The Pilgrimage of Egeria: A New Translation of the Itinerarium Egeriae with Introduction and Commentary. By Anne McGowan and Paul F. Bradshaw

Abstract

It is nearly twenty years since an English version of Egeria last appeared (Wilkinson’s third edition in 1999), and so a case may be made for a new version. The authors suggest that their version improves on previous attempts in a more literal attempt to render Egeria’s rather breathless prose, and in updating material on women’s pilgrimage activities. They have decided not to treat more recent developments in the growth of asceticism and monasticism, which might cast light on Egeria’s status. Given the existence of other English versions of this material I have sampled a few passages of interest in order to compare the works and adjudge the success of the authors. The results are in each case similar. At 20.5–7, on the matter of the visit of monastics to the shrine of Helpidius, Gingras presents a literate rendition, Wilkinson rather confuses matters, and McGowan and Bradshaw are probably closest to Egeria in spirit as well as managing to convey meaning. In terms of annotation, whereas Bradshaw and McGowan manage to cover what is essential for understanding, Gingras is more convincing, particularly on the identity of Helpidius and the nature of Abraham’s ‘memorial’; Wilkinson does not help at all on these matters.