Greek Sources Research Articles

Thoughts of Muslim Scientists Al-Kindi and Ibn Sina

Al-Kindi and Ibn Sina were Muslim philosophers AL Kindi was the first Muslim philosopher to compile Islamic philosophical thought with a clear systematics. Al-Kindi's philosophical thought was a reflection of doctrines derived from classical Greek sources and Neo-Platonic heritage combined with Islamic religious beliefs. Al-Kindi opened the conversation room as an effort to integrate philosophical and religious doctrines. The knowledge of God by Al-Kindi is referred to as the early philosophy or the first philosophy; A philosophy that discourses al-Haqq as a telos that will end the entire work of philosophy. Al-Kindi divided reason according to each stage as follows; reason that is always active (is the core of all reason and all objects of knowledge), potential reason (reason that guarantees man's readiness to understand things that may be rational and require external stimulation), actual reason (potential reason that has gone out of potential limits when the soul begins to understand rational and abstract things) and reason is born (reason that has been serious about understanding rational things and turning something potential into actual). He marked the pinnacle of Islamic philosophy with his thoughts on paripatetic philosophy, known as Masya'i, which is syncretic philosophy (synthetical from the teachings of Revelation, Islam, Aristotelianism and Neoplatonism). Ibn Sina was the perfect digger and immortal translator of paripatetic philosophy who pointed to the gates of theosophical philosophy signifying the integral union of philosophy and spirituality. A century and a half after the philosophy of masya'i he led Shihabuddin Suhrawardi to the philosophy of illumination (al-ishraq).

Заметки о числах

The article discusses some cases, where the manuscripts with early Slavonic translated texts, namely the Old Bulgarian translation of the apocryphal Narration of our father Agapius and the Pandects of Nikon of the Black Mountain, show varying numerals. The apparent arbitrariness in the use of numbers is not always accidental and often finds an explanation in the graphics and spelling of manuscripts, and sometimes receives justification on a broader historical and cultural background. The need of textual criticism and attention to Greek sources for an adequate interpretation and reconstruction of the original text is emphasized.

Лексічныя і граматычныя асаблівасці перакладу глаў 1 і 2 Евангелля паводле Мацвея на беларускую мову (праваслаўная і каталіцкая рэдакцыі 2017 г.)

This article provides a comparative analysis of certain lexical and grammatical peculiarities in the Catholic and Orthodox editions of the Belarusian translation of Chapters 1 and 2 of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. The study is based on biblical textual sources in Belarusian, Polish, Greek and Russian, including explanatory and other dictionaries, as well as works on modern Belarusian literary lexicology. It is emphasized that while adapting the Gospel of Matthew into Belarusian, translators exhibit a certain dependence on the influence of foreign languages and the traditions of confessional writing, thus sometimes disregarding encyclopedic variants, or ignoring lexical, semantic and grammatical processes characteristic of the modern Belarusian literary language.

‘It is Not Good for the Human to be Alone…’ (Gen. 2:18): yhwh Elohim Among the Weeping Gods of the Ancient Near East

Abstract Regarding the creation account in Genesis 2–3, D.M. Carr observes that this text freely repurposes prior cosmological traditions, and so it is a case of a ‘fluid adaptation of its Near Eastern precursors…’ (Carr, [2020], 52–53). Building on his discussion, this article analyzes an ane motif that has not been linked to Genesis 2–3 yet, i.e., the formation of humanity from divine tears or in the wake of divine laments. Known in various configurations from Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and Greek sources, this motif includes tears of a god or gods either as a generative substance in the making of humans or as a driving force for their origins. In light of these traditions, this article considers the pronouncement ‘It is not good for the human to be alone’ (Gen. 2:18), arguing that it is a variation on the ‘divine tears’ myth. As such, this pronouncement addresses a multi-faceted form of ‘aloneness’ in the emerging cosmos.

A Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Impact Analysis of AbobotulinumtoxinA in Greece.

This study aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of abobotulinumtoxinA (aboBoNT-A) plus Best Supportive Care (BSC) compared with BSC alone for managing limb spasticity in adult patients in Greece, as well as to conduct a budget impact analysis of the introduction of aboBoNT-A in the Greek healthcare system compared to onabotulinumtoxinA (onaBoNT-A). Clinical studies were utilized to extract data on drug efficacy and patients' utility, while cost data were collected from Greek sources. The results of the study showed that aboBoNT-A plus BSC was a cost-effective treatment option for both upper and lower limb spasticity in adult patients compared to BSC. Additionally, introducing aboBoNT-A into the Greek healthcare system resulted in cost savings in pharmaceutical spending over a 5-year period. The findings suggest that incorporating aboBoNT-A into the Greek healthcare system could improve patient access to treatment and healthcare resource efficiency, as it is a more economical option compared to onaBoNT-A.

Evolution of the institute of abuse of right

The abuse of right is an important institution in the legal system. Although the concept and methods of its use may differ from country to country, the basic concept remains the same: an individual cannot use his legal rights to harm others or to achieve an illegal goal. The historical background of the institution of abuse of right to be traced on the example of Roman law, which introduced the concepts of contra bonos mores (from Latin to harm the moral well-being of society) and in fraudem legis agere (from Latin to act contrary to the law), which today are considered forms of abuse of right. It is important to note that the doctrine of the «abuse of right» in ancient Greece was limited by the fragmentary nature of the surviving legal and philosophical texts. Unlike Roman law, which had a complex legal system and was represented by numerous legal works, ancient Greek legal thought is known mainly through philosophical treatises and historical narratives. As a result, specific discussions of «abuse of right» in ancient Greek sources are unfortunately hard to come by. However, the general ideas of moderation, concern for others, and the pursuit of justice nevertheless indicate a concern and responsible use of rights in ancient Greek society, even if this concept, compared to Roman law, was not clearly formulated. In the Middle Ages, in the Anglo-Saxon law, the theory of abuse of rights developed through the concepts of equity. In the period of recent history (from the middle of the XV century to the end of the XIX – the beginning of the XX century), this institute continues to develop and adapt to the changing conditions of modern society. Some countries, such as France, were among the first to attempt to legislate abuse of rights in their Civil Code. Over time, other jurisdictions have incorporated the statute of abuse of right into their domestic legislation. This concept is also reflected in international law, where it can be applied in the context of human rights, private law, and other fields. The modern understanding of the abuse of right assumes that the use of the right can be recognized as abuse if it does not correspond to its true purpose, harms the interests of other persons or society, and does not comply with the principle of justice. Based on the research and established judicial practice, we conclude that at least one of the following four conditions must be used to establish «abuse of the right»: 1. The predominant motivation for using the right is to cause harm. 2. There is no legal basis for exercising its right. 3. The exercise of the right contradicts the principle of contra bonos mores or violates good faith or justice. 4. The right is not used for its intended purpose. Key words: abuse of right, the Roman law, principle of the inadmissibility of the abuse of right, judicial discretion, principle of good faith, principle of justice.

In-depth chemistry and pharmacological potential of Propolis: A critical review of recent developments

Background: One of the most popular beekeeping products is propolis. The word "propolis," which alludes to a beehive, has Greek sources and implies "defense for the community." Propolis is a resinous material that honey worker bees (Apis mellifera L.) and other bee species make for a variety of uses. Since 300 BC, propolis has been used as a traditional remedy. Various pharmacological effects of distinct propolis extracts as well as those of its ingredients, including antioxidant, antiulcer, anticancer, antiviral, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, and antifungal characteristics, have recently been identified. Objective: In this review article, we focus on the origin, recent advances in the chemical constituents, and new therapeutic potential of propolis. Material and Methods: An exhaustive analysis of the literature search was conducted. The standard keywords "propolis," "origin," "chemical constituents," "pharmacological activity," "recent advances," and "traditional uses" have been used to search a variety of the standard databases, such as Scopus and Elsevier, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Science Web, for research and review articles published between 1998 and 2023. Results: This review article included over 150 articles (research and reviews) that were appraised and researched. Conclusion: Since 2012, more than 300 substances have been shown to have pharmacological action against a variety of illnesses, including cancer, inflammation, ulcers, wound healing, diabetes, bacterial, viral, and fungal infections, hepatic disorders, dental problems, brain diseases, etc. Overall, propolis may be considered a source of bioactive compounds for pharmaceutical development. Future studies should consider plant types, regional conditions, bee subspecies, and variations.

Notation Methods and Reference Systems: On the Phenomenon of Cultural Translation in the Eastern Mediterranean

Abstract Traditional art music in the Ottoman Empire was essentially shaped by phenomena of transculturality. It can be assumed that dynamic cultural transfer processes took place between the cultural groups involved, including Armenians, Greeks, Jews, and Arabs, in addition to Turks, and that these processes are visible today through circumstantial evidence. Each cultural group has an individual-specific music-theoretical, as well as music-historical background, so that the cultural intersection of Ottoman art music is considered from different perspectives. Using Greek sources from the 18th and 19th centuries as examples, this contribution is devoted to the phenomenon of cultural translation that accompanies the transfer processes. The central question is whether and in what form the detailed information given on the pitch system can contribute to a better understanding of Ottoman music theory in the nineteenth century, and how it can be made useful for the critical edition of music practical sources from the period.

Olivier ou palmier ?

Abstract The oldest Greek sources narrate how Leto at the time of childbirth held on to a palm tree on the island of Delos to help herself with the effort of contractions. Under this palm tree, the god Apollo was born, making it an element of sacred worship of which the ancients said that it never died. Despite the clarity of the sources in the plant identification from the 5th century BC onwards, we can observe an attempt to appropriate the sacred tree of Leto’s childbirth that is made manifest through written and visual sources. Thus, the olive tree or the image of Athena began to appear as protagonists of the myth. They began to oversee the birth of the god Apollo. This iconographic manipulation had a single purpose: to justify, through religion, the economic and political control of a key commercial centre in the Greek world.

Не пей с ним или с ней? К вопросу интерпретации Сир 9.9

In this paper, the author deals with the problem of Biblical literary criticism on the example of one of the problematic readings of Ben Sira (9:9). The majority of translations of Ben Sira are made either from the Greek sources or from Greek and Hebrew sources, achieving a certain textual compromise. The Greek text is usually corrected on the basis of the Hebrew text, however there are cases where the Hebrew text is corrected on the basis of the Greek one, and the emendations are introduced. Such an approach ignores the fact that Biblical books existed and were transmitted in various recensions, which were altered independently. Therefore, there reconstruction of the common archetype is hardly possible. The example of Ben Sira 9:9 contains a regulation for a young man to drink wine during a banquet, however, this regulation varies in different sources. There are not so many written evidences about banquets in Judea in the time prior to the events described in the Maccabean books, so the Ben Sira is one of the principal sources of information. The Greek text prohibits to drink wine and to talk to a married woman during a banquet, the restriction presupposes a married woman was admitted to such events and to be able to choose freely who to converse with. The Latin sources prohibit to recline with a married woman and to drink wine with her. The Hebrew text advises to avoid drinking wine with a husband and conversing with him. Most of the translations ignore the witness of the Hebrew text, a popular vocalized reconstruction of the original contains an emendation on the basis of the Greek text: the masculine pronoun is replaced with feminine one. The detailed analysis of the pericope Ben Sira 9:1–9 suggests the Hebrew text is apparently primary one, and the Latin and the Greek translations reflect social realties of Roman and Greek banquets respectfully.

The Aramaic Inscription from a Cave Complex at Abraham’s House, Mount of Olives and the Hasmonean Calendar—A New Reading and Interpretation

Abstract This article presents a new reading and interpretation of the Aramaic burial inscription from the “Abraham’s House” complex. Rather than representing a curse, we propose that the inscription records the year in which the loculus was completed. Moreover, we suggested that year 99 is counted not from Hyrcanus’ death but rather from the time of his accession to high public office, either as king or as high priest. The use of a continuous numbering system extending back to a foundation date rather than the regnal years of an individual ruler is paralleled by the Seleucid calendar, and also echoes traditions found in Hebrew and Greek sources that such a system was current amongst the Hasmoneans. The identity of Hyrcanus and the implications for the dating of the inscription are also discussed.

Epistles of Basil the Great in Georgian translations of XVIII-XIX centuries (Gaios the Rector and anonymous translator)

Basil the Great's epistles were translated into Georgian twice during the 18th-19th cc. In 1798-1799, an almost complete corpus of letters, 356 epistles (ep. 1-38, 42-359), was rendered by Gaios the Rector. Thereafter, in the first quarter of the 19th c., an anonymous translator rendered two epistles of the same author (ep. 1, 2.1-3). The rendition of Gaios the Rector is preserved in the manuscripts of Ioane Bagrationi’s collection N 274 (1798; part I) and N 95 (1799; part II, ep. 150.2-359), both being autographs. The manuscripts are maintained in Saint Petersburg’s National Library of Russia. A copy of the second part of the epistle collection is preserved in the National Centre of Manuscripts of Georgia N S 381 (1846, ep. 151-359). The translation of Gaios the Rector represents word-by-word rendition of the Russian edition (Василий Великий, 1787), though the Russian source is estimated as being “obscure and not always correct” (Попов, 1902, 197). The obscurity, to some extent, is found also in the Georgian translation. The rendition of the anonymous translator, ep. 1, 2.1-3, is preserved in the autograph manuscript N A 820 (first quarter of the 19th c.) of the National Centre of Manuscripts of Georgia. The anonymous translator used the same Russian edition and the Greek source of the latter (Sancti Patris Nostri Basilii, 1730). Comparing the rendition to the deed of Gaios the Rector, it is evident that the translation is also literal, however, more elaborated on account of the nature of the Georgian language, while in Gaios’ rendition even the word order of the source is mostly maintained. Both translations follow the literary style of Anton I, Catholicos of Georgia. Both of them, especially the corpus of epistles fully rendered by Gaios the Rector, had a great importance for the intellectual society of his time.

PLP Addenda: Die byzantinische Elite nach den Eroberungszügen des serbischen Herrschers Stefan Uroš IV. Dušan in Makedonien •

AbstractThe research about the Byzantine persons who do not appear in the Greek sources is one of the greatest desiderata of the prosopographical research of the Palaiologan period. The present study aims to show the situation of the Byzantine aristocracy after the Serbian occupation of Byzantine Macedonia. The data were collected from the Registers of the Treskavac Monastery and of the Church of Saint Stefan in Konče. The registers provide only basic information about the transaction of the property, so it is not entirely clear whether the Byzantine aristocracy sold or abandoned their estates in the region of Pelagonia or Kriva Lakavica. However, Byzantine noblemen are often mentioned in the border descriptions, which proves that they had a strong influence in the region even after the Serbian conquests.

Byzantine heritage in contemporary Turkey: Research features and political significance

The article considers the politics of memory of the Turkish government in relation to the Byzantine heritage in the country and the reaction of the states whose historical narrative and identity are associated with the Byzantine Empire’s legacy. The article is based on a wide range of sources in Turkish, Greek, English and Russian. The authors believe that the Turkish policy of Islamization and the ideology of neo-Ottomanism, which are implemented by the ruling AK Party under the leadership of the President R.T. Erdogan, lead to the gradual dismantling of the remaining Byzantine heritage, which was proved by the transformation of the Monastery of the Choir and the Hagia Sophia into mosques. Turkish society, except for a few dissidents many of whom have already left the country, does not show interest in the history of Byzantium and perceives the policy of the ruling party quite pragmatically, according to the opinion polls. The international reaction to the decisions of the Turkish leadership was quite restrained and in general did not focus on Byzantium and its role in history. Thus, European politicians and researchers criticized mainly the anti-Western idea of Erdogan’s actions and rhetoric, while Greece fears mostly the revival of Ottoman imperialism and considers the Byzantine legacy as a part of Hellenism. The authors conclude that it was Russian society that defined the policy of Erdogan as the destruction of the Byzantine heritage of the Eastern Orthodox civilization (primarily due to the position of the Russian Orthodox Church), which made the Russian political leadership discuss this issue at the highest level. Moreover, in the international dimension, Ankara’s consistent policy to dismantle the Byzantine heritage affects the image and ideology of the Russian state to a greater extent than that of Greece, which is determined by the sustainable perception of Russia as the successor of the Byzantine tradition.

Environmental Determinism and Mountain Identities in Judith

Abstract This article argues that the book of Judith seeks to define the Jews as a “mountain people.” It suggests that Judith advances this idea through numerous direct statements by prominent characters, particularly Achior during his speech at Jdt 5:5–21, and by redrawing the boundaries of Judea to correspond with the Judean and Samarian hill country. The article further argues, following a consideration of environmental determinism in ancient Greek sources and depictions of mountain peoples in Ancient Near Eastern art, that this definition is used by the author to characterise the Jews as a strong, fierce, and intimidating people as part of its wider discourse on Jewish ethnic identity.

Πάντα ῥεῖ and Πόντος ῥεῖ – Strabo on the Black Sea

Building on Strabo’s references to the Black Sea in his Geography, this article examines the perceived changeability of this region as it is summed up in his work and mainly until Strabo's own age. These changes are considered through three spheres of reference: (1) Geographical – this section offers a discussion of the shape of the sea and its connection to the Mediterranean. The Black Sea was at times conceived as a gulf linked to the surrounding Ocean, at times – as a closed sea, and at times – as a gulf linked to the Mediterranean. All three ideas reflected changes in geographical knowledge and their reflection in Greek sources. (2) Cultural – this section deals with the ethnic character of habitation in the regions surrounding the Black Sea. The change in this sphere of discussion pertains to various ethnicities said to inhabit the region while reflecting in the Greek sources a gradual change from barbarism to Hellenic and then Roman cultures. (3) Conceptual – this section surveys the image of the Black Sea in Greek and Roman myth and literature. It shows how the concept of the region went from marginal to central to marginal again. This image originated in historical reality, but resulted in the unique interpretation of the geopolitical developments within myth and literature. On the whole, this article demonstrates how the Greeks and the Romans perceived the region as at once known and unknown, close and distant, and abandoned and settled. All these perceptions contributed to the dynamic image of this unique environment.

Embassy of Megasthenes

The author of the article comes to the conclusion that the famous embassy of Megasthenes to India took place in the context of an acute conflict between Seleucus Nicator and Candragupta Maurya. It could be only the military campaign of Seleucus against Mauryan Empire around 303 BC. As a result of diplomatic negotiations, a peace treaty was concluded, sealed by marriage alliance – apparently, the daughter of Seleucus became the wife of the heir to the Mauryan throne. Since Megasthenes speaks of repeated visits to Candragupta, one can think that he could accompany the Seleucid princess to Pataliputra. Recent attempts to date the embassy of Megasthenes and publication of his “Indika” to a much earlier period or, on the contrary, to attribute the conclusion of the peace treaty to the beginning of the 3rd century, clearly contradict the reports of ancient historical sources. Greek cultural influence in India of the 3rd century BC can be explained not only by peaceful relations of India with Hellenistic world, but also by the dynastic ties between Mauryan Empire and the royal court of the Seleucids. Description of India by Megasthenes, published at the beginning of the 3rd century BC, is the most important Greek source about Mauryan Empire. However, the content of this text – contrary to the opinion established in historiography – does not give grounds to talk about Megasthenes’ long stay in Pataliputra, about his travels around India or about the author’s acquaintance with Indian languages.

Большой словарь церковнославянского языка Нового времени

The article focuses on the scholars’ efforts to compile the ten volumes of the Great Dictionary of Contemporary Church Slavonic Language using software tools and a digitized corpus of texts to speed up the work and enable users to extract words and phrases from the corpus semi-automatically. One of the dictionary’s advantages is its detailed descriptions of phraseology and linguistic metaphors. This is because the hymnographic works that comprise the Church Slavonic corpus are poetic in nature. The dictionary’s primary goal is to provide information on the meanings of Church Slavonic words and phrases. Furthermore, the authors included grammar data for each word and encyclopedic data when necessary. The illustrations are complete with comparisons from Greek sources. The dictionary contains all of the dictionary found in the liturgical books, such as place names (toponyms), proper names identifying different people (anthroponyms), and function words.

Фанетычныя асаблівасці перакладу новага запавету на беларускую мову (праваслаўная і каталіцкая рэдакцыі)

The paper presents a comparative analysis of phonetic features, mainly concerning proper names in the Catholic and Orthodox editions of the Gospel Books translated into Belarusian. The basis of the study is also formed by biblical text sources in Greek, Latin, Church Slavonic, Polish, and Russian. Furthermore, translation, explanatory and other dictionaries, as well as works on the historical phonetics of the Belarusian language and modern Belarusian literary phonetics are used. The article emphasizes how, under the influence of individual linguistic traditions, ancient Greek sounds and their combinations are reflected in different ways in translated texts. It is apparent that the translators of the Gospels into Belarusian exhibit a certain dependence on foreign-language influences, primarily Polish and Latin, Russian and Church Slavonic confessional traditions of pronunciation and writing; thus, the translators often fail to use the dictionary versions of names and titles not fully acknowledging the phonetic and articulatory processes characteristic of the modern Belarusian literary language.

‘The ʿAbbas after Whom Those Who Rule in Baghdad Are Named’

This article is concerned with the representation of al-ʿAbbās b. al-Walīd’s involvement in the Muhallabid revolt (102/720) and the third fitna (126–36/744–54) across Arabic-Islamic and Christian sources. The contribution makes a case for the study of “minor figures” as a means to contend with the eulogizing and historiographical re-imagining of the Marwānid past by later ʿAbbāsid compilers. It sheds light on the status of concubine-born sons of Marwānid caliphs, who were unable to become caliph until precisely this period and the generational shift that occurred in the 120s/740s. Al-ʿAbbās appears in Arabic-Islamic sources as foreshadowing the impending fitna, warning of its consequences and attempting to dissuade his brother, Yazīd b. al-Walīd (d. 126/744), from revolting against the caliph al-Walīd b. Yazīd (d. 126/744). Eventually “captured” by his brother Yazīd b. al-Walīd’s supporters, al-ʿAbbās’ bayʿa (oath of allegiance) turns the tide in Yazīd’s favor. In contrast, late antique Christian sources in Arabic, Armenian, Greek, and Syriac see him as instrumental in the fall of al-Walīd b. Yazīd, wanting the caliphate for himself and betraying his cousin. The following analysis will demonstrate how Christian sources employed figures internal to their own traditions to understand and explain caliphal history. The overlapping but competing historiographies of al-ʿAbbās shed light on the source material and agendas of Arabic-Islamic and Christian late antique sources. This study also helps to disentangle some of the conflicting elements of the fitna narrative, while underlining the polycentric nature of Marwānid rule and how members of the imperial elite were legitimized and exerted authority.