Once Again About the Short Slavic Redactions of Zonaras’ Chronicle

Abstract

Recent research into the history of the transmission of Zonaras’ Chronicle in the Slavic Orthodox World has shown that three short redactions of it were compiled from the so-called full Slavic redaction, an abridged version of the Greek original. Only one of those redactions, known as Paralipomenon, has been published and studied. Dating back to the beginning of the 16th century, it survives in a Russian copy (Moscow, Russian State Library, depository 113, MS Volokolamskij 655, ff. 1–122v). The second short redaction has been preserved in two Serbian manuscripts (Belgrade, Museum of the Serbian Orthodox Church, MS 42, ff. 125r–221v, the second fourth of 15th century around 1430/1440) and Cavtat, Collection of Baltazar Bogišič, MS 52, 1st section ff. 1–83v, the third fourth of the 16th century. The third short redaction is preserved in a draft copy, kept in the library in Zograph monastery under № 105 and dated 1433. This redaction is in its structure and segmentation based on the text of the second short redaction. However, it contains a large number of interpolations taken mostly from the prophetologion. The article reveals links between these two redactions and attempts to prove that Constantine of Kostenets was involved in the compilation of both of them. The relevant evidence is provided by editorial remarks that follow the text of the Chronicle. The remarks were copied into both the Belgrade 42 and Cavtat 52 manuscripts by mistake. The excerpted and analyzed linguistic material undoubtedly confirms Constantine’s intervention in both redactions.