Hermeneutics of Old Russian Literature

1607-6192 2713-2226

IWL RAS

https://doi.org/10.22455/HORL.1607-6192-2025-24-20-61

Research Article and Publication of Archival Documents

Articles

THE LIVES OF ST. ARSENIUS THE GREAT IN OLD RUSSIAN HAGIOGRAPHУ: ON THE PROBLEM OF GREEK SOURCES

Shchegoleva

Ludmila I.

old-rus@imli.ru

2025

24 20 61

2026

The paper deals with the Greek sources of three Lives of St. Arsenius the Great: two Lives have been included in the Old Russian Menaia RSL. F. 304/I, No. 669, RSL. F. 113, No. 597, etc., the third one — in the Collections of the Lives of Saints RSL. F. 310, No. 1173, RSL. F. 113, No. 630 (“Sobornik” of St. Nil Sorskii), etc. The author traces the history of the Byzantine Lives of St. Arsenius the Great, provides information about their composition, structure and intertextual connections. It is revealed that all Byzantine sources of Church Slavonic Lives of St. Arsenius the Great have been compiled in the 9th century, between 814 and 871/2. The composition and structure of the Lives of St. Arsenius the Great in the Old Russian Menaia in comparison with the Greek original Lives, BHG 167z and BHG 169, are analyzed. It is proved that the translation of the first part of the Life BHG 167z has been included in the Old Russian Menaion. For the first time, the sources of the Life of St. Arsenius the Great that is in the Collections of the Lives of Saints are established: there are, first, the Church Slavonic translation of the Chronicle of George the Monk (“Vremennik of George the Monk”) and, secondly, excerpts from the second part of the Life BHG 167z. In the Appendix for the first time the fragments of the Life BHG 167z are published, that which are the sources for the Old Russian Menaia on the one hand and for the Collections of the Lives of Saints on the other.

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