Acta Andreae et Matthiae apud Anthropophagos
Encyclopedia
Acta Andreae et Matthiae apud Anthropophagos ("The Acts of Andrew and Matthias among the Anthropophagi
") which exists in several Latin
manuscript traditions, is the dramatic romance
featuring the Apostles Andrew
and Matthias
among the cannibals, a thriller featuring gory details that was written for a Christian audience in the 2nd century CE. Constantin von Tischendorf
published an edited text following Johann Karl Thilo
, 1846.
Acta Andreae et Matthiae in urbe anthropophagarum, according to Richard Adelbert Lipsius
, belonged to the middle of the 2nd century. This apocryphal text relates that Matthias went among the cannibals and, being cast into prison, was delivered by Andrew. The narrative is considered to be a Romance
and is understood to have no historical value. Heinz Hofmann classes it "secondary apocrypha", that is, one derived from apocryphal sources; the ghoulish man-eaters remind Hofmann of the killing of Socrates by the witch Meroë in Apuleius
' Metamorphoses, better known as The Golden Ass Among the Latin texts of the Acta Andreae et Mattiae, F. Blatt notes how the mss in Codex Casanatensis particularly expands upon the horror to describe the instruments and vessels the cannibals use for the slaughter.
Anthropophagi
An anthropophage or anthropophagus was a member of a mythical race of cannibals described first by Herodotus in his Histories as androphagi , and later by other authors, including the playwright William Shakespeare...
") which exists in several Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
manuscript traditions, is the dramatic romance
Romance (genre)
As a literary genre of high culture, romance or chivalric romance is a style of heroic prose and verse narrative that was popular in the aristocratic circles of High Medieval and Early Modern Europe. They were fantastic stories about marvel-filled adventures, often of a knight errant portrayed as...
featuring the Apostles Andrew
Andrew
Andrew is the English form of a given name and surname common in many countries. Alternatives include André, Andrey, Andrei, Andrej, András, Andrés, Andreas, Andreu, Anders and Endrew. ‘Andrew’ is a common name in English-speaking countries. In the 1990s it was among the top ten most popular names...
and Matthias
Matthias
Matthias is a name derived from the Greek Ματθιας, in origin similar to Matthew.See also: -People with the given name Matthias:Notable people named Matthias include the following:In nobility:* Matthias Corvinus of Hungary, King of Hungary...
among the cannibals, a thriller featuring gory details that was written for a Christian audience in the 2nd century CE. Constantin von Tischendorf
Constantin von Tischendorf
Lobegott Friedrich Constantin Tischendorf was a noted German Biblical scholar. He deciphered the Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus, a 5th century Greek manuscript of the New Testament, in the 1840s, and rediscovered the Codex Sinaiticus, a 4th century New Testament manuscript, in 1859.Tischendorf...
published an edited text following Johann Karl Thilo
Johann Karl Thilo
Johann Karl Thilo was a German theologian and biblical scholar.He studied theology at the University of Leipzig and a final semester at the University of Halle, where he was appointed to teach at the preparatory Paedagogium of the Francke institutions, and assisted his father-in-law, Georg...
, 1846.
Acta Andreae et Matthiae in urbe anthropophagarum, according to Richard Adelbert Lipsius
Richard Adelbert Lipsius
Richard Adelbert Lipsius was a distinguished German theologian.Lipsius was a professor in succession at Vienna, Kiel, and Jena. He wrote on dogmatics, the philosophy of religion, and New Testament criticism, particularly the apocryphal acts of various apostles in his Apocrypha, Acts and Legends of...
, belonged to the middle of the 2nd century. This apocryphal text relates that Matthias went among the cannibals and, being cast into prison, was delivered by Andrew. The narrative is considered to be a Romance
Romance (genre)
As a literary genre of high culture, romance or chivalric romance is a style of heroic prose and verse narrative that was popular in the aristocratic circles of High Medieval and Early Modern Europe. They were fantastic stories about marvel-filled adventures, often of a knight errant portrayed as...
and is understood to have no historical value. Heinz Hofmann classes it "secondary apocrypha", that is, one derived from apocryphal sources; the ghoulish man-eaters remind Hofmann of the killing of Socrates by the witch Meroë in Apuleius
Apuleius
Apuleius was a Latin prose writer. He was a Berber, from Madaurus . He studied Platonist philosophy in Athens; travelled to Italy, Asia Minor and Egypt; and was an initiate in several cults or mysteries. The most famous incident in his life was when he was accused of using magic to gain the...
' Metamorphoses, better known as The Golden Ass Among the Latin texts of the Acta Andreae et Mattiae, F. Blatt notes how the mss in Codex Casanatensis particularly expands upon the horror to describe the instruments and vessels the cannibals use for the slaughter.