apostolicfathers0201clem - Carmel Apologetics

MANUSCRIPTS AND VERSIONS.
^i
latter as the Short and Long recensions; but the publication of the
Syriac Version of the three epistles in a still shorter form by Cureton
some years ago (1845) has antiquated this mode of distinction, which
should accordingly be abandoned. It will be remembered therefore
that, when I speak of the Greek or Latin of the Middle or Long form,
the terms correspond to what editors have hitherto called the Short or
Long Greek or Latin respectively.
Thus it
appears that of the twelve Ignatian Epistles (excluding the
Epistle of Mary to Ignatius), three (Polycarp, Ephesians, Romans) occur
in three different forms ;
four (Smyrn^ans, Magnesians, Philadelphians,
Trallians) in two forms ;
and the remaining five (Mary, Tarsians,
Antiochenes, Hero, Philippians) in one form only.
Besides these twelve epistles, others bearing the name of Ignatius
are extant entire or in fragments, in Latin, yEthiopic, or Arabic and
;
I shall have occasion to refer to them hereafter.
But, as they are quite
distinct from the twelve and have no bearing on the textual or historical
criticism with which we are immediately concerned,
be dismissed
for the present.
they may
Of the three forms thus enumerated, the Long recension is now
The dispute of late years has lain
universally condemned as spurious.
between the remaining two. For reasons which will be stated hereafter,
the Middle form has the highest claim to consideration as
exhibiting the original text of Ignatius. But at present the decision
must not be anticipated.
In describing the several authorities for the text, a somewhat new
notation is here adopted, which, I venture to hope,
will commend itself
by its simplicity'. The Greek character (2)
is restricted to the Short
form ]
the Roman capitals (G, L, C, A, S) represent the Middle, and
the Roman small letters (g, 1) the Long
form. The letters themselves
describe the language of the authority. Thus the Syriac Version of the
Short form is denoted by 2, and of the Middle by S ;
the Greek of the
Where any of these authorities is
Middle by G, and of the Long by g.
represented by more than one ms presenting different readings, the mss
are discriminated by a figure below the line to the right
e.g, 2i, Ss, % ; Li, L. ; gi, g,, gg, g^ etc.
;
of the letters :
^
Zahn's notation is a great improve- apparatus criticus constructed long before
ment on any which preceded it, and for his edition appeared. It would therefore
the sake of uniformity I
might perhaps have been very inconvenient to go back
have contented myself with it ;
but my from my own system of notation, even if
own introduction was written and my it had not seemed preferable in itself.