PDF hosted at the Radboud Repository of the Radboud University Nijmegen The following full text is a publisher's version. For additional information about this publication click this link. http://hdl.handle.net/2066/84994 Please be advised that this information was generated on 2021-10-04 and may be subject to change. ηΆα-,τΆ .τ\ 1-7 Tiki-saJ rc^Juua-Sv rei. Καθάπερ γάρ τις κατανοών εις εσοπτρον, ΜΚ0;ΐ:6 ΚΤΟ AMIA Bh ^ρΚΙΙ^Λ'Κ CAA\h Ephrem the Syrian Transmitted and Transmuted in Greek and Slavonic: Aspects of the Reception of Sermo Asceticus in the Slavonic World Iglika Vassileva-Van der Heiden EPHREM THE SYRIAN TRANSMITTED AND TRANSMUTED IN GREEK AND SLAVONIC. ASPECTS OF THE RECEPTION OF SERMO ASCE^US IN THE SLA VONIC WORLD Een wetenschappelijke proeve op het gebied van de Theologie en Religiewetenschappen Proefschrift ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen op gezag van de rector magnificus prof. mr. S.C.J.J. Kortmann, volgens besluit van het college van decanen in het openbaar te verdedigen op dinsdag 23 februari 2010 om 15.30 uur precies door Iglika Vassilcva-Van der Heiden geboren op 22 december 1976 te Sofia Promotoren: Prof. dr. H.G.B. Teule Prof. dr. A.J.M. Davids Prof. dr. F.J. Thomson Manuscriptcommissie: Prof. dr. F.A. Maas Prof. dr. G.A.M. Rouwhorst (Universiteit Utrecht/Tilburg) Prof. dr. J.L. Schärpe (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) EPHREM THE SYRIAN TRANSMITTED AND TRANSMUTED IN GREEK AND SLAVONIC. ASPECTS OF THE RECEPTION OF SERMO ASCETICUS IN THE SLAVONIC WORLD An academic essay in Theology Doctoral Thesis To obtain the degree of doctor from Radboud University Nijmegen on the authority of the Rector Magnificus prof. dr. S.C.J.J. Kortmann, according to the decision of the council of deans to be defended in public on Tuesday February, 23 2010 at 15.30 hours by Iglika Vassileva-Van der Heiden Born on 22 December 1976 in Sofia Supervisors: Prof. dr. H.G.B. Teule Prof. dr. Λ J .M. Davids Prof. dr. F.J. Thomson Doctoral Thesis Committee: Prof. dr. F.A. Maas Prof. dr. G.A.M. Rouwhorst (University of Utrecht/Tilburg) Prof. dr. J.L. Schärpe (University of Leuven) Printed by CPI Wöhrmann Print Service ISBN 978-90-8570-500-0 To my family, to my grandmother and my grandfather Table of Contents Introduction 10 Chapter 1 The Transmission of Ephrem's Works from Syriac into Greek and Slavonic: Background 1.1 Mar Aprem and the Syriac Milieu 12 1.1.1 Syriac Christianity, Its Symbolic-Synthetic Approach and Ephrem's Oeuvre 12 1.1.2 Syriac Spirituality and Its Ascetic Treasures 16 1.1.3 Ephrem, the Deacon from Nisibis: the Syriac Vtta and Other Biographical Sources 18 1.1.4 Saint Ephrem: Prince of the Monks? 21 1.2 Syriac Spirituality and Eastern Christian Asceticism 25 1.2.1 Early Syriac Spirituality 25 1.2.2 The Byzantine Monastic Tradition 29 1.2.3 Impact of Pseudo-Ephrem in Syriac: a Cultural-Historical Perspective 32 1.3 Ephrem Graecus: a Process of Transmission and Reinterpretation 35 1.3.1 The Construction of the Enigma: Manuscript Tradition and Interpolation 35 1.3.2 The Slavic-speaking Christians and the Ascetic Treatises Ascribed to Ephrem the Syrian 38 Chapter 2 Status Quaestionis. Methodology. Sources 2.1 Status Quaestionis 41 2.2 Methodology: Core Concepts, Conceptual Issues, Research Techniques 45 2.3 Description of Sources and Choice Justification 49 2.3.1 Syriac Sources Hymns on Virginity 1 -3 50 Hymn on Fasting 10 50 Hymn on Faith 20 51 Hymn on Paradise 6 51 Homily on Faith 6 52 Carmina Nisibena 1-21 52 Letter to Publius 52 Hymns on Nicomedia 53 On Solitary Life 53 vi On S o li tams 55 hetter to the Mountain Ascetics (Mountaineers) 55 On Reproof \ 56 On Reproof! 56 On Confessors and Martyrs 8 & 11 56 2.3.2 Greek Sources 57 2.3.3 Slavonic Texts 58 Chapter 3 The Syriac Ephrem: Authentic Texts in Syriac and Ascetic Vision 3.1 Introduction 60 3.2 Ephrem's Ascetic Vision: Analysis of Authentic Hymns and Homilies 61 3.2.1 Polysemantic Composition, Poetic Styhsncs and Theologically Motivated Tension between Hidden and Revealed 62 3.2.2 Syriac Ascetic Imagery 65 3 2.3 A Theology of the Body' and Eschatological Hopes 67 3.2.4 Ephrem's Dynamic Theological Anthropology 70 3.2.5 Exhortation to the Christian Community 76 3.3 Carmina Nisibena: the Cycle on the Fall of Nisibis and the Repentance Rhetoric in On Reproof 1 & 2 77 3.3.1 Formal Structure and Contents of the Hymnal Cycle on Nisibis 78 3.3.2 Fortifying Religious Consciousness: Repentance and Eschatological Perspectives 79 3.3.3 Carmina Nisibena and the Sermons On Reproof 80 3.4. L·etterto Pubkus: a Vision of the Last Judgment 93 3.4.1 Formal Structure, Styhstics and the Vision of the Last Judgment 94 3.4.2 Eschatological Problematics and the 'Hidden Judge' of Individual Conscience 96 3.5 Homilies on Nicomedia 97 3.6 The Admonitory Sermons On Reproof, Their Indebtedness to Carmina Nisibena, the Eschatological Reflections in letter to Publtus, and the Paradigm of Repentance and Divine Justice in Homilies on Nicomedia 98 vu Chapter 4 Pseudo-Ephremic Oeuvre in Syriac and Its Ascetic Context 4.1 Introduction. Status Quxsuoms. Sources 100 4.2 Ascenc Matrix of the Pseudo-Ephremic Texts in Synac 101 4.3 Pseudo-Ephrcm in Syriac: Transition to Eschatological Asceticism 107 4.4 Ephrem in the Later Synac Tradinon (4th-6th century) 110 4.5 Ascenc Concepts in the Pseudo-Ephremic Texts in Syriac (Conclusion) 114 Chapter 5 Ephraem Graecus: a Process of Selection and Reinterpretation 5.1 The Ephraem Graecus Corpus: Literary-Historical Background and the Status of Sermo Asceticus within the Paraenesis 117 5.2 Manuscnpt Tradiuon 119 5.3 Chronological Overview of the Greek and Synac Sources Shaping the Icon Byspnttnus of Ephrem Syrus 120 5.4 External Evidence of Codex Vaticanus Graecus 439 124 5.5 Comparative Analysis of the Greek Text of Assemam 1/40-70 (Recension B) and Codex Vaucanus Graecus 439 (Recension A) 125 5.5.1 Comparative Analysis of the Greek and Synac Counterparts: Assemam 1/40-70 (Ree. Β), Codex Vadcanus Graecus 439 (Ree. A) and Excerpts of Syriac Texts 129 5.5.2 Pseudo-Ephrem in Syriac and Ephraem Graecus: Continuities and Discontinuities in the Light of the Manuscnpt Transmission of Sermo Ascettcus (Conclusions) 156 5 5 3 Ephrem's Metric Pieces in Greek 157 5.6 Ephrem the Synan and the Later Greek Tradmon: Locus on a Vision of the 'Last Days' 159 5.7 Conclusion 162 Chapter 6 Ps.-Ephrem's Ascetic Sermon in the Slavonic Tradition: the 'Prophet of Repentance' 6.1 The Ascetic Sermon in the Framework of Nascent Chnsuamty in the Balkans 164 6.2 History and Charactenstics of the Slavonic Translation 168 6.3 Sources 171 6.4 Ephrem Graecus and the 'Slavonic' Ephrem: Continuities and Discontinuities 172 Vili 6.5 Recension A (Manuscript V) and the Old Bulgarian Translation 187 6.5.1 Reference to the Synac Equivalents of the Discussed Passages 192 6 6 Corresponding Passages (Letter to Publmi) 194 6.7 Stylisdcs and Themes: a Macanan Legacy at the Core of the Ascetic Sermon·' 197 6.7.1 Historical Allusions 198 6.7.2 Spiritual Context 200 6.7.3 Synac Imagery 203 6.7.4 Apocalyptic Rhetoric 204 6.8 Conclusion 207 Chapter 7 Deconstructing the Enigma of Ephrem Graecus. Summary. Conclusion 209 Appendix 1 215 Appendix 2 239 Appendix 3 260 Appendix 4 261 Bibliography 263 Summary 278 Samenvatting 286 06o6meHne 290 Acknowledgements 294 About the Author 296 IX INTRODUCTION A fourth-century hymnographer, Ephrem the Syrian (circa 306 - 373 Α.Ό.) was projected in the imagination of later generations as an archetypal ascetic figure. The relatively recent reappreciation of his authentic oeuvre and poetic idiom made it clear that the image of Ephrem became distorted after being reflected in a series of mirrors - translations in varying cultural milieux. One of his favourite images, the mirror, becomes, ironically, a relevant metaphor for the complex process of deciphering anew his spiritual world. The present study traces the process of transmission of ascetic motifs and imagery from the authentic oeuvre of Ephrem the Syrian into Greek and Slavonic. The authentic Syriac sources selected for the purpose of this evaluation offer insights into the specific theological world of early Syriac (Christianity. Ephrem the Syrian, one of the exponents of the early Syriac tradition, was not versed in Greek and although it has been demonstrated that he was familiar with Greek philosophical concepts1 and with Byzantine culture, he expressed his vision of the Christian faith in a 'Semitic' idiom, i. e. one that was almost untouched by the systématisation processes going on in the Greek- speaking part of the Byzantine empire. There is a general consensus among scholars that the texts in Greek attributed to Ephrem the Syrian, the corpus 'Ephrem Graecus', contain only a few authentic elements and are altogether a new literary-theological creation, composed directly in Greek.2 This dissertation strives to establish the continuities and discontinuities that occurred with the creation of Pseudo-Ephremic works in Syriac. The Slavonic transmission demonstrates yet another layer of cultural reinterpretation and of an essentially linguistic adaptation of the Byzantine Greek text, ascribed to the Syriac Father. The Sermo asceticus belongs to a corpus of ascetic writings, known as Ephrem the Syrian's Paraenesis, which was translated from Greek into Old Bulgarian.