Photius, Library 1.1a3-6
https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/399
Context
Photius I was ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople in 858-867 and
877-886, as well as an unparalleled intellectual luminary for his age. Apart from his
distinguished ecclesiastical career, he engaged in polymathic teaching and research
supported by his vast personal library. Photius wrote an expansive compendium of
classical writings in 280 volumes or codices, his Library (Βιβλιοθήκη) or
Thousandsfold Book (Μυριόβιβλον), which included epitomes, excerpts,
and commentaries mainly on historical, rhetorical, and theological works, many otherwise
lost. Several passages discuss the renowned leaders of the Church at Caesarea in
Palestine. Here Photius summarizes a treatise by an unknown Theodore the Presbyter in
the 6th century(?). Theodore argued for the authenticity of a collection of writings
spuriously attributed to St. Dionysius the Areopagite, the famous convert of St. Paul’s
at Athens in the mid-1st century. In this passage, Photius attests to the comprehensive
coverage of the research of Eusebius of Caesarea.
Text
Ἀνεγνώσθη Θεοδώρου Πρεσβυτέρου ὅτι γνησία ἡ τοῦ ἁγίου Διονυσίου βίβλος.
διελύοντο δὲ ἐν τῷ λόγῳ ἐνστάσεις δ´, μία μὲν, ὅτι εἰ ἦν γνησία, πῶς οὐκ ἐμνήσθησαν τῶν
ἐν αὺτῇ ῥητῶν τε καὶ χρήσεών τινες τῶν μεταγενεστέρων πατέρων; δευτέρα δε, ὅτι Εὐσέβιος
ὁ Παμφίλου, ἀναγραφὴν ποιησάμενος τῶν συγγεγραμμένων τοῖς μακαρίοις πατράσιν ἡμών
βιβλίων, οὐδεμίαν ταύτης μνήμην ἐποιήσατο; τρίτη δέ, ὅτι πῶς τῶν κατὰ προκοπὴν ἐν τῇ
ἐκκλησίᾳ καὶ διὰ μακροῦ τοῦ χρόνου αὐξηθέντων παραδόσεων ἡ βίβλος αὕτη λεπτομερῆ τὴν
ἐξήγησιν ποιείται; 1
Textual Note
Ed. Bekker 1924 with ref. Henry 1959Translation
Read the treatise by Theodore the Presbyter, in which he argues that
the book of St. Dionysius is authentic. Four objections are refuted in this work [by
Theodore]. 1) If [the book of Dionysius] is authentic, how is it that none of the later
Fathers cites it or quotes any passages from it? 2) How is it that Eusebius Pamphili, in
his index to the the writings of the blessed Fathers, does not mention it? 3) How is it
that the work describes in detail traditional practices that only became established in
the Church gradually, over a long period? … 2
Translation Note
Adapted from Freese 1920 with ref. to Henry 1959Works Cited
- 1 John of Nikiu, Chronique de Jean, évêque de Nikiou: texte éthiopien, ed. Hermann Zotenberg (Paris: Imprimerie nationale, 1883), bk: 1, section: 1a.
- 2 Photius, The Library of Photius, trans. John Henry Freese, Translations of Christian Literature 1 (London; New York: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge ; Macmillan Company, 1920), p: 16.
Additional Bibliography
- Photius, Photius: Bibliothèque, ed. René Henry and Jacques Schamp, 2nd printing, 9 vols., Collection Byzantine (Paris: Société d’édition «Les belles lettres», 1959), vol: 1, p: 3.
How to Cite This Entry
Joseph L. Rife, “Photius, Library 1.1a3-6,” in Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, entry published June 30, 2023, https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/399.
Show full citation information...
Bibliography:
Joseph L. Rife, “Photius, Library 1.1a3-6.” In Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, edited by Joseph L. Rife., edited by Joseph L. Rife. Caesarea City and Port Exploration Project, 2023. Entry published June 30, 2023. https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/399.About this Entry
Entry Title: Photius, Library 1.1a3-6
Authorial and Editorial Responsibility:
- Joseph L. Rife, general editor, Vanderbilt University
- Joseph L. Rife, editor, Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia
- David A. Michelson, Daniel L. Schwartz, and William L. Potter, technical editor, “Photius, Library 1.1a3-6”
- Joseph L. Rife, entry contributor, “Photius, Library 1.1a3-6”
Additional Credit:
- TEI encoding by Joseph L. Rife
- URNs and other metadata added by Joseph L. Rife
- Electronic text added by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonia identified by Joseph L. Rife