On the Sources of the Panegyric for St. Constantine and St. Helena by Euthymius, Patriarch of Tarnovo Cover Image

Към изворите на похвално слово за Светите Константин и Елена от Патриарх Евтимий
On the Sources of the Panegyric for St. Constantine and St. Helena by Euthymius, Patriarch of Tarnovo

Author(s): Pirinka Penkova
Subject(s): Christian Theology and Religion, History, Language and Literature Studies, Studies of Literature, Middle Ages, Theology and Religion, Comparative Study of Literature, 6th to 12th Centuries, Eastern Orthodoxy, Translation Studies
Published by: Великотърновски университет „Св. св. Кирил и Методий”
Keywords: Patriarch Euthymius of Tarnovo; Constantine the Great; Konstantin of Preslav
Summary/Abstract: The subject of investigation is the textological relationship between Eythymios’ “The Panegyric for St. Constantine and Helena” and a number of Greek and Slavonic medieval sources: Eusebius of Caesarea’s “Life of Constantine”, Athanasius of Alexandria’s “Orationes contra Arianos”, the Guidi-Vita of Constantine (BHG 364), the Gedeon-Vita of Constantine (BHG 363), “De inventione sanctae crucis” by Alexander the Monk, the Homily of Gregorius Presbyter “Κυριακή τῶν Αγίων πατέρων τῆς Α’ Οἰκουμενικῆς Συνόδου” and the anonymous “De donatione Constantini”. The Greek biographers used the Church chronicles of Eusebius, Sokrates, Rufinus of Aquileia and Theophanes. Тhе Eytimius’ Panegyric indicates the free use of the Greek and Slavonic sources: some events are probably transferred from an earlier Slavonic pro-Vita based on extracts from the Greek Vita BHG 363/364 and “De donatione Constantini” acc. the manuscript 793 in the library of Troice-Sergeevsk Lavra. The description of the miracles of the martyrs Chrisantios and Musonios, the dispute between Alexander of Alexandria and one unnamed philosopher as well as the narrative on Elena in Jerusalem has been found in the Greek Homily of Gregorius Presbyter. The author identifies the philosopher mentioned by Eythymius as Asterius the Sophist acc. to Athanasius’s “Orationes”. Acc. to the linguistic details Eythymius became acquainted with one kompiled pro-Vita of Constantine. The author suggests, that one pro-Vita of Preslav origin was edited at the same time as Konstantin of Preslav’s translation of Athanasius of Alexandria’s “Orationes” before the transfer of “Orationes” to Novgorod.

  • Page Range: 217-236
  • Page Count: 20
  • Publication Year: 2019
  • Language: English, Bulgarian, Old Bulgarian