Unknown, Suda ω 182.618.2-13
created: This entry is taken from Suda ω 182.618.2-13 written by Unknown in 976-990 C.E..
edition published: 2023-06-30-05:00
language: grc; grc
availability: Except for materials quoted from other sources, this entry is copyright 2023 by the contributors (Joseph L. Rife, et al.) and the Caesarea City and Port Exploration Project. It is licensed under the Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. Some texts quoted in this entry may be in the public domain in the United States. No copyright is asserted for these quotations. Some texts quoted in this entry may have copyright restrictions and are reused under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)

https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/312

Caesarea Maritima is indirectly attested at Unknown, Suda ω 182.618.2-13. This passage was written ca. 976-990 C.E. possibly in Constantinople. The Suda (“Stronghold”) is an encyclopedic lexicon written by an unknown scholar during the late 10th century. It compiles copious information in alphabetical entries for use by the learned philologist, in particular on grammar, history, and biography, referring to a broad range of sources from Classical Antiquity to the Early Byzantine period. This passage from the lemma on Origen (s.v. Ὠριγένης) describes how Ambrose provided Origen with many resources, including a full scribal staff, for his biblical research at Caesarea in the early 3rd century. Here the author depends on the account of Eusebius written roughly 650 year earlier.

ἐξ ἐκείνου δὲ τοῦ χρόνου τῶν εἰς τὰς θείας γραφὰς ὑπομνημάτων ἐγένετο ἀρχή, ᾽Αμβροσίου εἰς τὰ μάλιστα παρορμῶντος αὐτὸν μυρίαις ὅσαις οὐ προτροπαῖς ταῖς διὰ λόγων καὶ παρακλήσεσιν αὐτοῦ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀφθονωτάταις τῶν ἐπιτηδείων χορηγίαις. ταχυγράφοι τε γὰρ αὐτῷ πλείους ἢ ἑπτὰ τὸν ἀριθμὸν παρῆσαν ὑπαγορεύοντι, χρόνοις τεταγμένοις ἀλλήλους ἀμείβοντες, βιβλιογράφοι τε οὐχ ἥττους ἅμα καὶ κόραις ἐπὶ τῷ καλλιγραφεῖν ἠσκημέναις: ὧν ἁπάντων τὴν δέουσαν τῶν ἐπιτηδείων ἄφθονον χορηγίαν ὁ ᾽Αμβρόσιος παρεστήσατο: ναὶ μὴν καὶ ἐν τῇ περὶ τὰ θεῖα λόγια ἀσκήσει τε καὶ σπουδῇ προθυμίαν ἄφατον αὐτῷ συνεισέφερεν, ᾗ καὶ μάλιστα αὐτὸν προέτρεπεν ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν ὑπομνημάτων σύνταξιν.

[Ed. Adler 1933]

The start of his Commentaries on the Divine Scriptures dates to that time, after Ambrose in particular urged him to undertake this project not only through endless verbal prodding and appeals to the man but also with the provision of unlimited resources. Thus, more than seven stenographers were on call to take his dictation, taking one another’s place at appointed times, and no fewer were the copyists, along with young women skilled in calligraphy. Ambrose supplied abundant resources to meet all their needs. Far beyond that, he imbued (Origen) with exceeding enthusiasm through his own study of God’s pronouncements, and a zeal which gave Origen special encouragement in preparing his commentaries. [Adapted from SOL (trans. P. Little et al., 2000-)]

Works Cited

[...] ω 182.618.2-13

Additional Bibliography

[...]

[...]

[Eusebius, Church History 6.23.2

Origen, Commentary on the Gospel of John 6.2.9]

[Alexandria]

[Ambrose of Alexandria

Origen]

[Christian Bible

Christianity

Economy and Commerce

Education (sacred)

Greek Language

Society and Culture]