Filastrio de Brescia, diuersarum hereseon liber(introducción, traducción y estudio del texto)

Zusammenfassung

The present doctoral thesis studies the heresiological work of a Christian author, Filastrius of Brescia. He wrote the Diversarum hereseon liber (The book of the various heresies) in the last decades of the fourth century (380-390). It is also likely that he wrote some parts previously, mainly due to structural and lexical differences. The first part of this work (chapter 2) discusses Filastrius’ biography. We examine the different sources from which we obtain information about his life and socio-historical context. These are mostly three: the proceedings of the council held in Aquileia on September 381, the Laudatio funebris written by Gaudentius of Brescia honouring Filastrius, his predecessor on the episcopal see, and, lastly, Augustine testimony. In chapter 3, we start by presenting a synthesis of the heresiological tradition. We explain how its first author, Justin Martyr (100-165), established the main literary characteristics for this genre and the commonalities and differences followed or introduced by the next heresiologists: Irenaeus of Lyon, Tertullian, Hippolytus (Orientalis), the author of the Refutatio and Epiphanius. Secondly, we focus our attention on thoroughly analysing Filastrius’ Liber: his particular notion of heresy in relation to the previous writings but also to the politico-ecclesiastical context in which our author was immersed, the organisation of the work, its heresiological method and the main aspects of his language. The next section is devoted to the translation and commentary of the 156 heresies redacted by Filastrius. It represents the bulk of our research as we dedicate an important part of it to relate not only the heretical information but also any other important subject Filastrius presents with what other authors have said before, his biblical knowledge and how he modifies it for his purposes. Finally, in closing our study, we summarize all the findings drawn from the inquiries performed.