Database of Byzantine Book Epigrams

Type 5490
(formerly typ/3540)

	Καλῶν τε πάντων ὀλβίου κληρουχίας
	ταύτην προκρίνας τὴν θεηγόρον βίβλον,
	προύθηκα τοῖς θέλουσι ἀντλῆσαι χάριν·
	πηγὴ γάρ ἐστι ζωοποιῶν ναμάτων.
	ὃς τὰς ἀΰλους τῶν νόων θεωρίας
	τὸν νοῦν καθάρας σαρκικῶν μολυσμάτων,
	σαφῶς διηυκρίνησε τοῖς βροτοῖς βλέπειν·
	καὶ πάντας ἡμᾶς ἀπλανῶς καταυγάσας
	ἔδειξεν ἡμῖν πρὸς θεοπτίαν τρίβον·
	καὶ τήνδε πιστῶς ἐκ πόθου τετρωμένος
	Σάβας μοναστὴς πάμπαν ἠχρειωμένος
	ἔγραψε τοῦ δέοντος ὑστερουμένην
	ἐν τῇ ὑπνώσει τῶν πενιχρῶν γραμμάτων.

Text source	S. De Groot 2021, Readers' Perspectives on Early Christian Texts. Book Epigrams in the Byzantine Manuscripts of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, Gent: 237-240
Text status	Text completely known
Editorial status	Critical text
Genre(s)	Author-related epigram Scribe-related epigram Text-related epigram
Metre(s)	Dodecasyllable
Subject(s)	Pseudo-Dionysios the Areopagite (5th c. - 6th c.) Sabbas - PLP: X.24618 (monastes)
Tag(s)	Completion of the book Criticism of the scribe Praise of the author Self-presentation Spiritual value of the book
Translation(s)	Of all the goods of the blessed inheritance, I have preferred this book that speaks of God, And I put it before those who want to soak up grace, For it is a source of life-giving streams. He who, after having purified his mind of fleshly taints, Distinguished plainly the immaterial observations of the minds, So that the people can see them, Illuminated us all unerringly, And showed us the path to contemplation of God. And faithfully wounded by desire, Sabas the monk, wholly corrupted [by sin] Wrote this book, later than what was needed, In the slumber of his poor letters. Language English Source(s) S. De Groot 2021, Readers' Perspectives on Early Christian Texts. Book Epigrams in the Byzantine Manuscripts of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, Gent: 238 (...) er (Dionysios) zeigte uns den Weg zur Gottesschau. Diesen (Weg) hat der ganz untaugliche Mönch Sabas, gläubig, von Liebe (zu Gott) durchdrungen, unter dem erforderlichen Niveau in der "Hypnose" seiner armseliger Schrift aufgezeichnet. Language German Source(s) H. Hunger, 1989, Schreiben und Lesen in Byzanz: Die byzantinische Buchkultur, Munich: 97 Comment Partial translation: vv. 9-13
Bibliography	Primary H. Hunger, O. Kresten, 1976, Katalog der griechischen Handschriften der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek. Codices Theologici 1-100, (vol. 3.1), Vienna: 123 Secondary H. Hunger, 1989, Schreiben und Lesen in Byzanz: Die byzantinische Buchkultur, Munich: 97
Number of verses	13
Occurrence(s)	[22514] αλῶν τε πάντων ὀλβιού κλεουχιας [13th c.] VIENNA - Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (ÖNB) - theol. gr. 65 [13th c.] (f. 119v) (13 verses)
Acknowledgements	Contributor(s) Anne-Sophie Rouckhout The credits system has been implemented in 2019. Credits from before the new system was in use might be incomplete.
Identification	Vassis ICB 2005, 394: "Librarii subscr. in opera Dionys. Areopagitae"
Permalink	https://www.dbbe.ugent.be/types/5490

Last modified: 2024-12-12.

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