2 Modern Translations
3.2.1 English
Calder, Daniel G., and Michael J. B. Allen. Sources and Analogues of Old English Poetry: The Major Latin Sources in Translation. Cambridge: D. S. Brewer and Totowa: Rowman and Littlefield, 1976 (based on Mohlberg’s edition, pp. 37–39).
3.3 General Works
Gaiffier, Budouin de. “Le Breviarium Apostolorum. (BHL. 652) Tradition manuscrite et œuvres apparentées.” AnBoll 81.1–2 (1963): 89–116.
Schermann, Theodor. Propheten- und Apostellegenden nebst Jüngerkatalogen des Dorotheus und verwandter Texte. TUGAL 31/3. Leipzig: J. C. Hinrichs, 1907 (esp. pp. 169–72).
Vinogradov, Andrey. “Апостольские списки – «забытая» страница христианской литературы [Apostolic Lists: A “Forgotten” Page of Christian Literature].” Богословские труды 40 (2005): 128–47.