Ephrem Mtsire’s Translation Technique Based on the Pseudo-Athanasius of Alexandria’s Homily “Sermo de descriptione Deiparae”

Abstract

This study explores the translation methodology of Ephrem Mtsire, a significant figure in Georgian Christian literature, through a detailed examination of his Old Georgian translation of the homily Sermo de descriptione Deiparae (CPG 2269) attributed to Pseudo-Athanasius of Alexandria. The research is based on a comparative textual analysis of the Georgian translation and the Greek original. The methodology employs a comprehensive, multi-layered approach that combines historical-paleographical analysis, textual criticism, and comparative philology. The paper underscores Ephrem’s early, pre-Hellenophilic translational style by comparing the Georgian translation with the Greek source. The analysis uncovers frequent additions, omissions, grammatical modifications (such as changes in number and the substitution of participial constructions), and stylistic adaptations (e.g., hendiadyses and rhetorical devices). Particular attention is given to Ephrem’s dual method of quoting Scripture: using existing translations for verbatim biblical quotations and translating paraphrastic or authorially modified scriptural references independently. The translation of the homily, preserved in the autograph manuscript S -1276, exemplifies a model of dynamic equivalence and suggests a reader-oriented strategy, while maintaining significant fidelity to the rhetorical structure and theological nuances of the Greek original. These features support attributing the translation to Ephrem Mtsire and situating the work within the earlier stage of his career, prior to the 1090s.