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86 EPISTLES OF S. IGNATIUS.
already given. Others are paraphrases of the author's meaning, or
explain the construction, or call attention to the importance of the
subject matter.
(iii)
Armenian [A].
With characteristic penetration Ussher had foreseen the probability
that an Armenian version of the Ignatian Epistles would be found {Life
and Letters xvi. p. 64 sq). This version was first printed at Constantinople
in 1783; see Neumann Versuch ehier Geschichte der ArmeniscJwi
Literatur ^. 73 sq (Leipzig 1836), who translates from PI. Sukias Somal
Quadro delle Opere di vari autori anticamente tradotte in Armetio p. 10
(Venezia 1825); see Cureton C. L. p. xvi. More recently
it has been
rendered accessible to others besides Armenian scholars by Petermann,
who has reprinted and translated
the whole, paragraph by paragraph, in
his edition of Ignatius (Lipsise 1849). This version contains the
epistles in the following order: (i) Srayrnseans, (2) Polycarp, (3) Ephesians,
(4) Magnesians, (5) Trallians, (6) Philadelphians', (7) Romans,
(8) Antiochenes, (9) Mary to Ignatius, (10) Ignatius to Mary, (11) Tarsians,
(12) Hero (here called Urio), (13) Philippians. It was printed
from five mss, which appear to be no longer extant or at least accessible
; but only three various readings are given in the margin, and
these on the Epistle to the Smyrn^eans. The editor Minas, an Armenian
bishop, states in the preface that he corrected some errors by a
comparison of the mss. Thus the cditio princeps is wholly uncritical ;
and as Petermann, not being able to consult any mss, was obliged to
reprint it as he found it, the value of this version for textual purposes
is very seriously impaired.
The golden era of Armenian literature was the fifth century.
It was
especially rich in versions from the Greek and Syriac, scholars having
been despatched by the famous Mesrob far and wide to collect manuscripts
in both languages for the purposes of translation'. To the fifth
century accordingly the Armenian version of Ignatius is attributed by
Somal, and the same is also the opinion of Petermann (p. xxv sq).
The latter critic gives this as the common tradition of the Armenians,
and considers that the internal evidence is favourable to its truth. The
following are his reasons, (i)
The language
— more especially in the
forms of the proper names — points to an early and pure stage in its
development. He allows however that there are several exceptions,
^
The order is correctly given by Peter- delphians, (6) Trallians, as in the Greek,
mann (p. vi). Somal, followed by Neu- ^
See 6". Clement of Rome i. p. 213
mann, transposes and gives it, (5) Phila- (2nd edition).