Alexandrova Tatiana

Poems from Codex Visionum (Pap. Bodmer 30‒36)

Abstract

This publication presents a translation of seven poems from the so-called Codex visionum, kept in Bodmer’s collection of the papyri (Pap. Bodmer 30–36). The Codex originates from a library of a Pachomian monastery in Egypt. These are small poems on Christian topics written in hexametres (only one poem — To the Righteous — is written in elegiac distichs). Some of them contain an alphabetic acrostic. All these poems apparently date from the 4th century, but could also be written by diff erent authors in different times. All the authors seem to have obtained a thorough school education, all of them are familiar with common rhetorical techniques, e.g. with the ethopoeia. As regards the content, all these poems are united by strict asceticism reaching as far as dualism, and by the idea of necessity of suff ering for Christ, perhaps non martyric, but monastic. This collection sheds light on the mentality of the educated people of the 4th century who devoted themselves to monasticism.

Keywords

Codex visionum, papyri, Bodmer’s collection of papyri, poem, hexametre, ethopoeia, monastic literature, Early Christian poetry, Late Ancient literature

References

1. Alexandrova T. (transl., comment.) (2019) “Videnie Dorofeia (Pap. Bodmer, 29)” [Visio Dorothei (Pap. Bodmer, 29]. Vestnik PSTGU. Seriia III: Filologiia, 2019, no. 59, pp. 57–72 (in Russian).
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3. Hurst A., Rudhardt J. (eds.) (1999) Papyri Bodmer XXX–XXXVII: «Codex des Visions»: poè mes divers (Bibliotheca Bodmeriana). München.
4. Kessels A., Van der Horst P. (eds.) (1987) “The Vision of Dorotheus (Pap. Bodmer 29)”. Vigiliae Christianae, 1987, vol. 41, no. 4, pp. 313–359.
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6. Miguélez-Cavero L. (2013) “Rhetoric for a Christian Community: the poems of the Codex visionum”, in The Purpose of Rhetoric in Late Antiquity. Tübingen, 2013, pp. 91–122.
7. Robinson J. (2013) The Story of the Bodmer Papyri. From the First Monastery’s Library in Upper Egypt to Geneva and Dublin. Cambridge.

Information about the author

Alexandrova Tatiana

Academic Degree: Candidate of Sciences* in Philology;
Place of work: St. Tikhon’s University for the Humanities; 6/1 Likhov Pereulok, Moscow 127051, Russian Federation;
ORCID: 0000-0002-6963-2263;
Email: tatianaalexandrova@yandex.ru.

*According to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) 2011, the degree of Candidate of Sciences (Cand.Sc.) belongs to ISCED level 8 — "doctoral or equivalent", together with PhD, DPhil, D.Lit, D.Sc, LL.D, Doctorate or similar.