The Lois Drewer Calendar of Saints
in Byzantine Manuscripts and Frescoes

Calendar of Saints and Feasts for February 5

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Agatha of Catania.

Virgin. Martyred at Catania in Sicily under Decius.

Synax.CP, Feb. 5, par. 1 (col. 445).

BHG 36-38b; BiblSS I 320-35; Holweck 29; LCI V 44-8; ODCC 23-4; ODS 5-6.

Moscow, gr. 183, p. 14. 1) Torture, breasts cut off. Agatha, wearing loin cloth, is bound to a post with suppedaneum. A torturer cuts off one breast with a semicircular blade. Another torturer applies a lighted torch to the wound left by the removal of the other breast, which has fallen to the ground. Name inscribed. Damaged. 2) In prison. Death. Agatha, seated in a courtyard, head bowed. Name inscribed. (Tréneff, Ménologe grec, p. 7, fig. 5).

Oxford, Bodleian Library, Gr. th. f. 1, fol. 27v. Agatha''s name is inscribed on the frame of the miniature, but she is not represented. (Hutter, II, p. 16, fig. 50).

Vatican, gr. 1613, p. 373. 1) Torture, breasts cut off. Agatha, wearing loin cloth, is bound to a post with suppedaneum. A torturer cuts off one breast with a semicircular blade. Another torturer applies a lighted torch to the wound left by the removal of the other breast, which has fallen to the ground. 2) In prison. Death. Agatha, seated at a window, head bowed, lifts a fold of drapery to her face. (Menologio, I, pp. 101-2, II, fig. p. 373).

Cozia. Narthex, west wall. Torture, breasts cut off. Nun. Agatha is seated on the ground. A torturer cuts off one of her breasts with a knife. (Mijović, Menolog, p. 356, fig. 62, pl. 242).

Dečani. Narthex, south aisle, south wall. Feb. 3. Agatha?¹⁷ Nun. Half-figure. (Babić et al, Dečani, no. 155, fig. T VIII 17a; Mijović, Menolog, p. 333, fig. 43; Petković, Dečani, p. 15, pl. LXXVII.1).

Staro Nagoričino. Narthex, center aisle, south wall. Nun, holding cross. Half-figure. (Mijović, Menolog, p. 274, fig. 7, pl. 67).

¹⁷ Mijović, Menolog, suggests Feb. 5 for this figure. Babić et al, Dečani, no. 155, suggest Agatha or, possibly, Anna the Prophetess.

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Abraham the Persian.
Abraham of Arbela.

Bishop of Arbela in Persia. Martyred under Shapur II.

Synax.CP, Feb. 5, par. 2 (col. 445); Feb. 4, Syn. selecta (cols. 443-4).

BHG 10-11; BiblSS I 112-3; Fedalto 939; Holweck 5; LCI V 9.

Moscow, gr. 183, p. 10. Feb. 3. Bishop. Martyrdom, beheading. Building. (Tréneff, Ménologe grec, p. 7, fig. 3, color pl. III).

Vatican, gr. 1613, p. 372. Feb. 4. Martyrdom, beheading. Abraham does not wear an omophorion. Building. (Menologio, I, p. 101, II, fig. p. 372).

Dečani. Narthex, south aisle, south wall. Abraham?¹⁸ Bishop, wearing polystavrion, holding scroll. Half-figure. Inscription destroyed. (Babić et al, Dečani, no. 157, fig. T VIII 18a).

Staro Nagoričino. Narthex, center aisle, south wall, soffit. Holding cross. Half-figure. (Mijović, Menolog, p. 274, fig. 15).

¹⁸ Identification suggested by Babić et al, Dečani. Mijović, Menolog, p. 333, identifies this figure as Isidore of Pelusium; cf. Feb. 4 (1).

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Polyeuctus the Younger.
Polyeuctus of Constantinople.

Monk. Patriarch of Constantinople, 956-970.

Synax.CP, Feb. 5, par. 5 (col. 446).

BiblSS X 995-6; Fedalto 6; Holweck 823; Nicol 107-8; ODB 1696.

Staro Nagoričino. Narthex, center aisle, south wall. Monk, holding closed scroll. Three-quarter figure. (Mijović, Menolog, p. 274, fig. 7, pl. 68).

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