THOSE FORCED TO SUFFER WITHOUT EXPRESSING PAIN IN THE APOCALYPSE OF PETER (THE AKHMÎM GREEK FRAGMENT)

Abstract

The paper delves into the Apocalypse of Peter, a pseudepigraphic Christian document dating back to the first half of the second century AD. Employing narrative criticism as a reading lens, the paper examines how this apocalyptic text portrays the gestural and verbal reactions of those subjected to punishment at the place of torment. The Greek fragment of Akhmim, a fragmentary version of the Apocalypse of Peter, serves as the textual basis for the study. Since the study’s focus is literary rather than historical, its objective is to unravel the reason behind the omission of verbal expressions of pain by the wicked individuals undergoing punishment. The paper proposes that this omission is a rhetorical device employed by the narrator of the apocalyptic tale, aiming to evoke a shift in the reader’s ethical stance. By presenting the terror of suffering, the narrator seeks to deter the reader from straying down the wrong path.