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ER 2043

Presbyter Bellator writes and translates from Greek commentaries to various books of the Scripture. Cassiodorus, "Institutions of Divine and Secular Learning", Ravenna and Vivarium, AD 530-560.

Book I

1.9. Reliqui etiam vobis praestante Domino, si legere volue ritis, omelias praedicti Origenis, id est, in Genesi XVI, in Exodo XII, in Levitico XVI, in Numerorum XXVIIII, in Deuteronomio sermones IIII in quibus est minuta nimis et suptilis expositio, in Hiesu Nave XXVI, in Iudicum VIIII. in Ruth vero priscas explanationes nequaquam potui reperire, novellas autem virum religiosissimum presbyterum Bellatorem condere persuasi, qui multa de praeconiis huius feminae aliarumque subsequendum duobus libris copiosa laude celebravit; quos libros expositionibus Origenis forsitan competenter adiunxi, ut explanatio totius codicis Octateuchi consummato termino clauderetur.

[...]

5.5. Saepe dictus autem pater Hieronymus asserit Sapientiae librum non a Salomone, ut usus habet, sed a Philone doctissimo quodam Iudaeo fuisse conscriptum; quem pseudographum praenotavit, propterea quod usurpationem nominis portat alterius, cuius voluminis expositionem presbyter Bellator octo libris se assumpsisse testatus est; quem cum aliis opusculis eius pariter sustinemus, de quo et pater Augustinus et sanctus Ambrosius omeliarum nomine nonnulla dixerunt: dictio nimis suavissima et re vera nominis sui dignitate resplendens.

[...]

6.4. Tobi autem in libris V, Hester in libris VI, Iudith in libris VII et Machabaeorum in libris X expositio in Latinum sermonem praedicti Bellatoris presbyteri, ut praevalet, labore collecta est.

[...]

6.6. In Hesdrae vero libris duobus Graeco sermone singulas omelias expositas Origenis inveni, quae eiusdem religiosi viri Bellatoris labore translatae sunt, nam et sanctus Ambrosius in libro Patriarcharum, ubi de persona Ioseph loquitur, secundum librum Machabaeorum exempli causa commemorat, cuius maximam partem ad demonstrandam tolerantiam eloquentiae suae dulcissimo liquore patefecit, libri vero Machabaeorum a supradicto amico nostro Bellatore sedula expo sitione Domino iuvante confecti sunt, ne tam magna lectio inexplanata forsitan linqueretur, quae nobis tot virtutum exempla declaravit.

(ed. Mynors 1961: 15, 24, 26-27)

Book I

1.9. I have also left you, with the Lord's help, if you want to read them, some sermons of Origen: sixteen on Genesis, twelve on Exodus, sixteen on Leviticus, twenty-nine on Numbers, four on Deuteronomy that contain a most careful and subtle commentary, twenty-six on Joshua, and nine on Judges. But on Ruth I was not able to find any older commentaries, so I persuaded the presbyter Bellator, a very religious man, to write a new one. In two books he has done much honour to the remarkable qualities of this woman and of other women after her. I have added these books to the commentaries of Origen as was appropriate so that the interpretation of the whole Octateuch might be full and complete.

[...]

5.5. Book of Wisdom. Father Jerome, who has been often spoken of, also claimed that the Book of Wisdom is not by Solomon as is commonly believed, but was written by a certain learned Jew named Philo. He designates this book as a pseudepigraph because it usurps the name of another. The presbyter Bellator stated that he himself undertook a commentary on this volume in eight books and I keep this work together with his other shorter works. Father Augustine and St Ambrose have written much in the form of sermons; it is a most sweet text which is truly resplendent in the worthiness of its name.

[...]

6.4. The presbyter Bellator to the best of his ability composed in Latin commentaries on the following: Tobit, five books; Esther, six books; Judith, seven books; Maccabees, ten books.

[...]

6.6. I have found Origen's single expository sermons in Greek on the two books of Esdras that have been translated by that devout man Bellator. St Ambrose in The Patriarchs, where he speaks of Joseph, cites the second book of Maccabees as an example. He has interpreted by the sweet clearness of his eloquence the greatest part of this book as praise of the virtue of endurance. With the Lord's aid, my friend Bellator has put together a painstaking commentary on the Books of the Maccabees so that such a great text filled with so many examples of manly behaviour should not risk being left unexplained.

(trans. Halporn 2004: 114-15, 123, 125-126, lightly adapted)

Discussion:

Bellator's commentaries are not extant. Some scholars think that the known Latin translation of Origen's commentary to the Gospel of Matthew should be ascribed to Bellator; others, however, maintain that it is the work of a certain Huetius (Ruiz 1934: 828).

Place of event:

Region

Italy north of Rome with Corsica and Sardinia
Italy south of Rome and Sicily

City

Ravenna
Vivarium

About the source:

Author: Cassiodorus
Title: De institutione divinarum litterarum, Institutiones, An introduction to divine and human readings, Institutions of Divine and Secular Learning
Origin: Ravenna (Italy north of Rome with Corsica and Sardinia), Vivarium (Italy south of Rome and Sicily)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian

"Institutions of Divine and Secular Learning" of Cassiodorus is a treatise about Christian education and a sort of catalogue of books (in many respects similar to the genre of the De viris illustribus). It is usually connected with the community of Vivarium and the scholarly and literary pursuits of its members. The work, however, was revised several times and it is therefore, probable that the earlier versions were drafted by Cassiodorus already in the 530s when still in office in Ravenna, at the court of the Ostrogothic king. Mommsen (1894: ix) supposed that Cassiodorus had borrowed the title from Junilius, the author of Instituta composed in 542 whose works Cassiodorus certainly knew (I.10.1). Moreover, Cassiodorus mentions Pope Vigilius as if he was already dead, and therefore after 555. The composition and revision of the Institutions most probably took several decades, and possibly extended even past the 560s. It cannot, however, be more precisely defined (see Cappuyns 1949: 1371-73, Vessey 2004: 22-24).

Edition:

R.A.B. Mynors ed., Cassiodori Senatoris Institutiones, Oxford 1961

Translation:

J.W. Halporn, trans., Cassiodorus: Institutions of divine and secular learning and On the soul, Liverpool 2004.

Bibliography:

M. Cappuyns, "Cassiodore", Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques, vol. 11, Paris 1949, cols. 1349-1408

Th. Mommsen ed., Cassiodori Senatoris Variae, Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Auctores antiquissimi 12, Berlin 1894

S. Ruiz, "Bellator", Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques, vol. 7, Paris 1934, col. 828

M. Vessey, "Introduction", in: Cassiodorus: Institutions of divine and secular learning and On the soul, Liverpool 2004, 3-101

Categories:

Languages used - Greek

PR935.

Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος

PR935.

Reverenced by

PR935.

Friendship

PR935.

Relation with - Monk/Nun

PR935.

Writing activity

PR935.

Education - Theological interest

PR935.

Education - Special skills

PR935.

Devotion - Reading the Bible and devotional literature

PR935.

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: M. Szada, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER2043, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=2043