What Languages did the Christians of Africa Proconsularis use? An Analysis of Corresponding Texts of Tertullian, St. Cyprian and St. Augustine
Waldemar Jan Turek
professore invitato na Università Pontificia Salesiana w Rzymie , ItalyAbstract
The study has focused on the languages used by Christians in Proconsular Africa. Since they derived primarily from three cultural backgrounds (Phoenician, Greek and Latin), first of all, it tries to ascertain how many of them spoke Phoenician (strictly speaking: Punic), Greek or Latin. It turns out that in the studied time period, from the III to V centuries, the Roman circles furthered their own language and culture and they did this very effectively. As a result, more and more Christians in the region used Latin, and in consequence most of the literary production (even that which originally had been in Punic and Greek) survived in the Latin version. Furthermore, it is noted that it was thanks to the Christians of Proconsular Africa, and not of Rome, that in time Latin became the major language of the Church. As the respective texts of Tertullian, St. Cyprian and St. Augustine are compared, it becomes clear that there were three different styles of Latin used by these Christians. First of all, there was the polished language, in which the authors continued the style of writing based on ancient classical Latin (even though they introduced changes as to the meaning and terminology used). These same authors, in many cases, in particular in catechesis and preaching used a simpler Latin, taking into account the perceptive capacities of the simple faithful. The poorest Latin was used by those who were brought up in the lowest strata, particularly in the Phoenician society.
Keywords:
Proconsular Africa, Latin, Greek, Punic, Tertullian, Cyprian, Augustine, language, Vetus Latina, Acts of martyrsReferences
Acta Scillitanorum, ed. H. Musurillo, The Acts of the Christian Martyrs, Oxford 1972, 86-88, tłum. A. Bober, OŻ 9, Kraków 1991, 240-243.
AUGUSTINUS, Confessiones, ed. A. Trapè – C. Carena, NBA 1, Roma 1991, tłum. Z. Kubiak: Św. Augustyn, Wyznania, Kraków 2008.
AUGUSTINUS, De doctrina christiana, ed. M. Naldini (et alii), NBA 8, Roma 1992, tłum. J. Sulowski: Św. Augustyn, O nauce chrześcijańskiej, Patres Ecclesiae 1, Warszawa 1989.
AUGUSTINUS, Epistula 66, ed. M. Pellegrino (et alii), NBA 21, Roma 1969, 542-544, tłum. W. Eborowicz: Św. Augustyn, Listy (1-75), Pelplin 1991, 380-382.
AUGUSTINUS, Epistula 84, ed. M. Pellegrino (et alii), NBA 21, Roma 1969, 726-728, tłum. własne.
AUGUSTINUS, Sermo 113, ed. L. Carrozzi (et alii), NBA 30/2, Roma 1983, 414-424, tłum. własne.
CYPRIANUS, Ad Donatum, ed. M. Simonetti, CCL 3A, Turnhout 1976, 3-13, tłum. J. Czuj, POK 19, Poznań 1937, 85-97 (reprint, Poznań 2015).
CYPRIANUS, De Ecclesiae Catolicae unitate, ed. M. Bévenot, CCL 3, Turnhout 1972, 249-268, tłum. J. Czuj, POK 19, Poznań 1937, 171-193 (reprint, Poznań 2015).
Passio SS. Perpetuae et Felicitatis, ed. H. Musurillo, The Acts of the Christian Martyrs, Oxford 1972, 106-130, tłum. A. Malinowski, OŻ 9, Kraków 1991, 247-268.
TERTULLIANUS, Ad nationes, ed. J.W.Ph. Borleffs, CCL 1, Turnhout 1954, 11-75, tłum. E. Stanula, PSP 29, Warszawa 1983, 43-99.
TERTULLIANUS, Adversus Valentinianos, ed. A. Kroymann, CCL 2, Turnhout 1954, 753-778, tłum. własne.
TERTULLIANUS, Apologeticum, ed. E. Dekkers, CCL 1, Turnhout 1954, 85-171, tłum. J. Sajdak, POK 20, Poznań 1947.
TERTULLIANUS, Scorpiace, ed. A. Reifferscheid – G. Wissowa, CCL 2, Turnhout 1954, 1067-1097, tłum. W. Myszor, PSP 29, Warszawa 1983, 117-146.
AZZALI BERNARDELLI G., Tertulliano, w: Introduzione ai Padri della Chiesa. Secoli II e III, red. G. Bosio – E. dal Covolo – M. Maritano, Strumenti della Corona Patrum 2, Torino 19983, 80-176.
BARDY G., La question des langues dans l’Église ancienne, t. I, Études de Théologie Historique, Paris 1948.
BEINLICH J., Nota bibliografica. Lingua e stile, w: NBA 1, Roma 1991, CXLI-CXLII.
CHAPOT F. – L. CICCOLINI – F. DOLBEAU – M.-Y. PERRIN – P. PETITMENGIN – P. PODOLAK (curantibus), Chronica Tertullianea et Cyprianea 2016, REAug 63 (2017) 349-384. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1484/J.REA.4.2018006
CLAESSON G., Index Tertullianeus, Paris 1974-1975.
DELEANI S., Les caractères du latin chrétien, w: Il latino e i cristiani. Un bilancio all’inizio del terzo millennio, a cura di E. dal Covolo – M. Sodi, Monumenta Studia Instrumenta Liturgica 17, Città del Vaticano 2002, 3-25.
DI BERARDINO A., Punico, NDPAC III 4413-4414.
FONTAINE J., Chrześcijańska literatura łacińska. Rys historyczny, tłum. J. Słomka, Tarnów 1997.
GALLICET E., Cipriano e la Bibbia: „Fortis ac sublimis vox”, w: Forma futuri. Studi in onore del cardinale Michele Pellegrino, Torino 1975, 43-52.
HAMMAN A.G., Życie codzienne w Afryce Północnej w czasach św. Augustyna, tłum. M. Stafiej – Wróblewska i E. Sieradzińska, Warszawa 1989.
LOI V. – B. AMATA, Latino cristiano, NDPAC II 2739-2747.
MUNIER CH., Ippona (II. Concilii), NDPAC II 2607-2608.
RIBREAU M., Bulletin augustinien pour 2016-2017 et compléments d’années antérieurs, REAug 63 (2017) 385-438. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1484/J.REA.4.2018007
SAXER V., Africa, NDPAC II 96-99.
SINISCALCO P., Introduzione. Cap. 3. Gli aspetti letterali, w: Cipriano di Cartagine, L’Unità della Chiesa, SCh 1 (edizione italiana), Roma-Bologna 2006, 38-65.
SINISCALCO P., Lingue dei Padri, NDPAC II 2841-2845.
SIMONETTI M., Alcuni aspetti del linguaggio teologico da Tertulliano ad Agostino, w: Il latino e i cristiani. Un bilancio all’inizio del terzo millennio, a cura di E. dal Covolo – M. Sodi, Monumenta Studia Instrumenta Liturgica 17, Città del Vaticano 2002, 187-204.
STAROWIEYSKI M., Cyprian, bp Kartaginy, NSWP 243-248.
STAROWIEYSKI M., Języki pism okresu patrystycznego, NSWP 544-546.
STAROWIEYSKI M., Tertulian, NSWP 938-948.
STAROWIEYSKI M., Wstęp, w: OŻ 9, 244-247.
STAWINOGA R., Tertulian a świat antyczny, Kraków 2002.
STUDER B., La riflessione teologica nella Chiesa imperiale (sec. IV e V), Sussidi Patristici 4, Roma 1989.
TUREK W., Życie i działalność Tertuliana, w: Tenże, Tertulian, OŻ 15, Kraków 1999, 13-85.
professore invitato na Università Pontificia Salesiana w Rzymie https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8126-4125
License
Pursuant to the Act on Copyright and Related Rights of February 4, 1994, the Author of the publication grants the Publisher of the journal "Vox Patrum" a non-exclusive and free license to use the Work submitted for publication for an indefinite period of time on an unlimited territory in the following fields of use:
a. In the field of recording and reproducing the work - producing copies of the work using a specific technique, including printing, reprographic, magnetic recording and digital technology;
b. Within the scope of trading in the original or copies on which the work has been recorded - marketing, lending or renting the original or copies;
c. In the scope of disseminating the work in a manner other than specified in point b - public performance, exhibition, display, reproduction, broadcasting and rebroadcasting, as well as making the work available to the public, so that everyone can have access to it at a place and time chosen by them.
Moreover, the Author allows the Publisher free of charge to use and dispose of the compilations of the Works.
The publisher may grant sub-licenses.
Third parties may use the Works and other materials containing or based on the Works in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (also known as CC-BY-NC 4.0) license pattern.
