Marutha of Maiperkat

Marutha (or Maruta or Maruthas) was the 5th century bishop of Maiperkat, and a friend of St. John Chrysostom. He died sometime before 420. His feast day is the 4th December, which is honoured by the Latins, Greeks, Copts, and Syrians.

He brought into his episcopal city the relics of so many martyrs that it received the name Martyropolis. In the interests of the Church of Persia, which had suffered much in the persecution of Sapor II, he came to Constantinople, but found Emperor Arcadius too busily engaged in the affairs of St. John Chrysostom.

Later Marutha was sent by Theodosius II to the Court of Persia, and here, in spite of the jealousy and intrigues of the Magi, he won the esteem of King Yezdigerd by his affability, saintly life, and, as is claimed, by his knowledge of medicine. He was present at the general Council of Constantinople in 381 and at a Council of Antioch in 383 (or 390), at which the Messalians were condemned. For the benefit of the Persian Church he is said to have held two synods at Ctesiphon.

He must not be confounded with Maruthas (Maruta), Monophysite Bishop of Tagrit (d. 649).

Works

His writings include:

(1) "Acts of the Persian Martyrs", found partly in Assemani, "Acta SS. mart. orient. et occident.", I (Rome, 1748), and more completely in Bedjan, ibid, II (Paris, 1891), 37-396. W. Wright's English translation was printed in "Journal of Sacred Literature" (Oct., 1865-Jan., 1866). Zingerle published it in German (Innsbruck, 1836). A school edition was made by Leitzmann, "Die drei altesten Martyrologien" (Bonn, 1903). See Achelis, "Die Martyrologien" (Berlin, 1900), 30-71.

(2) "History of the Council of Nicaea", on which see Braun in "Kirchengeschichtliche Studien", IV, 3, and Harnack's "Ketzerkatalog des Bischofs Maruta" in "Texte u. Untersuchungen", XIX, 1, b.

(3) "Acts of the Council of Seleucia-Ctesiphon", edited in Syriac and Latin by Lamy (Louvain, 1869), on which see Hefele, "Conciliengeschichte", II, 102.

He also wrote hymns on the Holy Eucharist, on the Cross, and on saints.

Bibliography

• St. Maruta, Bishop of Maipherkat, 5th cent

"De sancta Nicaena synodo : syrische Texte des Maruta von Maipherkat / nach einer Handschrift der Propaganda zu Rom übersetzt von Oscar Braun." Series: Kirchengeschichtliche Studien ; Bd. 4, Heft 3. Publisher: Münster i.W. : H. Schöningh, (1898) 128pp.

• [Saddewata de-sahde kadishe madnehaye we-marebaye]. = Acta sanctorum martyrum Orientalium et Occidentalium in duas partes distributa / adcedunt Acta S. Simeonis Stylitae omnia nunc primum sub auspiciis Johannis V. ... e Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana prodeunt Stephanus Evodius Assemanus ... Chaldaicum textum recensuit, notis vocalibus animavit, Latine vertit, admonitionibus, perpetuisque adnotationibus illustravit. Publisher: Romae : Typis Josephi Collini., (1748). 2 vols, folio. Syriac text and Latin translation.

Other works attributed to him are in fact by Marutha of Tagrit.