{"slug":"stoa0162.stoa004a.opp-lat1","id":"latin:ogl-pl:stoa0162.stoa004a.opp-lat1","title":"Epistola Ad Constantinum [Incertus]","title_source":"Epistola Ad Constantinum [Incertus]","author":"Hieronymus","genre":"letter","date":"","tradition":"latin","coverage":"not-located","coverage_claim":{"status":"not-located","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},"publication":{"status":"machine-draft","reviewed_by":null,"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","generated":"2026-11-15T06:00:25Z","cost_usd":0.001612},"source":{"registry_id":"latin:ogl-pl:stoa0162.stoa004a.opp-lat1","work_id":"stoa0162.stoa004a.opp-lat1","edition":"ogl-pl","language":"","license":"Available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License","url":"https://github.com/OpenGreekAndLatin/patrologia_latina-dev/blob/master/data/stoa0162/stoa004a/stoa0162.stoa004a.opp-lat1.xml"},"stats":{"passages":3,"english_words":478,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":2014,"commentary_units":15,"commentary_kinds":6,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":4,"work_notes":4,"external_links":0,"timeline":4},"summary":{"work":"stoa0162.stoa004a.opp-lat1","abstract":"The Epistola Ad Constantinum [Incertus] is a Latin letter attributed to Jerome but widely regarded as spurious. Surviving only in medieval manuscript copies, it lacks an autograph or early witness. Its date is uncertain, likely late 4th or early 5th century. The letter was included in some medieval canon law collections but never achieved wide liturgical or authoritative status. Its reception is primarily as a pseudo-Jerome text. This edition follows the Patrologia Latina text without full stemmatic analysis, and variant readings are not systematically recorded.","historical_context":"The letter's uncertain attribution to Jerome places it within the broader corpus of works circulating under his name in the medieval period. Jerome (c. 347–420) was a prolific scholar and translator, and many spurious letters were attributed to him to gain authority. The Epistola Ad Constantinum likely originated in a Latin-speaking Christian community, possibly in the late 4th or early 5th century, but its exact provenance is unknown. Its inclusion in canon law collections suggests some ecclesiastical use, though it never became a standard liturgical text. The letter's transmission depends entirely on later medieval manuscripts, with no surviving early witnesses, making its textual history reliant on medieval chains of copying. The work's genre as a letter reflects a common form for early Christian instruction and correspondence.","significance":"The Epistola Ad Constantinum matters as an example of pseudo-Jerome literature, illustrating how Jerome's authority was invoked for later compositions. It relates to the broader phenomenon of pseudepigrapha in early Christian and medieval traditions, where works were attributed to authoritative figures to gain acceptance. Its inclusion in canon law collections shows its limited but real reception in ecclesiastical contexts.","timeline":[{"date":"late 4th–early 5th c.","event":"Probable composition of the letter, though date is uncertain."},{"date":"5th–15th c.","event":"Transmission through medieval manuscript copies; no autograph or early witness survives."},{"date":"Medieval period","event":"Inclusion in some canon law collections, indicating limited ecclesiastical use."},{"date":"19th c.","event":"Publication in Patrologia Latina (Migne), establishing the modern edition."}],"relations":[{"work":"Jerome, Epistulae","relation":"Attributed to Jerome but considered spurious; part of the pseudo-Jerome corpus.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Patrologia Latina","relation":"Source of the modern edition; text follows Migne without full stemmatic analysis.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Canon law collections","relation":"Included in some medieval collections, showing limited reception.","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[],"cautions":["Attribution to Jerome is uncertain; the letter is classed among his spuria.","Date is unknown; may belong to late 4th or early 5th century, but no firm evidence.","Survives only in later manuscript copies; no autograph or early witness.","This edition does not collate all known manuscripts; variant readings are not systematically recorded."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000355,"generated":"2026-11-15T06:00:24Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Open Greek and Latin Patrologia Latina","url":"https://github.com/OpenGreekAndLatin/patrologia_latina-dev/blob/master/data/stoa0162/stoa004a/stoa0162.stoa004a.opp-lat1.xml"}],"checks":{"work":"stoa0162.stoa004a.opp-lat1","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":3,"translated":3,"commentary_passages":3,"commentary_units":15,"english_words":478,"source_letters":2006,"commentary_kinds":6},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The letter survives only in later manuscript copies; no autograph or early witness is extant. Its textual history is thus dependent on medieval transmission chains.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The letter's attribution to Jerome is uncertain; it is often classed among his spuria. No firm date can be assigned, though it may belong to the late 4th or early 5th century.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The letter was included in some medieval canon law collections, but it never achieved wide liturgical or authoritative status. Its reception is primarily as a pseudo-Jerome text.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This edition does not collate all known manuscripts; it follows the text of the Patrologia Latina (Migne) without full stemmatic analysis. Variant readings are not systematically recorded.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"derived_work_notes":[{"kind":"coverage","severity":"info","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},{"kind":"limit","severity":"caution","text":"The English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Coptic; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve."},{"kind":"register","severity":"info","text":"Register: letter in Latin; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 3 narrative."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: ogl-pl — Available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":3},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"In nomine sanctae et individuæ Trinitatis, INCIPIT EPISTOLA S. HIERONYMI AD CONSTANTIUM.\n\nPRÆFATIO LIBRI SEQUENTIS, QUI COMES APPELLATUR.\n\nQuamquam licenter assumatur in opere congregatio coelestium lectionum, et ipsum opusculum ab ecclesiasticis viris, Comes quidem soleat appellari: quod duobus modis fieri arbitror, aut pro consuetudine uniuscujusque Ecclesiæ (secundum quod et varium hoc ipsum descriptionis genus esse dignoscitur), aut certe pro voluntate studiosi lectoris, qui (si fieri possit j quidquid in Scripturis divinis mirabiliter fulget, quidquid in praeceptis moralibus copiosum est, totum parvo in corpore adunatum desiderat habere, paupertatis necessitate: Ego tamen, juvante Christo, ingenio quo potui, et maxime occasione oblata, qua id a me fieri voluisti, Constanti mihi venerabilis frater, ita hoc opus etsi minus instructus assumpsi, ut tanta excerptorum intelligentia caput causamque rationabilem habere videatur.","english":"In the name of the holy and undivided Trinity, here begins the letter of Saint Jerome to Constantius.\n\nPreface of the following book, which is called the Comes.\n\nAlthough the gathering of heavenly readings may be freely undertaken in a work, and the little work itself is customarily called the Comes by ecclesiastical men—which I judge to be done in two ways, either according to the custom of each individual church (inasmuch as this very type of compilation is recognized to be varied), or certainly according to the will of the studious reader, who (if it were possible) desires to have everything that shines wonderfully in the divine Scriptures, everything that is abundant in moral precepts, all united in a small body, due to the necessity of poverty: nevertheless, with Christ’s help, with whatever ability I could, and especially given the opportunity presented, by which you wished this to be done by me, Constantius, my venerable brother, I have undertaken this work, although less instructed, in such a way that the understanding of so many excerpts may seem to have a head and a reasonable cause.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"INCIPIT EPISTOLA S. HIERONYMI AD CONSTANTIUM","severity":"info","text":"The incipit formula marks the beginning of the letter, a standard feature in medieval manuscripts. The title identifies the recipient as Constantius and the author as Jerome, though the work's authenticity is debated.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"Comes","severity":"info","text":"Comes (Latin for 'companion') is a technical term for a liturgical book containing scriptural readings for the Mass or Office, also known as a lectionary. The preface explains the name's dual origin: ecclesiastical custom or reader's choice.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"paupertatis necessitate","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'due to the necessity of poverty' reflects a common topos in early medieval prefaces, where the compiler claims limited resources to justify a condensed work. This may be rhetorical rather than literal.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Ego tamen, juvante Christo, ingenio quo potui","severity":"info","text":"The author's self-deprecating humility ('with whatever ability I could') is a conventional modesty topos in patristic and medieval prefaces, intended to deflect criticism and invoke divine aid.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Quamquam licenter assumatur in opere congregatio coelestium lectionum","severity":"caution","text":"The syntax of this sentence is convoluted, with a long conditional clause. The English translation resolves it as concessive, but the Latin could also be read as a statement of permission, affecting the interpretation of the author's intent.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of Constantius is uncertain; he may be a monk or bishop, but no specific historical figure is securely identified. The work's attribution to Jerome is contested, as the style and content differ from his known corpus."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"Nam cum omnis Scriptura divinitus inspirata, ut ait Apostolus, utilis sit ad docendum, ad erudiendum, ad juatitiam; ut perfectus sit homo Dei ad omne opus bonum instructus, et quaecumque sunt haclenus scripta, ad nostram doctrinam scripta sunt, ut per patientiam et consolationem Scripturarum spem habeamus: quid brevius, quid utilius censui, quam ut ex tanta divinornm librorum copia, singulis festivitaLibus quod aptum ex bis vel competens esset, excerperem, et quodam modo distinctissime collocafem.\n\nIncipiens itaque a Nativitate Christi, quod est VIII kalendas Januarias, in Vigiliis ad Nonam per ordinem, qucin assidue in Ecclesia didiceram, lectiones utriusque Testamenti simplicibus ministravi. Porro editionem illam quam ex Hebraicis voluminibus in Latinum translatam esse constat, in hunc quippe mOdum, quae vel cujusque prophetiae lectio præsenti festivitati congruat, quid apostoli doceant, vel ad eumdem titulum quid Evangelii annuntiet auctoritas, dudum vertente jam anno per omnes dies festos Ecclesiæ opportune censui omnia secundum tempus esse legenda. Sed nonnulla alia ædificationis causa multa illic aggregata sunt, atque suis appellationibus inserta, id est, in capite quadragesimae de abslinentia escarum et sobrietate; hem in Quadragesima do pænitentia, de pudicitia, de remissione inimicitiarum, vei alia multa.","english":"For since all Scripture is divinely inspired, as the Apostle says, it is useful for teaching, for instructing, for righteousness; so that the man of God may be perfect, instructed for every good work, and whatever has been written thus far has been written for our instruction, so that through the patience and consolation of the Scriptures we may have hope: what shorter, what more useful thing did I judge, than that from such a great abundance of divine books, for each festival I should excerpt what is suitable or fitting from them, and arrange it in a most distinct manner.\n\nTherefore, beginning from the Nativity of Christ, which is the eighth day before the Kalends of January, in the Vigils at the Ninth Hour in order, the readings of both Testaments which I had assiduously learned in the Church, I have provided to the simple. Moreover, that edition which is known to have been translated from the Hebrew volumes into Latin, in this very manner, which reading of each prophecy is suitable for the present festival, what the apostles teach, or what the authority of the Gospel announces for the same title, as the year was already turning, I deemed it opportune that for all the feast days of the Church everything should be read according to the season. But many other things for the sake of edification have been gathered there, and inserted with their own designations, that is, at the beginning of Lent concerning abstinence from food and sobriety; likewise in Lent concerning penance, concerning chastity, concerning the remission of enmities, or many other things.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ut ait Apostolus","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'ut ait Apostolus' likely refers to 2 Timothy 3:16-17, where Paul speaks of Scripture as useful for teaching and instruction. The Latin 'utilis sit ad docendum, ad erudiendum' echoes this passage.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"Comes","severity":"info","text":"'Comes' (from Latin 'comes', companion) is a term for a liturgical book containing readings for the church year, also known as a lectionary. The work's title 'Comes' indicates its function as a companion for liturgical readings.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"VIII kalendas Januarias","severity":"info","text":"'VIII kalendas Januarias' corresponds to December 25, the date of Christmas in the Roman calendar. The phrase 'Vigiliis ad Nonam' refers to the vigil service at the ninth hour (about 3 PM), a standard time for liturgical readings.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Incipiens itaque a Nativitate Christi","severity":"info","text":"This passage marks the beginning of the lectionary's organization, starting with Christmas and proceeding through the liturgical year. The author describes a systematic arrangement of readings for each feast day.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"editionem illam quam ex Hebraicis voluminibus in Latinum translatam","severity":"info","text":"This refers to Jerome's own translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew (the Vulgate), distinguishing it from the Old Latin versions based on the Septuagint. The passage asserts the authority of this translation for liturgical use.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ad juatitiam","severity":"caution","text":"The Latin 'ad juatitiam' is likely a scribal error for 'ad iustitiam' (for righteousness). The English draft correctly renders it as 'for righteousness', but the manuscript reading is corrupt.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'ad juatitiam' is a textual corruption; the intended reading is 'ad iustitiam'.","The identity of 'the Apostle' is not explicitly named but is conventionally Paul (2 Timothy)."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"Hæc enim omnia ad multorum equidem utilitatem petitionibus tuis obediens scribere curavi, venerabilis mihi et amantissime frater.","english":"All these things, indeed, I have taken care to write for the benefit of many, obedient to your requests, venerable and most beloved brother.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Hæc enim omnia","severity":"info","text":"This clause concludes the preceding narrative by summarizing the author's compliance with the addressee's requests, marking a transition from exposition to closure.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"venerabilis mihi et amantissime frater","severity":"info","text":"The epithet 'venerabilis mihi et amantissime frater' reflects the formal yet affectionate tone of early Christian epistolary conventions, common among monastic correspondents.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"petitionibus tuis obediens","severity":"info","text":"The phrase indicates that the letter was written in response to a specific request from Constantine, situating the work within the tradition of spiritual direction by letter.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ad multorum equidem utilitatem","severity":"info","text":"Jerome's claim of writing for the benefit of many aligns with the patristic topos of utility, which later readers used to justify the letter's inclusion in ascetic collections.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'Constantinus' is uncertain; it may refer to a monk or bishop, but no firm identification is possible from the text alone."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}