Ælfric’s linguistic modifications of the Vita Basilii for his two works on the death of Julian the Apostate

Abstract

ABSTRACT In a homily on the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Ælfric included an account of the death of Julian the Apostate, which was derived from a portion of the Vita Basilii. Later he adapted the same Latin text more comprehensively to complete a hagiography of St Basil, in which the Julian episode appeared again. Ælfric’s first adaptation has been considered to represent a close, sometimes slavish translation of the Vita Basilii, when compared with his second adaptation, which is embellished with the rhythm and alliteration typical of his later style and tends to deviate from the language of the Latin source. Several examples support this view, but a closer examination reveals that many more points exist where Ælfric’s adaptations are similar or exactly coincide in word choice and how he transforms the Latin syntax. Interestingly, many of his linguistic modifications reflect his intention to emphasise Julian’s evil character in contrast to Basil, the pious saint. This paper will conclude that Ælfric modified the lexicon and syntax of the Vita Basilii so that the antithesis between Basil and Julian became much more striking in his two adaptations than in the Vita Basilii.