Доклады Международного конгресса ИИСАА. Т. 1

II. Middle East, Caucasus and Central Asia / Ближний Восток, Кавказ и Центральная Азия Доклады Международного конгресса по источниковедению и историографии стран Азии и Африки. Т. 1. 2020 105 Ключевые слова: Мученичество святого Ареты; мореплавание в Крас- ном море и Индийском океане; военно-морской флот Эфиопии; св. Евлалия, св. Валерий, св. Викентий; позднеримская торговля с Индией; Византия; Южная Аравия; химьяриты. I . The Martyrdom of Saint Arethas and his Companions (Greek version) 1 The Martyrdom of Saint Arethas and his Companions has been exhaustively discussed by several historians, especially by Marina Detoraki 2 and Christian Julien Robin 3 who has reviewed it in connection with the whole background of the historical events. In the present study, the author attempts to trace any evidence concerning navi- gation in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean as reflected in the above hagiographical work. There is little doubt that hagiography, which belongs to the realm of Christian edification, abounds with numerous spurious passages, miraculous events and other material. However, according to the present author’s view, the incidental historical information should not be lightly dismissed since it can illuminate historical details omitted in the solid information provided by archaeology and epigraphy. 4 Such valu- able supplementary historical information can be discerned in The Martyrdom of Saint 1 Any discussion concerning the original version of The Martyrdom of Saint Arethas and his Companions is beyond the scope of the present article. 2 Detoraki Marina (ed.). Le Martyre de Saint Aréthas et de ses compagnons (BHG 166). Trans. Beaucamp Joëlle. Centre de Recherche d’Histoire et Civilisation de Byzance, Monogra- phies 27. Paris, 2007. See also Detoraki M. Un hagiographe à l’oeuvre: Le Martyre d’Aréthas et ses sources// Beaucamp Joëlle, Briquel-Chatonnet Françoise, Robin Julien Robin (eds.). Juifs et chrétiens en Arabie aux V e et VI e siècles: regards croisés sur les sources. (Centre de recherche d’Histoire et Civilisation de Byzance. Monographies 32. Le massacre de Najrân II). Paris, 2010. P. 177–190. 3 Robin Ch. J. Nagrān vers l’époque du massacre: Notes sur l’histoire politique, écono- mique et institutionnelle et sur l’introduction du Christianisme (avec un réexamen du Martyr d’Azqīr) // Beaucamp J., Briquel-Chatonnet F., Robin Ch. J. (eds.). Juifs et Chrétiens enArabie aux V e et VI e siècles: regards croisés sur les sources. Paris, 2010. P. 39–100. 4 Needless to say, archaeology and epigraphy remain the main indispensable sources in the service of History. For an extensive discussion of the hagiographical works as a his- torical source, see Christides V. The Image of Pre-Islamic Arab in the Byzantine Sources. PhD Dissertation. Princeton, 1970. P. 47–101. See also Pratsch T. Der hagiographische Topos. Griechische Heiligenviten in mittelbyzantinischer Zeit (Millennium — Studien 6). Berlin — New York, 2005; Odorico P., Agapitos P. A. (eds.). Les Vies des saints à Byzance: genre littéraire ou biographie historique? Actes du IIe colloque international “Hermēneia”, Paris, 6–8 juin 2002. (Dossiers Byzantines-4). Paris, 2004. In the proceedings of the above conference there is no mention of the important Byzantine source of The Martyrdom of Saint Arethas and his Companions.