Images: Bovon, “From Vermont to Cyprus,” pls. i–viii (full image reproduced HERE)
Clavis number: ECMA 123
Other descriptors: none
Location: Arsos (Cyprus)
Object number: none
Category: icons
Related literature: Acts of Philip
Featured characters and locations: Ananias (high priest), Aristarchus, Bartholomew (apostle), Candacea, Charitine, Hierapolis, Ireos, Jesus Christ, Mariamne (sister of Philip), Philip (apostle), Stachys, Theophilus (son of Nereus).
1. DESCRIPTION
The following information is drawn from Bovon, “From Vermont to Cyprus.”
Material: oil on wood
Size: 150 × 108 cm; central image 118 × 77 cm
Images: central image of Philip identified by Greek inscription. Vignettes in clockwise order from top left (content of inscription given if legible/extant):
1. Call of the apostle (John 1:43). Pictured: Philip and Jesus between two mountains. Inscription: “Follow me!”
2. Resurrection of the son of the widow (act 1). Pictured: Philip, Mariamne, and Bartholomew, two animals (leopard and goat); son lying down; mother prostrate. Inscription: “The saint resuscitating the dead.”
3. Sailing to country of the Candaceans (act 3). Pictured: Philip, Mariamne, and Bartholomew, with sea captain and two sailors. Inscription: “The saint saves the boat.”
4. Baptism of Charitine and her family (act 4). Pictured: Philip, Mariamne, and Bartholomew, two animals; two naked women, one naked man with beard.
5. Healing of Charitine (act 4). Pictured: Philip, Mariamne, and Bartholomew, two animals; Philip touching woman’s face. Inscription: “The saint heals the face of the woman afflicted with leprosy.”
6. Healing of the hand of Aristarchus (act 6). Pictured: Philip, Mariamne, and Bartholomew, two animals; Philip touching Aristarchus’s face. Inscription: “The saint heals the hand of Aristarchos.”
7. Freeing of slaves or collective exorcism (act 6). Pictured: Philip, Mariamne, and Bartholomew, two animals; six naked men and women. Inscription: unclear
8. Confrontation with the Jews (act 6). Pictured: Philip, Mariamne, and Bartholomew; three figures sitting; one figure with rod/whip. Inscription: unclear.
9. Philip in dialogue with Ireos (act 5). Pictured: Philip, Mariamne, and Bartholomew, two animals; Ireos sitting.
10. Philip, Mariamne and Bartholomew in a building (dispensary? prison?) (act 13). Inscription: unclear.
11. Resurrection of Nerus’s son (Theophilus) (act 6). Pictured: Philip, Mariamne, and Bartholomew, two animals; Philip reaching out to Theophilus lying. Inscription: “The saint resuscitating the dead (man).”
12. Battle with Ananias (act 2). Pictured: Philip, Mariamne, and Bartholomew, two animals (leopard and goat); Philip motions toward Ananias who is sinking into the ground; three figures look on. “The saint sending the the high priest alive into Hades.”
13. Entry of Philip and Bartholomew into the City of the Viper (13). Pictured: Philip, Mariamne, and Bartholomew, two animals (leopard and goat). Inscription: “The saints enter into Hierapolis.”
14. Healing of Stachys (14). Pictured: Philip, Mariamne, and Bartholomew, two animals (leopard and goat). Philip touches face of Stachys; a woman looks on. Inscription: partially erased.
15. Philip, Mariamne, and Bartholomew in prison (14). Inscription: “The saints seated [. . .] in prison.”
16. Torture of Philip (Mart. 19). Pictured: Bartholomew, hanging upside down and naked; Mariamne looks on; two figures watch. two animals (leopard and goat);
17. Upside-down crucifixion of Bartholomew (Mart. 19)
18. Philip in state with Mariamne and Bartholomew (Mart. 37). Inscription: “The last care given to the saint.”
Date: 13th cent. (central image); 14th cent. (vignettes)
Provenance: likely created on Cyprus
2. RELATION TO APOCRYPHAL LITERATURE
The Acts of Philip documents the travels of Philip, his sister Mariamne, and Bartholomew in Greece, Phrygia, and Syria. In the fifteenth act, they reach Hierapolis, where Philip is martyred and buried.
In Acts Phil., Mariamne, Bartholomew, and the two animals do not appear until act 8, though they are depicted throughout the scenes on the icon. Notably absent are depictions of acts 2, 8, 9, 11, and 12.
3. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bovon, François. “From Vermont to Cyprus: A New Witness of the Acts of Philip.” Apocrypha 20 (2009): 9–27.
Eliades, Ioannes A. “Η προσκυνηματική εικόνα του αγίου Φιλίππου στο Άρσος Λεμεσού.” Ορθόδοξη Μαρτυρία 74 (2004): 9–12.
Ioakeim, E., with Christodoulos Chatzichristodoulou. Άρσος, υπὸ την σκέπη του Αποστόλου Φιλίππου. Leukosia, 2004 (pp. 282–88).
Papamastorakis, Titos. “Pictorial Lives. Narrative in Thirteenth-century Vita Icons.” ΜΟΥΣΕΙΟ ΜΠΕΝΑΚΗ 7 (2007): 33–65.
4. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
“Church of Apostle Philip.” All about Limassol.
“Church Apostolou Philippou.” Arsos Village.
Entry created by Tony Burke, York University, 12 December 2022.