Abba Daniel of Scetis. I. Abba Daniel from Scetis (BHG 2100) and the abba Mark the Fool (BHG 2255) (introduction, translation from Greek and commentary by Anton A. Voytenko)

The publication is a translation into Russian (and commentary) of two tales from the Greek/ Byzantine version of the collection concerning Daniel of Scetis (BHG 2100; BHG 2255). In addition to the Greek version, the tales from the collection survive (in different files) in Coptic (Bohairic), Ethiopian (Ge’ez), Syriac, Armenian, Georgian, Latin and Old Church Slavonic. The introduction to the translation outlines the problems facing the researcher of these texts. The main ones are: 1) determination of the initial phase of the tales; 2) the primary composition of the collection; 3) the confessional affiliation of Daniel, the “abbot of Scetis”; 4) the texts traditions in different areas of the Christian world. The author of the publication puts forward a number of new statements. From his point of view, the most effective method of compositional studies of the collection is the analysis of literary forms, or Formgeschichte. Studies of literary forms suggest that initially the tales of Eulogius the Stonecutter (BHG 618) and of the patrician Anastasia (BHG 79-80) were added to the “story of Daniel” (BHG 2100). At the second stage of the cycle’s formation, it most likely included “Alexandrian” tales (Mark the holy fool (BHG 2255), on the blind man (BHG 2102), on Thomaïs (BHG 2453)) and the story concerning a nun pretending to be a drunkard (BHG 2101). The final stage of the main “core” formation of the collection was an addition of the account concerning Andronicus and Athanasia (BHG 121-122). The author of the publication also proposes a classification of the manuscript tradition, reflecting the cultural adoption of the collection in different areas of the Christian world: 1) the tradition of apophthegmata; 2) the Vita tradition; 3) the Menaion tradition. Among all three types, only the Vita tradition, which took place among the Copts and Ethiopians, demonstrates a desire for further “integration” of texts. The most “centrifugal” tradition is the Menaion one, especially in the Byzantine area, where the original version of a tale (for example, of the patrician Anastasia) could be subject to significant literary treatment. The Russian translation is based on the publication by B. Dahlman (Uppsala, 2007). The commentary takes into account the notes to the English translations by B. Dahlman and by T. Vivian - D. Wortley (Kalamazoo/MI, 2008).