Vox Patrum

Cross or Labarum? Character and Meaning of the Sign in the Central Quarter of Early Christian Sarcophagus in Museo Pio Cristiano in Rome (Lat. 171)

Dariusz Tabor — 2025-03-15

The topic of paper is a sign in the central quarter of the sarcophagus in Museo Pio Christiano Lat 171. This is shaft, crossed by horizontal bar with two birds and crowned by the monogram of Greek letters – X and P in wreath. Two roman soldiers are sitting on the both sides of shaft. Above there is the eagle with outstretched wings. Many scholar recognized in the sign the cross and in the soldiers the guard of Christ’s tomb. It provokes many doubts. The sign from the Constantin’s vision has been mentioned by Lactantius, Eusebius, Hermias Sozomen and Socrate of Constantinople. The symbol in the quarter is most similar to the sign related by Eusebius. The most probable models of studied sign was the image of two soldiers guarding labarum on coins and the representation of victorious emperor holding labarum on medals. In the research has been applied two methods - the iconological method with iconographic analysis, and the semiotic method using denotation and connotation, syntagma and paradigm. The most valuable results of research is recognition labarum in sign. This is a personalized symbol, representing Risen Christ-Victor as a source of everlasting life. The new contribution of its result is the most profound understanding of labarum.

Victor I: the First Pope and the Head of the Christian Ecclesiae

Paweł Głowacki — 2025-03-15

The article raises the issue of papal primacy in Christian antiquity. It describes the Quartodeciman controversy of the 2nd century, in which the Church in Rome played a significant role. Based on the account of its course - taken from Eusebius of Caesarea - it is shown that the Bishop of Rome, Victor, was aware of his jurisdictional responsibility for Churches located outside Rome. This also means that the concept of the papacy existed already at the end of the 2nd century and Victor is the first pope in history in the full sense of the word. Using the inductive method in the analysis of patristic sources, the article creates a synthetic vision of the problem formulated in the topic, at the same time responding to certain counter-arguments made by other scholars who do not share such a reading of historical facts.

Journey from Exclusion to Inclusion: A Literary Analysis of "The Letter to Diognetus", Chapters 1‑10

David E. Nyström — 2025-03-15

The second-century Epistle to Diognetus has largely been obscured in Christian history, discovered only in 1436 without any prior written records. The origins, authorship, and intended audience of this work remain uncertain. This article examines the text of Diognetus from a literary perspective, analysing its content, structure, and language to discern its character, intended audience and purpose. The analysis begins with an exploration of some rhetorical questions in the work’s opening paragraph and their thematic development throughout the text. The article further examines how the use of personal pronouns and person-inflected verb forms blurs social boundaries, facilitating identity shifts and literary movement toward conversion. The final discussion compares the literary dynamic of Diognetus to an ancient conversion story, drawing attention to similarities in how these works succeed, through negotiation of identities, with transferring a literary addressee/protagonist from a state of exclusion to one of inclusion into a new community.

An Image of a Christian Father in "Vita Constantini" by Eusebius of Caesarea

Dariusz Piasecki — 2025-03-15

Based on the work of Eusebius of Caesarea De vita Constantini, the article presents Emperor Constantine as the father of his sons. It shows the emperor's concern for the upbringing of his children, transmitting the Christian faith to them, providing them with education and preparing them to take over power after their father's death.

Christological Themes Found in the "Letters" of Jerome – Part Two

Michał Łukaszczyk — 2025-03-15

This article is a continuation of the first part and aims to examine the Christological themes found in Jerome's Epistles. The monk of Bethlehem deals with Christological themes found in other Church Fathers, but original things appear in his reflections, such as, clarifying the notion of Persona, emphasising the balance and to the same extent the distinction between the humanity and divinity of Christ while clearly emphasising the one subject of both. Furthermore, the discovery of the links between biblical exegesis and Christology and the development of his own original exegetical method should be considered a special achievement of the Monk of Bethlehem. On the basis of the research carried out, it should be concluded that Christological reflection occurs to a significant degree in Jerome's Epistles.

Isidore of Seville on Languages and Nations who Speak Them (Etymologies 9, 1-2)

Tatiana Krynicka — 2025-03-15

The ninth book of Isidore’s Etymologies contains data on linguistics, ethnography, history, social sciences and law. Its main protagonist is a man as an animal sociale. Its central theme are social relations, created by a man, while fulfilling his main vocation as a relational being, open to other persons, in need of them to achieve his fullness. Isidore considers the language to be the most important tool of human communication and the fundamental factor in creating human community. He draws the origins of nations from their languages and describes their beginnings, history, habits and customs in the most extensive chapter of the book. He pays special interest to Romans, in whose history he recognizes his and his compatriots’ cultural roots.

Borrowings from "The Epitome" of the Work of Theodore Lector in "The Chronicle" of George the Monk for the Reign of Emperors Theodosius II and Marcian

Rafał Kosiński — 2025-03-15

The purpose of this article is to analyse the use of sources by George Monk in his Chronicle. The analysis concerns George Monk's use of the Epitome of the works of Theodore Lector (Historia tripartita, Historia ecclesiastica) which were written in the early sixth century for the period of the reigns of Emperors Theodosius II and Marcian. Both obvious borrowings and information taken through Theophanes' Chronography are analysed. In addition, the author suggests, on the basis of analogies with the work of Theophanes, that three other passages in the Chronicle – the account of the awakening in Ephesus of the persecuted under Decius, the description of the revelation of the Trisagion hymn in Constantinople under the episcopate of Proclus, and the description of Pulcheria's choice of Marcian as successor to Emperor Theodosius II – were probably originally found in the aforementioned works of Theodore Lector.

Bibliography of the "Sheperd" of Hermas

Andrzej Suski — 2025-03-15

Bibliography of the Sheperd of Hermas.

Clemens Alexandrinus, Eclogae propheticae (translation into Polish)

Wojciech Pawłowski — 2025-03-15

The work contains an introduction and a translation into Polish of the work "Eclogae propheticae" ("Selections from the prophetic scriptures") of Clement of Alexandria.

Arethas’ letter to the emir at Damascus (translation into Polish)

Łukasz Karczewski — 2025-03-15

Translation, introduction and commentary of a letter attributed to Aretas of Caesarea of Cappadocia to the Emir of Damascus.

Brunechildis reginae epistolae (translation into Polish)

Małgorzata Chudzikowska-Wołoszyn — 2025-03-15

In the collection of Austrasian Letters, the reader's attention is drawn to five letters written on behalf of the Austrasian queen Brunhilda. These letters belonged to two separate packages of diplomatic correspondence, which was prepared for the needs of envoys traveling to Constantinople between 585 and 593. The two missions undertaken at that time concerned the rather difficult and at the same time tense political situation that appeared in the relations between the Merovingians and Constantinople from 582. The main aim was to appease the dissatisfaction of the Byzantine emperor Mauricius due to the failure to fulfill earlier obligations, which consisted in actively involving the Franks in the war with the Lombards. The bargaining chip between the courts was Brunhilda's grandson Athanagild, who had been kidnapped to Constantinople. The queen's letters attached to the diplomatic package clearly stand out from the rest of the correspondence. They are distinguished by their personal content and emotional language, which did not correspond to the accepted diplomatic messages and formulas. However, a detailed analysis of Brunhilda's epistles allows us to state that they were an extremely precise and well-thought-out communication tool. The personal expression and emotional scenarios used in them became a kind of tactic aimed at exerting indirect influence on the emperor. The letters confirm not only the queen's thorough education, but also the position and political influence she had at the royal court. The cool political tactics and strategies she implemented also prove her leadership skills and authority.

After 30 years in the service of book... Dr Anna Zofia Zmorzanka RIP (24 VII 1955–5 XII 2024)

Stanisław Longosz — 2025-03-15