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[German version] In modern parlance hagiography denotes all the literature covering Christian veneration of  saints, as well as the scientific, philological-historical research into related issues. The origins and development of hagiography reflect changes in the early Church's conception of sainthood, in so far as saints (ἅγιοι/ hágioi; Lat. sancti) are no longer regarded as being, as in the NT, the community of Christians but, instead, distinguished individuals, who in their life and death are exemplary representatives of the fundamental te…

[German version] I. Greco-Roman Attempts were made to reconstruct the ancient type of the ‘holy man’ (ἱερὸς ἄνθρωπος/ hieròs ánthrōpos and θεῖος ἀνήρ/ theîos anḗr) or miracle-worker, primarily on the basis of satirical works by Lucianus of Samosata (especially in his ‘Alexander, ‘Peregrinus, and ‘Philopseudes), as well as Philostratus [5]'s vita of Apollonius [14] of Tyana (most recently [1]). The terms most often used by the aforementioned authors for designating miracle-workers and their deeds are forms derived from τέρας (téras; ‘omen, ‘freak, ‘monst…