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Apollinaris, Bishop of Laodicea, & Nonnus of Panopolis: : [Greek title] Apollinarii Interpretatio Psalmorum Versibus Heroicis. Graeca recensuit F. Sylbergius [with] Nonni Panopolitani Metaphrasis Evangelii Secundum Ioannem, versibus heroicis [...] opera Frid. Sylburgii veter

Two works in one volume, 8vo. pp. [viii], 423, [i]; [xiv] blank leaves inserted for notes; [viii], 263, [xl] index. Greek text. Light marginal waterstaining towards the end of the volume. Old ink stamp to verso of title. Contemporary vellum, spine slightly rubbed.

Apollinaris’s paraphrase of the Psalms was a response to one of the more subtle edicts of Julian the Apostate. In 362 the Emperor barred Christians from receiving a traditional classical education - pagan works for pagans only - severing most of the ruling elite (by this time largely Christian) from the literature they prized unless they chose to follow Julian’s example. Apollinaris attempted to plug the gap by recasting Christian texts in the style of the great works of antiquity. However, after Julian’s brief reign the situation reverted to normal; Apollonaris’s works were proscribed in their turn, and this is the only significant survivor of his experiment. Nonnus’s work (which takes up the second part of the present volume) is in a similar vein - a rendering of John’s Gospel in Homeric verse - though possibly slightly later., Adams A1304 & B1904.

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