Ambrosiaster

Ambrosiaster is the name given to the writer of a com- to Ambrosiaster, though, is more tentative.[4] mentary on St Paul’s epistles, “brief in words but weighty Despite the elusive identity of Ambrosiaster, several facts in matter,” and valuable for the criticism of the Latin text about him can be established. Internal evidence suggests of the New Testament. The commentary itself was writ- he was active at Rome during the reign of Pope Dama- ten during the papacy of Pope Damasus I, that is, between sus (366-384), and almost certainly a member of the Ro- 366 and 384, and is considered an important document of man clergy. There are strong indications he objected the Latin text of Paul before the Vulgate of Jerome, and of [1] to Jerome’s efforts to revise the Old Latin versions of the interpretation of Paul prior to Augustine of Hippo. the Gospels, and that he was critical of Jerome’s activ- This commentary was erroneously attributed for a long ity among ascetic women at Rome. Ambrosiaster shows time to St Ambrose. In 1527, though, Erasmus threw a deep interest in Judaism and often notes that Christian doubt on the accuracy of ascribing the authorship of this practices derive from Jewish tradition.[5] document to Ambrose. Erasmus is generally falsely cred- ited for having coined the name “Ambrosiaster” (literally in Latin: “would be-Ambrose”) to describe its author. 1 References The credit for this nickname should go to the Maurists, as René Hoven has shown. The name has remained with the • unknown author.[1] Attempts to identify this Ambrosi- This article incorporates text from a publication aster with known authors has continued, but with no suc- now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. cess. Because Augustine cites Ambrosiaster’s commen- (1911). "Ambrosiaster". Encyclopædia Britannica tary on Romans 5.12 under the name of “Hilary”, many (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. critics have attempted to identify Ambroasiaster with one of the many writers named “Hilary” active in the period. In 1899, Germain Morin suggested that the writer was 2 Notes Isaac,[2] a converted Jew and writer of a tract on the Trin- ity and Incarnation, who was exiled to Spain in 378-380 [1] Kinzig, Wolfram (1996), “Ambrosiaster”, in Hornblower, and then relapsed to Judaism; but he afterwards aban- Simon; Spawforth, Anthony, Oxford Classical Dictionary doned this theory of the authorship in favour of Decimus (3rd ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19- Hilarianus Hilarius, proconsul of Africa in 377. Alterna- 521693-8 tively, P. A. Ballerini attempted to sustain the traditional attribution of the work to Ambrose, in his complete edi- [2] Rev. d'hist. et de litt. religieuses, tom. iv. 97 f. tion of that Father’s work. This is extremely problematic, [3] Alexander Souter, Study of Ambrosiaster (Cambridge though, since it would require Ambrose to have written Univ. Press, 1905) the book before he became a bishop, and then added to it in later years, incorporating later remarks of Hilary of [4] David G Hunter, “Fourth-century Latin writers”, in Poitiers on Romans.[3] No identifications, therefore, have Frances Young, Lewis Ayres and Andrew Louth, eds, The acquired lasting popularity with scholars, and his identity Cambridge History of Early Christian Literature, (2010), remains a mystery. p307

Several other minor works have been attributed to this [5] David G Hunter, “Fourth-century Latin writers”, in same author, along with a lengthy collection of exeget- Frances Young, Lewis Ayres and Andrew Louth, eds, The ical and polemical tractates, the Quaestiones Veteris et Cambridge History of Early Christian Literature, (2010), Novi Testamenti, which manuscripts have traditionally p308 ascribed to Augustine. In 1905, Alexander Souter es- tablished that this work should also be attributed to Ambrosiaster.[1][4] Fragments of several other works have 3 Bibliography been ascribed with some certainty to Ambrosiaster: a commentary on Matthew 24, a discussion of the parable of the three measures of flour into which a woman placed 3.1 Texts yeast, and a treatment of Peter’s denial and the arrest of • Jesus in Gethsemane. The attribution of other fragments Heinrich Joseph Vogels, Vinzenz Bulhart, and Rudolf Hanslik. 1966. Ambrosiastri qui dicitur

1 2 4 EXTERNAL LINKS

Commentarius in Epistulas Paulinas. Corpus scrip- • Hunter, David, “The Significance of Ambrosiaster,” torum ecclesiasticorum Latinorum vol. 81, pt. 1-3. Journal of Early Christian Studies 17:1, 1–26 © Vindobonae: Hoelder-Pichler-Tempsky. 2009

• Alexander Souter, ed., Pseudo-Augustini Quaes- • Lunn-Rockliffe, Sophie, Ambrosiaster’s Political tiones Veteris et Novi Testamenti CXXVII. CSEL Theology. Oxford, 2007. 50 (Vienna: F. Tempsky; Leipzig: J. Freytag, • Moreschini, Claudio, and Enrico Norelli. 2005 1908). “Ambrosiaster,” in Early Christian Greek and Latin • Isaac Judaeus, Isacis Judaei Quae supersunt, ed. A. Literature: A Literary History. Peabody, Mass: Hoste, CCL 9 (Turnhout: Brepols, 1957), pp. 331– Hendrickson Publishers. vol. 2, p. 296-98. 48. These brief works of Isaac the Jew are highly • Mundle, Wilhelm. 1919. Die Exegese der paulinis- dissimilar to the Pauline Commentaries and Quaes- chen Briefe im Kommentar des Ambrosiaster. tiones of Ambrosiaster in both style and content. • Queis, Dietrich Traugott von, and Augustine. 1972. • also see links below Ambrosiaster: Quaestiones Veteris et Novi Testa- menti. Quaestio 115: De fato. Basel.

3.2 Studies • Souter, Alexander. 1905. A study of Ambrosiaster. Cambridge [Eng.]: The University Press. • Bussières, Marie-Pierre. “L’esprit de Dieu et l’Esprit • Saint dans les ‘Questions sur l'Ancien et le Nou- Souter, Alexander. 1927. The earliest Latin com- veau Testament’ de l'Ambrosiaster.” In: REAug 56 mentaries on the Epistles of St. Paul; a study. Ox- (2010) 25–44. ford: Clarendon Press.

• Bussières, Marie-Pierre. “Les quaestiones 114 et 115 de l’Ambrosiaster ont–elles été influences par 4 External links l’apologétique de Tertullian?” REAug 48 (2002): 101–130. • The text of Ambrosiaster’s Commentary on the Epis- • Bussières, Marie-Pierre. “L’influence du syn- tles of Paul, taken from Migne’s Patrologia Latina ode tenu à Rome en 382 sur l’exégèse de vol 17, and attributed to Ambrose, is available here. l’Ambrosiaster.” Sacris Erudiri 45 (2006): 107– • A less readable but printable PDF version of the 124. Migne “Commentaries” is available from Google books. • Bussières, Marie-Pierre. Ambrosiaster. Contre les Païens. Sur le destin. Texte, traduction et commen- • A facsimile of Souter’s 1908 edition of the Quaes- taire. Paris, Éditions du Cerfs (Sources chrétiennes tiones is available from Google books. 512), 2007. • The text of Ambrosiaster’s Quaestiones, taken from • Cain, Andrew, “In Ambriosiaster’s Shadow: A Migne’s Patrologia Latina vol. 35 and attributed to Critical Reevaluation of the Last Surviving Let- Augustine, is available here. ter Exchange between Pope Damasus and Jerome.” REAug 51 (2005): 257–277.

• Cooper, Stephen and David G. Hunter, “Ambrosi- aster redactor sui: The Commentaries on the Pauline Epistles (Excluding Romans).” 'RÉAug'56 (2010): 69–91.

• De Bruyn, Theodore S. “Ambrosiaster’s interpreta- tions of Romans 1:26-27.” VChr 65 (2011) 463– 483.

• De Bruyn, Theodore S.“Ambrosiaster’s revisions of his ‘Commentary on Romans’ and Roman synodal statements about the Holy Spirit.” REAug 56 (2010) 45–68.

• Hoven, René, “Notes sur Érasme et les auteurs an- ciens,” in L’antiquité classique 38 (1969): 172-74. 3

5 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

5.1 Text

• Ambrosiaster Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambrosiaster?oldid=703268935 Contributors: MrH, Llywrch, Charles Matthews, Adam Bishop, Elf, CanisRufus, Bertrand77, YurikBot, Kungfuadam, SmackBot, Thierry Caro, KocjoBot~enwiki, Bluebot, Alfion, Irides- cent, Fordmadoxfraud, BetacommandBot, PhilKnight, Cynwolfe, JaGa, LordAnubisBOT, Ajwest1983, VolkovBot, StAnselm, BOTarate, LaaknorBot, Legobot, Yobot, Ambrosiaster, FrescoBot, Truthbanks12345, DrilBot, Nederlandse Leeuw, Beleg Tâl, Marcocapelle, Chris- Gualtieri, BreakfastJr, Stephen Andrew Cooper, KasparBot, DivermanAU and Anonymous: 13

5.2 Images

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5.3 Content license

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