Concerning the Time of Creation of the Life of Antonius the Roman

Abstract

The article analyzes the literary sources for the early East Slavic hagiographical works devoted to St. Antonius the Roman (†1147). The task of the study is to establish the relationships between the Life of Antonius the Roman, known in editions A and B, and the Panegyric of Antonius the Roman, also in two editions, in order to define the time of their creation. As a result of the study, it was found that the following works have the common sources: the preface to the Life in the edition A and the Panegyric in the edition A (the Panegyric of Sergius of Radonezh by Epiphanius the Wise), the Life in the edition A and the Life in the edition B (the Spiritual testament of Antonius the Roman), the Life in the edition A and the Panegyric in the edition B (the Panegyric of Philippus the Apostle), the Life in the edition B and the Panegyric in the edition B (the Life of Zosimas and Sabbatius of Solovki). On the basis of common sources of different works of the cycle and dating of the Panegyric in edition A to 1581–1582 and the Panegyric in edition B to 1582–1584, it is concluded that both the editions of the Life belong to the same author of the XVIth century,whose name is unknown for us.