The apophthegmatic collections of the Monastica database on the Slavic reception of Evagrius Ponticus’ De Oration
The apophthegmatic collections of the Monastica database on the Slavic reception of Evagrius Ponticus’ De Oration

Summary/Abstract: The writings of Evagrius Ponticus, one of the most influential theologians of the late 4th century, exerted significant influence on subsequent generations of Christian monasticism, even though his writings were excommunicated. This became possible because parts of his writings were included in compilations and florilegia, anonymously or under other names. Evagrius treatise De Oratione, attributed to Nilus of Ancyra, reached the Slavs within various collections, such as the Apophthegmata Patrum. The text of the treatise almost in complete is found within the systematic type of an AP-collection. The present study has identified eight fragments from the Evagrian work preserved in the alphabeticanonymous collection of AP. Using earlier research of the Slavic translations and the recent text critical study of the Greek tradition of the treatise as a starting point, the study endorses previous results on two main translation branches A (9th–10th c.) and B (14th c.). At the same time the study reveals elements that indicate another translation or redaction within the translation B. Also the translation A displays features of lexical preferences distributed in a recurrent pattern, which sparks assumptions on two translators involved in the translation of the treatise. Further research is needed either to confirm or reject these preliminary suggestions.

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