Ambrosiaster
Encyclopedia
Ambrosiaster is the name given to the writer of a commentary on St Paul's
epistles, "brief in words but weighty in matter," and valuable for the criticism of the Latin
text of the New Testament
. This commentary was erroneously attributed for a long time to St Ambrose
.
The commentary itself was written during the papacy of Pope Damasus I
, that is, between 366 and 384, and is considered an important document of the Latin text of Paul before the Vulgate
of Jerome
, and of the interpretation of Paul prior to Augustine of Hippo
.
In 1527 Erasmus threw doubt on the accuracy of ascribing the authorship of this document to Ambrose, and its author is now usually spoken of as Ambrosiaster, or pseudo-Ambrose. Because Augustine
cites part of the commentary on Romans
as by "Sanctus Hilarius" it has been ascribed by various critics at different times to almost every known Hilary. Germain Morin
broke new ground by suggesting in 1899 that the writer was Isaac, a converted Jew and writer of a tract on the Trinity and Incarnation, who was exiled to Spain
in 378-380 and then relapsed to Judaism
; but he afterwards abandoned this theory of the authorship in favour of Decimus Hilarianus Hilarius, proconsul of Africa
in 377.
With this attribution Alexander Souter
agrees. There is scarcely anything to be said for the possibility of Ambrose having written the book before he became a bishop, and added to it in later years, incorporating remarks of Hilary of Poitiers
on Romans. The best presentation of the case for Ambrose is by P. A. Ballerini in his complete edition of that father's works.
Several other minor works have been attributed to this same author. There is also the Quaestiones Veteris et Novi Testamenti, which manuscripts have traditionally ascribed to Augustine
. Most scholars consider this work to be that of Pseudo-Ambrose as well.
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
epistles, "brief in words but weighty in matter," and valuable for the criticism of the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
text of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
. This commentary was erroneously attributed for a long time to St Ambrose
Ambrose
Aurelius Ambrosius, better known in English as Saint Ambrose , was a bishop of Milan who became one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the 4th century. He was one of the four original doctors of the Church.-Political career:Ambrose was born into a Roman Christian family between about...
.
The commentary itself was written during the papacy of Pope Damasus I
Pope Damasus I
Pope Saint Damasus I was the bishop of Rome from 366 to 384.He was born around 305, probably near the city of Idanha-a-Velha , in what is present-day Portugal, then part of the Western Roman Empire...
, that is, between 366 and 384, and is considered an important document of the Latin text of Paul before the Vulgate
Vulgate
The Vulgate is a late 4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. It was largely the work of St. Jerome, who was commissioned by Pope Damasus I in 382 to make a revision of the old Latin translations...
of Jerome
Jerome
Saint Jerome was a Roman Christian priest, confessor, theologian and historian, and who became a Doctor of the Church. He was the son of Eusebius, of the city of Stridon, which was on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia...
, and of the interpretation of Paul prior to Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo , also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, was Bishop of Hippo Regius . He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province...
.
In 1527 Erasmus threw doubt on the accuracy of ascribing the authorship of this document to Ambrose, and its author is now usually spoken of as Ambrosiaster, or pseudo-Ambrose. Because Augustine
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo , also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, was Bishop of Hippo Regius . He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province...
cites part of the commentary on Romans
Epistle to the Romans
The Epistle of Paul to the Romans, often shortened to Romans, is the sixth book in the New Testament. Biblical scholars agree that it was composed by the Apostle Paul to explain that Salvation is offered through the Gospel of Jesus Christ...
as by "Sanctus Hilarius" it has been ascribed by various critics at different times to almost every known Hilary. Germain Morin
Germain Morin
Germain Morin was a Belgian Benedictine historical scholar and patrologist, of the Beuronese Congregation.-References:* Grosselin, Oliver A., O.S.B., "Dom Germain Morin," American Benedictine Review, 6:4 408-418...
broke new ground by suggesting in 1899 that the writer was Isaac, a converted Jew and writer of a tract on the Trinity and Incarnation, who was exiled to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in 378-380 and then relapsed to Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
; but he afterwards abandoned this theory of the authorship in favour of Decimus Hilarianus Hilarius, proconsul of Africa
North Africa during the Classical Period
The history of North Africa during the period of Classical Antiquity can be divided roughly into the History of Egypt in the east and the history of Ancient Libya in the west. The Roman Republic established the province of Africa in 146 BC after the defeat of Carthage...
in 377.
With this attribution Alexander Souter
Alexander Souter
Alexander Souter was a Scottish biblical scholar.-Biography:Souter was born in Perth, and studied at the University of Aberdeen and the University of Cambridge. He subsequently became a Latin assistant at Aberdeen. While at Cambridge he studied under J. E. B...
agrees. There is scarcely anything to be said for the possibility of Ambrose having written the book before he became a bishop, and added to it in later years, incorporating remarks of Hilary of Poitiers
Hilary of Poitiers
Hilary of Poitiers was Bishop of Poitiers and is a Doctor of the Church. He was sometimes referred to as the "Hammer of the Arians" and the "Athanasius of the West." His name comes from the Latin word for happy or cheerful. His optional memorial in the Roman Catholic calendar of saints is 13...
on Romans. The best presentation of the case for Ambrose is by P. A. Ballerini in his complete edition of that father's works.
Several other minor works have been attributed to this same author. There is also the Quaestiones Veteris et Novi Testamenti, which manuscripts have traditionally ascribed to Augustine
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo , also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, was Bishop of Hippo Regius . He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province...
. Most scholars consider this work to be that of Pseudo-Ambrose as well.
Texts
- Heinrich Joseph Vogels, Vinzenz Bulhart, and Rudolf Hanslik. 1966. Ambrosiastri qui dicitur Commentarius in Epistulas Paulinas. Corpus scriptorum ecclesiasticorum Latinorum vol. 81, pt. 1-3. Vindobonae: Hoelder-Pichler-Tempsky.
- Isaac Judaeus, Isacis Judaei Quae supersunt, ed. A. Hoste, CCL 9 (Turnhout: Brepols, 1957), pp. 331–48. The questions were at this time attributed to Isaac the Jew, but now to Ambrosiaster.
- also see links below
Studies
- Moreschini, Claudio, and Enrico Norelli. 2005 "Ambrosiaster," in Early Christian Greek and Latin Literature: A Literary History. Peabody, Mass: Hendrickson Publishers. vol. 2, p. 296-98.
- Mundle, Wilhelm. 1919. Die Exegese der paulinischen Briefe im Kommentar des Ambrosiaster.
- Queis, Dietrich Traugott von, and Augustine. 1972. Ambrosiaster: Quaestiones Veteris et Novi Testamenti. Quaestio 115: De fato. Basel.
- Rockliffe, S. 2007. Ambrosiaster's Political Theology. Oxford.
- Souter, Alexander. 1905. A study of Ambrosiaster. Cambridge [Eng.]: The University Press.
- Souter, Alexander. 1927. The earliest Latin commentaries on the Epistles of St. Paul; a study. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
External links
- The text of Ambrosiaster's Commentary on the Epistles of Paul, taken from Migne's Patrologia Latina vol 17, and attributed to Ambrose, is available here.
- A less readable put printable PDF version of the Migne "Commentaries" is available from Google books.
- A facsimile of Souter's 1908 edition of the Quaestiones is available from Google books.
- The text of Ambrosiaster's Quaestiones, taken from Migne's Patrologia Latina vol. 35 and attributed to Augustine, is available here.