Text
Leo Allatius, De Graecorum Hodie Quorundam Opiniationibus 133-135:
In the time of the Consulate of King Laurentius there lived in Ausitis or Arabia a woman called Melitena, who had seven children. They had all been snatched away by the accursed Geloo. When she found herself again with child, and the time of the birth had approached, she built a tower, and fortified it from within and from without, she stored up in it food for five and twenty years (?), and she took two handmaids with her and shut herself up in that tower. The brothers of Melitena, the saints of the Lord Sisynnios and Sisynodoros, were then warring in Numeria, that is, Arabia.
It so happened once, that becoming separated from their army they came to the tower in order to see their sister. When they came to the entrance, they asked with a loud voice for the gates to be opened, but Melitena refused to open the gates, saying: ‘I cannot open the gates to you, as I have given birth to a child and I am frightened, I will therefore not open.’ They replied and said: ‘Open unto us, for we are the angels of the Lord and we carry the mysteries of the Lord.’ She opened the door and the saints of the Lord entered. At the same time the Evil Spirit changed itself into a clod of earth, and fastened itself inside the hoof of one of the horses, and thus entered with them. In the middle of the night it stole the child. Melitena wept bitterly and said: ‘O you Sisynne and you Sisynodore, what have you done unto me? For this very reason did I not like to open the door.’ The saints, lifting their hands to heaven, cried and prayed that power be granted to them over that evil demon. When they had prayed for a while, the Lord sent his angel who said unto them: ‘The Lord has heard your prayer, and has granted you power over that accursed demon.’
They went out of the tower, saddled their horses, and flying as on wings, they searched and looked into every corner and nook of the Liban. … They then found the accursed one at the seashore, and said unto her: ‘The Lord commands you through us to stay.’ As soon as she beheld the saints, she ran swiftly to the sea, but they overtook her and laid hands on her. The accursed one said: ‘O Sisynne and you Sisynodore, why do you pursue me?’ And the holy Sisynnios replied: ‘Give us back the seven children of Melitena and we will no further molest you.’ … She at once brought up the seven children of Melitena, and said, ‘You saints of the Lord, I pray of you that you no further molest me, and I promise that wherever this amulet (phylakterium) be found I will not go, and wherever this will be read I will not enter, but run away a distance of sixty miles. Whoever will write down my twelve names, his house will I not hurt, nor will I enter his abode, nor harm his cattle, nor have power over his household.’ The holy Sisynnios then adjured her, saying: ‘I adjure you by the name of the Lord.’ (all saints are invoked).
Source (list of abbreviations)
Leo Allatius, De Graecorum Hodie Quorundam Opiniationibus 133-135
Bibliography
| Gaster 1925-1928, 1022-1024 | Gaster, Moses. Studies and Texts in Folklore, Magic, Medieval Romance, Hebrew Apocrypha and Samaritan Archaeology. 3 Vols. London: Maggs 1925-1928. |
Amar Annus
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