In his contribution to the Colloquium, Four (or Five?) Translations of Stephanites and Ichnelates, Marc Lauxtermann will discuss Kalīla and Dimna in its Greek appearance, i.e. Stephanites and Ichnelates. He will try to make sense of the complex transmission of the Greek Version(s).

The first translator of the text is often referred to as Symeon Seth, who seems to have worked during the reign of Alexios Komnenos (reign 1081-1118). This “first” version was then later, multiple times, reworked and reformed, often by adding additional material, usually translating and rephrasing from Arabic Vorlages. There also was another independent translation, which was treated similarly in the transmission. 

One of these later Versions is known as the Eugenian Recension, named after a “Greek” admiral in the Norman Sicilian fleet named Eugenios of Palermo (ca. 1130-1202), who edited his work (or supervised the edition) in Sicily or Southern Italy.

The relationship between the manuscripts of the various versions is complex – cross contamination, etc. Lauxtermann will not give us the definitive text of any version, but rather discuss how close we can come to certain versions, especially the Eugenian, and how to work with the uncertainties that will always remain.

Lit.:

Marc D. Lauxtermann, “The Eugenian Recension of Stephanites and Ichnelates: Prologue and Paratexts”. In: Nea Rhome. Rivista di ricerche bizantinistiche 15, (2018) 55–106

Marc Lauxtermann (Stavros Niarchos Foundation - Bywater and Sotheby Professor in Byzantine and Modern Greek Language and Literature, Oxford).
 

The AnonymClassic research colloquium promotes a number of international guest speakers in alternation with close reading sessions on manuscript editing and presentations of the team’s research topics. Discussion of methodological approaches and digital humanities issues are key interests of the AnonymClassic research colloquium.

Until further notice, sessions are scheduled as remotely accessible; team, students and guests meet virtually every Thursday from 12:15 to 1:45 pm (CET). Colleagues, visiting scholars, and students (Arabic studies or related disciplines) are cordially invited to participate. We especially welcome researchers based elsewhere than Freie Universität Berlin to join us for any one (or more) sessions.