Per Isacco di Ninive

Abstract

For Isaac of Niniveh
The present paper concerns Isaac of Nineveh and consists of two parts. In the first one Isaac’s passage about Secundus, the silent philosopher (homily 57 in the original Syriac text, homily 25 in the Greek translation), is compared with other texts about him, in particular the Life ofSecundus in the papyrus and in the manuscript tradition and ancient and medieval translations of the same work. Through a close examination, the author proposes several textual emendations and exegetical explications. Since Isaac’s discourses were quite widespread, they greatly contributed to keep alive the memory of Secundus himself, especially in monastic circles. The second part of this paper presents the critical edition (based on ms. Marc. Gr. ii 64, written in 1664) and the Italian translation of the modern Greek translation (or better paraphrase) of Isaac’s precepts to novices by Dionysios hieromonachos. The source is to be identified with Isaac’s homily 10 in the Greek translation.
frdenicola@libero.it