Georgian · Other ·
Cyr.Alex. · titus
Work dossier · summary and historical context
This dossier concerns the Georgian translation of Cyril of Alexandria's Commentary on the Apostolicum, attributed to the Athonite translator Euthymius the Athonite (ca. 955–1028). The Old Georgian text survives in a single 11th-century manuscript witness, and no Greek original is known. The work was used in medieval Georgian ecclesiastical tradition, likely for catechetical or liturgical instruction, reflecting the Athonite emphasis on patristic translation. The commentary opens with a hagiographic incipit identifying Cyril as author and includes claims about his translations of prophetic books into Georgian, which are likely scribal additions. The text is part of the Georgian reception of Cyril's exegetical works, often abbreviated for monastic use.
This Georgian translation is significant as the earliest complete witness to Cyril of Alexandria's lost Greek commentary on the Apostolicum. It illustrates the Athonite school's role in transmitting patristic exegesis to the Georgian church and the adaptation of such works for monastic and catechetical use. The text also reveals how Georgian scribes shaped the reception of Cyril, adding claims about his translation activities that reflect local traditions.
The Georgian version of Cyril of Alexandria's Commentary on the Apostolicum was translated by Euthymius the Athonite (ca. 955–1028), a key figure of the Athonite school of Georgian monasticism on Mount Athos. The translation survives in a single 11th-century manuscript, likely produced in the same milieu. The original Greek commentary by Cyril (d. 444) is lost; the Georgian version may be the earliest complete witness. The text was used in medieval Georgian ecclesiastical tradition, probably for catechetical or liturgical instruction, reflecting the Athonite emphasis on translating patristic works into Georgian. The commentary includes a hagiographic incipit and claims that Cyril translated all prophetic books into Georgian, a claim not found in Greek sources and likely a Georgian scribal addition. The work also references John Chrysostom's translations of Paul's epistles and names Basil of Caesarea and Gregory the Theologian as translators of Chrysostom's homilies, indicating the collaborative transmission of patristic texts in Georgian. The present edition is based on a single manuscript without critical apparatus, so variant readings or scribal errors may remain undetected.
Apparatus · what the pipeline recorded
| Coptic | Rendering | Count | First |
|---|---|---|---|
| no glossary terms recorded | |||