Professional Documents
Culture Documents
.
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of
content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms
of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.
The Warburg Institute is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Journal of the
Warburg and Courtauld Institutes.
http://www.jstor.org
HE FIRST
at
212
Lefivre's translation was the fruit of a conscious effort to replace the existing versions, (c)
that this effortwas somewhat hasty.
I shall now examine passages from chapters
25, 27 and 30 of the second book of De fide
and
PP. i6iff.
Rice (above), p. 162. Buytaert (n. above) vii and Rice,
p. 163 are quite wrong in attributing to Gravius the Latin
version of the Defideorthodoxa
which was printed in his 1546
Cologne edition of the OperaDamasceni.Gravius simply
reproduces the Lefivre translation as do the Basle editions
of 1539 and 1548 (H. Petri). However, whereas the Basle
editions reprint (with very minor changes) the 1512 edition
of Lefivre with Clichtove's commentary, Gravius reprints
the same edition but with an abridged and modified version
of Clichtove's commentary which he attributes to Lefavre
himself!
16In hoc operecontenta:TheologiaDamasceniquatuorlibris
elucidata
explicataet adiectoad litteramcommentario
[I. Clichtovei]
S..
Paris,
1512.
" fol.
2v. Cf. Rice, n. I4 above, pp. 281-82.
s8fol. 2r. Cf. Rice,p. 281.
19 Cf. Buytaert, xvii.
passages
by
Hopper,
the 1548 OperaDamasceni,printed in Basle by H. Petri (cf.
n. 14 above). More to the point, both figure in the 153I
Greek edition of De fide orthodoxaand De iis qui in fide
dormierunt,Verona, 53
23 Kotter 96, 11. 12-13. .
24 Kotter 98, 11. 14-15.
2s Kotter 1o4, 11. 17-18.
26 Kotter o5, 1. 57.
ydQ] oix
EoTal
QLQd~EvXtLaTEOUOLOV..
The addition or suppression of
1 ydQ
radically changes the meaning here. For
Burgundio and Grosseteste, who keep the
conjunction,John of Damascus is talking about
a rational being who chooses one of several
possibilities. That being so (E6 6i toito), a
rational being necessarily possesses free will.
Therefore (understood) either the being is not
rational or, if it is rational, it is also in control of
its own actions. Burgundio's and Grosseteste's
translations admit of no ambiguity here:
Burgundio (Buytaert, 153):
Si vero hoc, ex necessitate exsistit rationali liberum
arbitrium: aut enim non erit rationale aut rationale
ens, dominus erit actuum et liber arbitrio.
Grosseteste (Paris, BN MS lat. 2155, fol. 134v.):
Si autem hoc, ex necessitate subsistit rationali
liberum arbitrium. Vel enim non erit rationale, vel
rationale ens dominus erit actionum et arbitrio liber.
Lefivre's translation, however, (Gravius 126)27
makes a completely different point:
Si autem hoc ex necessitate adest rationali quod ex
seipso et libere potest, non erit rationale. Aut si certe
erit quod rationale est, dominans erit suarum
actionum et arbitrio liberum.
Damascene, according to Lefivre, is thus
saying that what is rational is free and cannot
therefore be dependent on necessity. Gravius is
quite correct to point out in his marginal note
that it is not 4 that Lefevre translates in the
phrase beginning i Xoylxbv 6v xUlLov oataLbut
i
yaq[ti] koyLxov ov. In general, however,
Lefevre follows the same type of text as
Grosseteste and Burgundio.
STYLE:
'DE VERBO
AD VERBUM'
AND
PARAPHRASE
Burgundio
148/149:
Grosseteste
fol. 134r:
213
versions,
Burgundio
EJLTEriaXoti
(xoti Y6Qtotri tIjg &vdyxilg
Pi1G ing all transliterations of Greek terms which are
6 ?ia~o~gydv~atg,oltif~latg,C8oed,, Cv:thi011)"
?odiFot'
Tt
t1lS XX1tg otacdvtct xat dQgoao6xrT1a
tadd. xac MPG
6dvZwvY MPG
28 Cf. Panetius,
cuae fiunt'.
SLaurentii Vallae opera, Basle 1540, p. 165.
214
NOTES
AND DOCUMENTS
characteristic of the medieval ad verbumtranslations. He keeps Burgundio's causam and necessitatem but replaces imarmenin(id estfortunam) and
eventumby Grosseteste'sfatum and fortunam. Not
surprisingly he finds Burgundio's casus preferable to Grosseteste's transliteration authomathon.
Although it is impossible to prove that Lefivre
simply combined the two existing versions here,
it is interesting to note that he does not use any
Latin term that is not already present in either
of the translations. (Fortuitus instead of casus
would have been a possibility). Moreover, had
Lefivre been following only his ownjudgement,
it is doubtful that he would have translated
eo'i Egiyovoiaoia xaL
as literally as his
tQ6vota
two predecessors30 even if we admit that his
atqui is a better translation of'Akkhx . . ..iy
than Burgundio's Sed.. . quidem and Grosseteste's quidem.
Lefivre's translation of ti~g 6& &vdyxg . . .
dvbyxtlg i~cr seems to be no more than a
refashioning of Grosseteste's version. Most
likely as result of scribal errors Burgundio's
& vdyxrg . . xtvyotg is
translation of trig 6i
<Ctp~v tOlVUV
to Xoytxp
oVEtLOgX/EOatL
8~oOw;0
xCtLTQERiT6v
aTiteooLovL. I&yV yr yEvVWrTbv
ydQ
vi
STv
foTLv.
dX1i tigjy9 EV
vo wg &Ht6TQonR
1Q~ato, dvdyxn tcwta TCEJI7 EatVL.TQOriI6&EOTL
TO
b6Ex ti 6vtov E~L Z
Etvtt
tItXOQaX lvtl Xali "r
t6
7l]
TL
iE~EQ6v
Tit
Oi)v
YEvvoaOt.
pt
iRXOXEtCLYVlg
trQ3ovtrat xar dtg3odtQOELQ1]rVg
PuvXa
xai &Xoyca
ooixttxct; 6LXXoLtWoE,ta 6 XoyLxa xatht xooa(Q-
Burgundio 152:
Inquimus igitur rationali confestim cointrari
liberum arbitrium. Omne enim generabile et vertibile est. Quorum enim principium generationis a
versione incepit, necesse haec vertibilia esse. Versio
autem est non entia ad esse deduci, et ex subiecta
materia aliud quid generari. Igitur inanimata
quidem et irrationalia vertuntur secundum praedictas corporalesalterationes; rationalia vero secundum
electionem.
Grosseteste fol. 134' col. B:
30 Cf. Panetius
ad loc. 'Dei vero opera: essentia et
prouidentia'.
31 Cf. Buytaert 148.
32 For variants with se cf.
Buytaert ibid.
Lefivre p. 126:
Dicimus igitur ilico cum rationali, commeare ac
recurrere seipso potens et arbitrio liberum. Nam
omne genitum mutabile est. Quorum enim generationis principium a mutatione coepit, et ipsa quoque
mutabilia esse necesse est. Atque mutatio est, ex non
ente in ens adduci, et ex subiecta materia quippiam
aliud generari. Et inanimata et rationis expertia
mutantur secundum praedictas corporales mutationes : rationalia vero, secundum voluntatem et
electionem.
(at
Sltxa
t6 t pE
xfirv? noctozctov
g6o EX i (TQtO
?x0otvmlv
a ~ TOV
VEnt
v nty t6t Ita
eliminating transliterations and calques, by 1,t6)xa
xcd
WGnJEQ
Cot
ot
C1Eth
varying conjunctions and by striving to bring nooQaLg9oWg
JtitXLv
til &th
trg xtQ g x0oy~v
T1vVtL txaki
C.yyEXoL
out the nuances of certain Greek terms even if
L
tig XdaqtogdCEaTIVtTYov o6QUGLV.
this means using two or more Latin words for
"E&L tOlvuv 3tQ6tEQOv
5oxtGao
0vta
tiv &vOQOone word of the Greek.
Q
novS xati JTLQL &c
tTS i vtoN
t1]htz lQG
l
TZEtLW03VTa
LEFEVRE'S
DAMASCENE'S
TRANSLATION
AS
AN
EXEGESIS
OF
THEOLOGY
xopl(oao-
OatExiaOkov"
pICogyhd 0o0 xdi
YEv6pCEvog
Lt6
6i.5xl
CLRv
ZT
(GEOSg T lg NtOX1lg
CLETA
t~l
tilV dnrahayiYv
OEc
trig tQbg dt 5vra
Lotxijg
xOt0'uEv
KtilV nXe
oaXGEowg
AVWOE~Lg
t1
tj
xtabV
&CEoa
T8
aTL, dVEtLY
otyLtatatO
jra8
806o
jrQO
irlaov Cl~thtov
k2Eha81i
'tilVfijrlV
xtvrl0ei, xod,trig otto oltiolS, to
O00o~rlIt, tnoot6doag t6v vOfV tO OQg nTQO-
OOLXELOUGOaL xci
torlt;g
&Vti
8oi
Xott
OVltig
add.most MSS:
jxd
dv1 dxgt:taoTog,
&t656xtxiogot56vbg
X6yOU
6.tog.
&56xtliog;6
216
tione, fixionem in malo impoenitentem et inconuertibilem habuit: sicut contra, et angeli post virtutis ex
proposito electionem, immutabilem per gratiam
inprobatum, incorruptione frui, ut non in superbiam
incidat et iudicium diaboli. Ille enim propter habuere stabilitatem.
Par fuit igitur, primum probatum hominem, et
incorruptibile, post eum qui ex electione casum, eam
qui in malo inpoenitibilem habuit et invertibilem experientia per obseruationem mandati perfectum,
fixionem, sicut rursus et angeli, post eam quae ex sic incorruptibilitatem, virtutis praemium, accipere.
optione virtutis electionem, eam quae in bono per Medius enim Dei et materiae factus, per obseruationem mandati, post liberationem naturalis
gratiam intransmutabilem confirmationem.
Oportebat igitur primum probatum hominem et habitudinis ad entia, vnitus Deo, suscepturus erat
experientia per observationem mandati perfectum, immutabilem firmitatem eam, quae secundum habiin bono est. Per transgressionem autem, ad
ita incorruptionem virtutis ferre bravium. Medius tumrn
enim Dei et hyles factus, per observationem quidem materiam magis mobilis, et suae causae (Dei dico)
mandati, post ereptionem eius quae ad entia extrudens intelligentiam, corruptioni traditus est. Et
naturalis habitudinis, unitus Deo secundum habi- passibilis pro impassibili, et mortalis pro immortali
tum, eam quae circa bonum infixionem, suscipere factus, et consortio ad propagationem, et natura
intransmutabilem futurus erat; per transgressionem fluxibili indigens, et desiderio vitae voluptaria (quasi
autem ad hylem magis motus, et eius causae, Dei illam continere sufficiant) amplectens, et intrepide
inquio evellens intellectum, corruptioni familiaris persequens eos odio, qui sibiipsis illa prouiderint, ad
existere, et passibilis pro impassibili et mortalis pro illorum direptionem: et desiderium (derelicto Deo)
immortali fieri, et concubitus et fluxibilis genniseos ad materiam, ex salutis reuera inimico transferensad
(id est geniturae) indigere, et desiderio vitae a genus suum, suos posteros suosque contribules.
voluptuosis quidem quasi hanc constituentibus
One glance at the above excerpt shows that
possideri; ad eos autem qui horum praedicunt
Lefevre's
translation here departs radically
et
privationem intrepide inimicari;
desiderium
quidem ex Deo ad hylem, furorem autem ex salutis from the preceding ones for no apparent
vere inimico transferread id quod eiusdem est tribus stylistic or textual reasons. The Greek Father's
(homofylon).
thought in the first paragraph is not in itself
obscure: God did not want to leave Adam
Grosseteste fol.
col. B:
134j,
'untested' so as not to have to judge him in the
Non enim erat utile inexpertum Adam existentem
et improbatum incorruptione potiri vt non in same way as He had judged the devil. The
superbiam incideret et iudicium diaboli. Ille enim latter, because of his immortality, became
propter incorruptibile, post eum qui ex electione eternally 'fixed' in evil as a result of the Fall
casum, in malo impenicibilem habuit et inuertibilem which he had freely chosen. The angels, on the
fixionem, quemadmodum rursus et angeli post eam other hand, made the opposite choice. Damasquae ex electione, virtutis electionem, eam quae in cene had already explained elsewhere in the
bono per gratiam intransmutabilem confirma- chapter the crucial difference between God's
tionem.
judgement of the devil and God's judgement of
Oportebat igitur prius probatunmhominem et man: unlike the devil, man was to become
experientia per obseruacionem mandati perfectum
sic incorruptionem virtutis ferre brauuium. Medius mortal if he yielded to temptation.
Lefivre's translation suggests that unlike his
enim Dei et materiae factus, per obseruacionem
quidem mandati, post ereptionem eius quae ad encia original and his predecessors he is concerned to
naturalis habitudinis, vnitus Deo secundum habitum emphasize the basic idea of divine goodness. As
eam quae circa bonum fixionem suscipere intrans- a result of this he also stresses the deliberate
mutabilem futurus erat; per transgressionem autem effort that man has to make in order to depart
ad materiam magis motus et ab ipsius causa, Deo from good and, contrary to the intentions of his
inquam, auellens intellectum, corruptionem appro- original, establishes a close link between divine
pinquari et passibilis pro impassibili et mortalis pro
immortali fieri et concubitu et fluxibili generatione goodness and grace.
is translated not simply by
Thus
indigere et desiderio vitae delectabilibus quidem vt
&attQaorov
vitam hanc constituentibus detineri. Ad horum inexpertum but by nullo periculo tentatum. In
autem praedicentes priuationi intrepide inimicari et introducing the notion of dangers Lefivre
desiderium quidem de Deo ad materiam, iram autem closes off the possibility of the passage being
ex salutis vere inimico transferread id quod eiusdem interpreted in the sense of: God tempted Adam
tribus.
by evil. Moreover, unlike Burgundio and
Grosseteste, he translates ndthXv in
Lefevre 131:
o~oo ot
Non enim vtile illi erat, nullo periculo tentatum thltv xa . . . gi6votv not by sicut / quemadmoi4
contra.
dum
rursus
but
appears to
by
'Ev
nec probatum, incorruptibilitatem consequi, ne forte
thus not only
xaCL,
in superbiam incidisset et laqueum diaboli. Nam ille be omitted deliberately. Lefivre
propter incorruptibilitatem, post lapsum ex elec- brings out the contrast between the devil and
Burgundio
I64-165:
15