Philipp Pilhofer: The interconnection of space and time in the Martyrdom of Konon from Bidana (BHG 2077)

The Martyrdom of Konon from Bidana in Isauria is a late antique text, which probably would have been classified by Delehaye as one of the passions épiques. Due to a very meager transmission, it is often believed to be preserved in Old Church Slavonic only. But there is one Greek manuscript in the Vaticana that contains this passion. From epigraphical and other sources we know that Konon was the most venerated saint of his home region, even before the well-known Thekla.The author of the text in discussion utilises various techniques to present Konon as the main missionary of the region, who drew away the pagan gods and demons, who pacified the disputes of the local population and brought prosperity.One of his key techniques is to link Konon's doings to various locations in the area, each of them constituting a node in what becomes a spatial network of Konon's deeds. Going even further, this topography of the (new) sacred is interconnected with the time of the reader tightly. By doing so the author is creating a chronotopos of Konon's reminiscence. In this way, the author tries to constitute Konon as the Apostle of Isauria, presenting him as continuously caring for his Christian flock and also enabling his Christian admirers to venerate him in their home region.