Profezie, visioni e molteplicità testuale nella letteratura copta: l'encomio "Sui quarantanove martiri di Sceti"

The encomium “On the Forty-Nine Martyrs of Scetis” is a composite work of which author and date of composition are unknown. The aim of this contribution is to provide a detailed analysis of the sections that make up the work, pointing out some inconsistencies and reasoning on the motivations underlying the choice to include independent episodes that the author/compiler of the encomium tried to juxtapose by means of the link – at times rather tenuous – with the forty-nine martyrs of Scetis. At the same time, a hypothesis for the dating of the composition of the work will be provided and the textual passages most directly connected to the theme of the volume (those, therefore, concerning prophecies and visions) will be highlighted, also showing how the position of certain textual sections is inappropriate for the purpose of giving continuity and coherence to the work. Finally, one of the most frequent proleptic structures in the Coptic language will be briefly illustrated.