Mosaic Character of Late Antiquity Literature. Some Remarks on Greek Christian Hymns
Mosaic Character of Late Antiquity Literature. Some Remarks on Greek Christian Hymns

Summary/Abstract: Most of Christian literature contains shorter works inside, distinct with regard to a genre, or it is surmounted by them. There are known the parts of the Gospel, like Magnificat or Benedictus, widely named as hymns1. Some passages of St. Paul’s epistles are also called hymns, for example Cor 1,13, Ef 1,3-11 and Flp 2,6-11. The custom of weaving hymns into another works passed from the earliest Christian literature to the writings of the Apostolic Fathers. Hence, a large excerpt can be found in the 1 Clement, titled as “The Great Prayer” by some editors and translators2; on the other hand, a very short passage, just a few verses long, in the Epistle to the Ephesians by Ignatius’ of Antioch, not less distinguishes itself from the whole letter, enough to be recognised as a separate opusculum.

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