Note on Translations, Biblical Quotations and References
Since we do not possess a correct English translation of Theodore’s Catechetical Homilies, in this dissertation, I attempted to emend the old translation made by Alphonse Mingana, the first editor of the Homilies (published in 1932–1933). Due to the objections that have been raised to the accuracy of Mingana’s edition of the Homilies’ Syriac text, I have checked his edition against the MS. Mingana Syr 561 with which Mingana worked and which was also published by Raymond Tonneau and Robert Devreesse in 1948. In emending Mingana’s translation, I aimed to render it, on the one hand, closer to the original and on the other, more reader-friendly, where possible. I indicated my remarks and corrections in footnotes, giving Mingana’s options and the French translation (published by Tonneau in 1948 together with the photocopy of MS. Mingana Syr 561) for comparison.
All translations from Greek and Latin are mine if not indicated otherwise.
The biblical quotations are rendered according to the manner in which Theodore cited them in the Homilies, if not indicated otherwise (e.g., see the Supporting Material). As for the numbering of biblical verses, I mainly follow the NRSV, if not indicated that a particular quotation is according to Septuagint.
Theodore’s Catechetical Homilies are cited according to both editions, Mingana’s and Tonneau’s. Hence, the series and volume are cited first and then, page numbers for the Syriac original and the English and French translation. For example, Theodore’s exegesis on Gen 3:1–6 is referred to as follows: WS V, 166–167; 56. StT 145, f. 29 v.; 115. Here WS V = volume 5 of Woodbrooke Studies, 166–167 = the pages of the Syriac text, 56 = the page of the English translation; StT 145 = volume 145 of Studi e Testi, f. 29v. = the photocopy of the folio of the MS Mingana Syr 561 reproduced in Tonneau’s edition, and 115 = the page of the French translation. In order not to complicate already lengthy references, I omit the names of the editors. The rest of Theodore’s works is referred mentioning the name of the editor, series, volume and page numbers (e.g., Vosté, CSCO 115, Syr. 62; 3 = Vosté Jacque Marie, ed. Theodori Mopsuesteni Commentarius in Evangelium Iohannis Apostoli. CSCO 115, Syr. 62 (Louvain: Secrétariat du CSCO, 1940), 3.)
Referring to other ancient sources that have a standard inner division into books, chapters and paragraphs, for practical reasons, I refer to those using only their Latin title and numbers of chapters and paragraphs; for example, Const. Apost. V.16. As for the sources that do not have chapters and paragraphs, I cite the Latin title of the work and, in parentheses, the series in which it was published, a volume and page numbers. For instance, Gregory of Nyssa, In diem lum. (GNO IX, 240). I also mention the series and volume number in the case of John Chrysostom’s Baptismal Instructions, published in two collections in SC 50 and SC 366, in order to distinguish the homilies that have the same Latin title, for example, Catech. I, 23 (SC 50, 120). If a work that does not have internal division of the text was not published in a series, I refer to it by the name of the editor, volume and page numbers (e.g., Wright, I, 26 for the Syriac Acts of John, page 26).