CHAPTER 14 / Phoebe in and around Romans: Te Weight of Marginal Reception Alan H. Cadwallader Phoebe of Cenchreae has been overshadowed in some commentary in recent years by the elevation of the importance of Tertius, the secretary who intrudes himself into the letter at its conclusion (Rom 16:22). 1 However, the Greek manuscripts of Romans do not prefgure this con- temporary accent. Tertius barely scrapes a mention in the subscripts to the letter and marginal commentary (usually sifed from the writings of church literati such as John Chrysostom) underscore not his skill but rather that the function is uplifed by Paul’s appropriation. By con- trast, Phoebe’s preeminent position in the list of salutations and the special commendation she receives (Rom 16:1–2) seem to have elicited marked attention. She is given particular notice in subscripts, marginal glosses and formal commentary (and catenae) attached to the central text of the epistle. Tis chapter explores the reception of Phoebe in the manuscripts that transmit the text of our knowledge of her. Te array of material returns us to an appreciation of her considerable importance in Paul’s epistolary and missionary purposes. 1 See Cadwallader, ‘Tertius in the Margins’. Extract from Peter G. Bolt & James R. Harrison (eds.), Romans and the Legacy of St Paul. Historical, Theological, & Social Perspectives (Occasional Series 1; Macquarie Park, NSW: SCD Press, 2019)