Severus of Antioch, Letter to Stephen the Reader 8.1 [Book 7, Letter 392]
https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/405
Context
This letter was originally written in Greek by Severus of Antioch
during the period of his sixth-century episcopacy as Patriarch of Antioch. It survives only in a
later Syriac translation. The letter is addressed to a certain lector named
Stephen who inquired about the practice of public reading of lives of the saints.
Severus mentions a number of hagiographic texts and current locations where such texts are received
and read by churches within the miaphysite or Non-Chalcedonian communion. The reading of The Life of Pamphilus of Caesarea in Caesarea Maritima is mentioned as one example. Although not specified in the text, this life may be the lost Vita written by Eusebius of Caesarea.
Text
ܕܡܬ̣ܩܪܝܢ ܕܝܢ ܐܦ ܒܥܕ̈ܬܐ ܩܘ̈ܠܣܐ ܗ̇ܢܘܢ ܕܩܕܝ̈ܫ܆ ܣܗ̇ܕ ܡ̇ܢ ܡܐܡܪܗ ܕܚܟܝܡܐ ܒܣܝܠܝܘܣ ܗ̇ܘ ܕܥܠ ܐܪ̈ܒܥܝܢ ܣܗ̈ܕܐ܇ ܕܡܬܩܪܐ ܠܥܡܐ ܒܗ̇ܝ ܕܒܪ̈ܘܛܐܝܐ܆ ܐܦ ܗ̇ܘ ܕܝܢ ܕܩܕܝܫܐ ܦܐܡܦܝܠܘܣ܇ ܘܒܗ̇ ܘܒܗ̇ܝ ܕܩܣܪ̈ܝܐ܇ ܗ̇ܝ ܕܐܝܬܝܗ̇ ܡܝܛܪܦܘܠܝܣ ܕܦܠܝܣܛܝܢܐ ܗ̇ܝ ܩܕܡܝܬܐ.1
Discussion Note
The numbering of Severus's Letters remains to be untangled by scholars. This letter is the first letter of section VIII in the Syriac translation. The Syriac text mentions that the letter was previously "the 392nd letter from the 7th book" likely referring to the Greek collection. The dating of this letter to Severus' episcopacy is also from a note found in the Syriac translation.Translation
That the praises of the saints are also read in churches is
witnessed by the discourse of the wise Basil on the forty martyrs, which is read to the
people in the [city] of the people of Berytus. Also that [vita] of
the holy Pamphilus [is read], both there and in the [city] of the Caesareans,
which is the metropolis of Palestina Prima
.2
Translation Note
Translation by David Michelson, adapted from that of E.W. Brooks.Works Cited
- 1 E.W. Brooks, ed., The Sixth Book of the Select Letters of Severus, Patriarch of Antioch, in the Syriac Version of Athanasius of Nisibis: Vol. 1 (Text) Part II (London: Text and Translation Society, 1904), p: 441.
- 2 E.W. Brooks, ed., The Sixth Book of the Select Letters of Severus, Patriarch of Antioch, in the Syriac Version of Athanasius of Nisibis: Vol. II (Translation) Part II (London: Text and Translation Society, 1904), p: 392-393.
How to Cite This Entry
David A. Michelson et al., “Severus of Antioch, Letter to Stephen the Reader 8.1 [Book 7, Letter 392],” in Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, entry published September 30, 2022, https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/405.
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Bibliography:
David A. Michelson et al., “Severus of Antioch, Letter to Stephen the Reader 8.1 [Book 7, Letter 392].” In Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, edited by Joseph L. Rife., edited by Joseph L. Rife. Caesarea City and Port Exploration Project, 2022. Entry published September 30, 2022. https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/405.About this Entry
Entry Title: Severus of Antioch, Letter to Stephen the Reader 8.1 [Book 7, Letter 392]
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 editors, “Severus of Antioch, Letter to Stephen the Reader 8.1 [Book 7, Letter 392]”
- David A. Michelson and Joseph L. Rife, entry contributors, “Severus of Antioch, Letter to Stephen the Reader 8.1 [Book 7, Letter 392]”
Additional Credit:
- TEI encoding by Joseph L. Rife
- URNs and other metadata added by David A. Michelson
- Electronic text added by David A. Michelson
- Testimonia identified by Joseph L. Rife