Textological Problems of the Old Bulgarian Translation of the Homilies of the Gregory of Nazianzos
Textological Problems of the Old Bulgarian Translation of the Homilies of the Gregory of Nazianzos

Summary/Abstract: The research on the Old Slavonic MSS of the Homilies of Gregory of Nazianzos and on their Greek prototype cast doubt for the first time on the opinion that the Slavonic tradition has a secondary role in the dissemination of these discourses in the Christian East. Research results prove that the Slavonic tradition is of exceptional importance not only with regard to Old Slavonic literature but also with regard to the study of the Greek manuscript tradition. These results were reached thanks to the new approach used in studying the materials. The method of investigation used is based on the comparative study of the MSS belonging to different language traditions in the Christian East and presupposes the studying of all aspects of the manuscripts: palaeographic, codicological and structural and the aspect of textual criticism. For the first time studies in Greek palaeography take into account the manuscript tradition of the Slavonic texts. Special attention is devoted to Greek codicology and the use of its methods in Slavonic studies. The results obtained lead to the conclusion that the method chosen for determining the prototype should not be disregarded during further textological studies of the manuscript tradition of the Homilies of Gregory of Nazianzos. An investigation conducted only with the tools of Slavonic studies cannot produce convincing results when the Slavonic tradition is studied as it cannot find an explanation for many aspects of the development of the text such as for instance the question as to the merits and the quality of the translation of the Homilies. If the Old Slavonic tradition concerning the Homilies of Gregory of Nazianzos continues to be discussed in the future on the background in the historical restoration of the Greek and of the other Eastern Christian traditions of these works, then Slavonic studies will accomplish successfully the assignments put to them. The tradition, which in the opinion of some scholars needed to be laid aside, can within the coming years turn into one of the most promising subjects for research in Old Bulgarian studies.

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