Acts of Archelaus (Acta Archelai)

XVII

...deviations are indeed mostly indicated in the critical apparatus, but a compilation of the most important ones will provide a clear overview:

Paraphrase and free or expanded translation, in order to gain simplicity and clarity, e.g., p. 13, 28; 14, 15–17. 19. 20. 23. 24; 15, 18. 19; sometimes the translator, where he did not understand the Greek, changed the meaning entirely, e.g., p. 21, 25–30.

Insertions and explanations, e.g., original: "id est in . . . humeris" that is, upon the shoulders 11, 22; original: "vel germina" or sprouts 12, 18; original: "id est sol" that is, the sun 12, 29; original: "detrimentum" loss 13, 19; original: "quod gerit" which it bears 13, 23; original: "post eam" after it 14, 20; original: "quam plantaverat" which he had planted 16, 22; original: "dicunt" they say 17, 21; original: "praeter . . . mundos" besides the worlds 17, 21–22; original: "et illi dicunt" and they say 17, 23; original: "ille dicit" he says 19, 23; original: "inquit" he says 19, 24; original: "id est" that is 20, 27–28; original: "quae obicitur" which is objected 21, 23–24. Based on this, one would rather believe that the sentence on p. 37, 14 original: "quae . . . vocatur" which is called is also an addition by the translator and not, as Zacagni thought, proof for the assumption of a Syrian original.

Doublets: the translator himself seems to have proposed two versions of some passages, although it is possible that the activity of a later scribe is to be assumed instead, e.g., p. 11, 15–16; 15, 23; 16, 16; 17, 24, and perhaps original: "ex his eorum" out of these of theirs 46, 28.

An unclear or dull word is replaced by a specific or concise expression, very often to the detriment of accuracy; many errors are undoubtedly to be attributed to this striving of the translator for clarity, e.g., mēchanēn machine/device = original: "rotam" wheel 12, 14. 27, but = original: "molam" millstone 17, 5. 18; labōn taking = original: "adimens" taking away 13, 1. 12, 29; eusebeian piety = original: "alimenta" sustenance 16, 11. 25, but = original: "misericordias" acts of mercy 16, 12. 26; bōlon clod/mass = original: "animam" soul 21, 7. 23, but = original: "massam" mass 19, 4. 17. How consistent he is in general, however, is shown by the Greek-Latin index of words at the end of the present edition.

Ununderstood and misunderstood context,1 e.g., p. 9, 11. 18; 16, 10. 24; 17, 12. 25; 18, 1. 15; Errors: autōn of them = original: "eius" of him/it 11, 6. 19 (Beausobre prefers the reading of the Acta, but cf. Epiphanius Chap. 48); houtōs . . . kykleusai thus . . . to encircle = original: "ea . . . circuire" to encircle that 11, 8. 20; ap' archēs from the beginning 15, 12. 26; physeōn of natures = original: "luminarium" of lights 22, 1. 9.

Omissions occur very rarely. In most cases, these concern pronouns, prepositions, and conjunctions, where it is usually impossible to decide which version is to be preferred. It seems kata systasin by constitution/combination (p. 10, 3) is not omitted, as Zittwitz and Oblasiński think, but erroneously translated by original: "accidit ut" it happens that.

In some cases, it is clear that the translator had a...

1) Cf. also 57, 24. 25.