Quintilian in Late Antiquity

This chapter provides a complete survey of the reception of Quintilian in late Antiquity. A brief note on the general literature and research tools available for the study of this vast topic, and on the key testimonies from the fourth until the seventh century, highlighting Quintilian’s fame as teacher of rhetoric and author of the Institutio and the Declamationes, is followed by a discussion of the influence of the Institutio on Christian education and on Christian thought, notably on Jerome, Lactantius, Hilary of Poitiers, Tyconius, Orosius, and Cassiodorus. Quintilian’s importance for the history of grammar is difficult to determine, but similarities between the grammatical chapters of the Institutio and the grammatical treatises of late Antiquity suggest that there may have been some direct influence. Donatus never cites Quintilian, while other grammarians such as Priscian, Diomedes, and Rufinus occasionally mention him or clearly make use of the Institutio. The influence of the Institutio on the so-called Minor Latin Rhetoricians is difficult to prove, but it is clear that the summaries, compilations, specialized monographs, and commentaries which form the substance of the rhetorical tradition in late Antiquity define themselves in one way or another by their relation to the Institutio. There was also some influence of the Institutio on the encyclopaedists Martianus Capella, Cassiodorus, and Isidorus. It was also in late Antiquity that the collections of Major Declamations and Minor Declamations were ascribed to Quintilian.

“Begotten” and “Created”. The Synod of Ancyra (358 C.E.) on the Perfect Birth of the Son of God

The present article seeks to reconstruct the Christological meaning of the verbs “creating” and “begetting” in the Synodical letter of Ancyra (358). In order to assess the teaching of this document, the first part of the article provides an overview of the Christological use of “creating” and “begetting” from the beginning of the Arian crisis up to the eve of the synod of Ancyra. The second part studies the verbs “creating” and “begetting” in the Letter of Ancyra. The synodical document makes an original and significant theological effort, purifying and complementing both the notion of “creation” (Prv 8:22) and “generation” (Prv 8:25), in order to grasp the perfect notion of the eternal birth of the Son. This understanding is confirmed by Hilary of Poitiers.

St. Hilary Of Poitiers On The Christocentrism Of The Spiritual Interpretation Of The Holy Scriptures

Two general remarks arise from the synthetic interpretation of the biblical christocentrismpresented by Saint Hilary. e first concerns the subject of theologicalstudy and biblical studies. e above-mentioned presentation of the argumentsof Hilary implies that the mystery of Christ manifesting itself in history, of whichhe is the creator and interpreter at the same time, constitutes the essence of theologyand exegesis. e biblical senses, considered as the result of biblical andtheological research and study, in this approach are nothing but different aspectsof incomprehensible mystery of Christ. Because the mystery of Christ is revealedin history and is history itself, therefore the theological and exegetical studyis of a historical nature at least in the sense that this mystery can be recognizedby applying the aspect-oriented method by comparing what is contained in theScriptures with what people are currently experiencing in a particular episodeof history, because the creator of the latter is Christ. One could say that it seemsto follow from the last statement, that for Saint Hilary, there are no rigid formsof dogmas established once and for all but one: the incomprehensible mysteryof Christ. Although always and everywhere studied, it will never be understoodand expressed in words. In the act of studying it, a person constantly extractsnew aspects from it. It is the task of the exegete and theologian to update it,to make the faithful acquainted with the complexity of its message. If ordinarybelievers do this even at liturgical meetings, then, according to Hilary, eventhough they have not completed specialist theological and biblical studies, theycan read and interpret the holy text fruitfully.e second remark indicates the conditions sine qua non of the existenceand operation of the theologian, exegete, no matter if he is a specialistor an ordinary faithful. ese conditions are faith in Christ and perservancein participation in the Christological reality of the Church and the communityof the faithful. e above claim does not undermine the value of biblical andtheological studies – as understood by us in terms of erudite knowledge. Scholarlybiblical commentaries and the theological and historical writings of Saint Hilary can be regarded as the denial of such a conclusion. e Bishop of Poitiers,by encouraging his readers – by his own example – to intellectual and moralpreparation for the study of the Scriptures, also emphasizes the pointlessnessof practicing exegesis and theology if it is not accompanied by faith in Christ,in isolation from tradition, the continuity of history, finally in isolation fromthe community of the members of Church.

Hilaire de Poitiers, Commentaire sur Matthieu 33, 5 : plaidoyer pour le texte de la famille α

Three major reshuffles delineate two families (α and β) within the manuscript tradition of the Commentary on Matthew by Hilary of Poitiers. In the first two cases (3, 2; 9, 7-9), J. Doignon in his critical edition (SCh 254 and 258) favored the text of the α family, judging that the β family generally attests to numerous revisions intended to suppress difficult lectiones. In the third case, on the other hand, he adopted the short text of the β family, thus demoting two short passages in 33, 5 specific to the α family. This article shows that on the one hand the language of these passages is attributable to Hilary and on the other their content fits perfectly with his exegesis. It thus argues for their authenticity.