Acta Thomae, Acta Thomae, ed. Maximilian Bonnet, 111

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[111] Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ὡς πρεσβευτὴς κατεσφραγίσατο διὰ τοὺς πονηροὺς τοὺς Βαβυλωνίους παῖδας καὶ δαίμονας τυραννικοὺς Λαβυρίνθους. ἐγὼ δὲ πρὸς τὴν ταύτης φωνήν τε καὶ αἴσθησιν ἐξ ὕπνου ἀνερμησάμην, ἀναλαβὼν δὲ καὶ καταφιλήπτρῳ σας ἀνεγίνωσκον. ἐγέγραπτο δὲ περὶ ἐκείνου τοῦ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου ἀναγεγραμμένου· καὶ ὑπεμνήσθην παραχρῆμα ὅτι βασιλέων εἰμὶ υἱὸς καὶ ἡ ἐλευθερία μου τὸ γένος μου ἐπιζητεῖ. ὑπεμνήσθην δὲ καὶ τοῦ μαργαρίτου ἐφ᾽ ὃν κατεπέμφθην εἰς Αἴγυπτον· ἠρχόμην δὲ ἐφ᾽ ἅρμασιν ἐπὶ τὸν δράκοντα τὸν φοβερόν, καὶ κατεπόνεσα τοῦτον ἐπονομάσας τὸ τοῦ πατρός μου ὄνομα. ἁρπάσας δὲ τὸν μαργαρίτην ἀπέστρεφον πρὸς τοὺς ἐμοὺς ἀποκομίσας πατέρας. καὶ ἀποδυσάμενος τὸ ῥυπαρὸν ἔνδυμα ἐν τῇ αὐτῶν κατέλειψα χώρᾳ, ηὔθυνον δὲ αὐτὸ καὶ τὴν ὁδὸν πρὸς τὸ φῶς τῆς κατὰ ἀνατολὴν πατρίδος καὶ εὗρον καθ᾽ ὁδὸν διαιροῦσάν με· αὐτὴ δέ, ὥσπερ φωνῇ χρησαμένηἀνέστησεν ὑπνωθέντα με, καὶ ὡδήγησέν με τῷ παρ᾽ αὐτῆς φωτί. ἔστιν γὰρ ὅτε ἡ ἀπὸ σηρικῶν ἐσθὴς βασιλικὴ πρὸ τῶν ἐμῶν ὀφθαλμῶν. ἀγούσης δέ με καὶ ἑλκούσης τῆς στοργῆς τὴν Βαβύρινθον παρῆλθον· καὶ καταλείψας ἐπ᾽ ἀριστερὰ τὴν Βαβυλῶνα εἰς τὴν Μέσον ἀφικόμην τὴν μεγάλην οὖσαν παραλίαν.

Acta Thomae. Acta Thomae. ed. Maximilian Bonnet. Leipzig. 1903.

Funding provided by University of Virginia; Center for Hellenic Studies.

Current edition First1KGreek

Πράξεις τοῦ ἁγίου ἀποστόλου Θωμᾶ (Greek) (Acta Philippi et Acta Thomae accedunt Acta Barnabae. Bonnet, Maximilian, editor. Leipzig: Hermannus Mendelssohn, 1903.)

Translations (1)

Acts of Thomas First1KGreek (Acts of Thomas. The Apocryphal New Testament, being the Apocryphal Gospels, Acts, Epistles, and Apocalypses. James, Montague Rhodes, translator. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1924.) — 111 focus

[111]

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‹And my letter was a letter›

and the King [as ambassador] sealed it ‹with his right hand›

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because of the evil ones, even the children of the Babylonians and the tyrannous demons of Labyrinthus ¹

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‹It flew like the eagle, the king of all fowls.

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It flew and lighted down by me, and became all speech.›

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And I at the voice of it and the feeling of it started up out of sleep,

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and I took it up and kissed it ‹and brake the seal› and read it.

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And it was written concerning that which was recorded in mine heart.

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And I remembered forthwith that I was a son of kings, and my freedom yearned (sought) after its kind.

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I remembered also the pearl for the which I was sent down into Egypt,

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and I began (or came) with charms against the terrible serpent,

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and I overcame him (or put him to sleep) by naming the name of my Father upon him,

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‹and the name of our second in rank, and of my mother the queen of the East›.

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And I caught away the pearl and turned back to bear it unto my fathers.

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And I stripped off the filthy garment and left it in their land,

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and directed my way forthwith to the light of my fatherland in the East.

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And on the way I found my letter that had awakened me,

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and it, like as it had taken a voice and raised me when I slept, so also guided me with the light that came from it.

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For at times the royal garment of silk ‹shone› before mine eyes,

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‹and with its voice and its guidance it also encouraged me to speed,›

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and with love leading me and drawing me onward,

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I passed by Labyrinthus (Sarbug), and I left Babylon upon my left hand,

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and I came unto Meson (Mesene; Maishan) the great,

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that lieth on the shore of the sea,

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‹and my bright robe which I had taken off, and the mantle wherewith I had been clad,

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from the heights of Warkan (Hyrcania?) had my parents sent thither

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by the hand of their treasurers, unto whom they committed it because of their faithfulness›.

Acta Thomae Acta Thomae 111

ed. Maximilian Bonnet

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Current edition First1KGreek

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