Some fragments from the writings by Cyril of Scythopolis in the extensive edition of the Life of Makarij of Kaljazin

Abstract

This article is devoted to the problem of borrowings from authoritarian writings in the original works of Russian hagiographers. The material of the study is the Extensive edition of the Life of Makarij of Kaljazin, compiled around 1547 by an anonymous Russian hagiographer, who belongs to the literary circle of metropolitan Makarij. The study solves some source-study problems, in particular establishment of literary sources of additions to the Extensive edition and definition of a specific version of the translated text used by Russian author in his work, as well as analysis of changes in the source when including borrowings in the text. The most significant result is discovery of the borrowings from the Life of Euthymius the Great (BHG 648) and the Praise of Euthymius the Great and Sabas the Sanctified (lost in Greek); both of these works were written by Cyril of Scythopolis, the famous Byzantine hagiographer of the 6th century. Russian hagiographer uses the Life of Euthymius the Great in the version of the text prepared by Nil Sorsky, which was the very modern in creation of the Life of Makarij of Kaljazin. In his choice of a literary model and source, Russian author is not original and follows the long literary tradition. But the combination of the old version of any text (the Praise of Euthymius and Sabas) and the modern version of any text (the Life of Euthymius), devoted to the same saint, seems to be an important novelty in the technique of Russian hagiographers.