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Muhammad and the Origin of Islam in the Byzantine-Slavic Literary Context. A Bibliographical History

Muhammad and the Origin of Islam in the Byzantine-Slavic Literary Context. A Bibliographical History

Zofia A. Brzozowska, Mirosław J. Leszka, Teresa Wolińska

Ebook

The presented publication is a type of bibliographic dictionary, compiled by an interdisciplinary team of authors (Byzantynists and Paleoslavists), containing an overview of medieval texts referring to the person of Muhammad, the Arabs, and the circumstances of the birth of Islam, which were known in the Slavia Orthodoxa area (especially in its eastern part, i.e. in Rus'). Therefore, it presents the works written in the Church Slavic language between the 9th and the mid-16th centuries. As the Old Rus' discourse on Islam was shaped under the overwhelming influence of Byzantine literature, the majority of the presented sources are Byzantine texts from the 6th-14th centuries, translated into the literary language of the Orthodox Slavs. The reader will also find here a discussion on several relics, originally created in other languages of the Christian East (Syriac, Arabic) and the West (Latin), which - through the Greek - were assimilated on the Slavic ground.

This book aims to fill a gap in previous studies on inter-religious polemics in the Middle Ages, which has usually focused on Christian-Muslim cultural relations, analyzing Greek and Latin texts or the works written in one of the Middle Eastern languages, almost completely ignoring the Church Slavic heritage. It is worth noting that a number of the texts presented here (as well as Slavic translations of Byzantine sources) have not been published so far. The information on them, provided in this monograph, is therefore the result of research conducted directly on the manuscript material.

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This publication represents a very high professional level. It is a unique, pioneering achievement that raises the level of knowledge about the reception of Old Rus' literature until the mid-16th century in the context of what had been written about the prophet Muhammad and the birth of Islam in the 7th century. The discourse is very specific, consistent, diligent, meticulous, yet not "verbose". The analysis of the cited literature clearly shows that the state of research on individual works is well known to the authors and that this review includes the most recent findings.

Prof. Zdzisław Pentek
Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań

Introduction              1

 

List of Abbreviations           7

 

  1. Ammonius, Relatio on the Slaughter of the Monks of Sinai and Rhaithou Zofia A. Brzozowska, Teresa Wolińska 9
  2. John Malalas, Chronicle Zofia A. Brzozowska, Teresa Wolińska 17
  3. The Lives of St. Symeon Stylites the Younger Zofia A. Brzozowska, Teresa Wolińska      24
  4. John Moschus, The Spiritual Meadow Zofia A. Brzozowska, Teresa Wolińska        40
  5. Doctrina Iacobi Zofia A. Brzozowska, Teresa Wolińska   51
  6. Sophronius of Jerusalem, Synodical Letter Zofia A. Brzozowska, Teresa Wolińska           59
  7. The Quran Zofia A. Brzozowska, Mirosław J. Leszka             66
  8. The Martyrdom of St. Arethas Zofia A. Brzozowska, Teresa Wolińska 71
  9. The Apocalypse of Pseudo-Methodius Zofia A. Brzozowska, Teresa Wolińska              83
  10. Anastasius of Sinai, Questions and Answers Zofia A. Brzozowska, Teresa Wolińska         105
  11. John of Damascus, On Heresies Zofia A. Brzozowska, Mirosław J. Leszka 114
  12. Michael Syncellus, Unknown refutation of Islam Zofia A. Brzozowska, Mirosław J. Leszka  124
  13. Disputation between a Christian and a Saracen Zofia A. Brzozowska, Teresa Wolińska      132
  14. Theophanes, Chronographia Zofia A. Brzozowska, Mirosław J. Leszka 139
  15. Nicephorus, the patriarch of Constantinople, Concise Chronography Zofia A. Brzozowska, Mirosław J. Leszka    145
  16. The Life of St. John of Damascus Zofia A. Brzozowska, Mirosław J. Leszka               151
  17. The Apocalypse of Daniel Zofia A. Brzozowska, Teresa Wolińska    156
  18. Gregory Decapolite, The Historical Sermon About a Vision Which a Saracen Once Had Zofia A. Brzozowska, Mirosław J. Leszka 177
  19. The Formula of Abjuration of Islam Zofia A. Brzozowska, Mirosław J. Leszka 183
  20. George the Monk (Hamartolus), Chronicle Zofia A. Brzozowska, Mirosław J. Leszka     190
  21. The Life of St. Constantine-Cyril (the Philosopher) Zofia A. Brzozowska, Mirosław J. Leszka         198
  22. The Life of St. Gregentius, archbishop of the Himyarites (St. Gregory of Taphar) Zofia A. Brzozowska, Teresa Wolińska 204
  23. The Life of St. Basil the Younger Zofia A. Brzozowska, Teresa Wolińska      213
  24. Nicephorus, The Life of St. Andrew the Fool (Salos) Zofia A. Brzozowska, Teresa Wolińska            225
  25. Symeon Magister and Logothete, Chronicle Zofia A. Brzozowska, Mirosław J. Leszka                240
  26. John Zonaras, Epitome historiarum Zofia A. Brzozowska, Mirosław J. Leszka         246
  27. Constantine Manasses, Chronicle Zofia A. Brzozowska, Mirosław J. Leszka             253
  28. The Life of St. Theodore of Edessa Zofia A. Brzozowska, Teresa Wolińska   259
  29. The Story of How Prince Vladimir Chose the Religion Zofia A. Brzozowska  272
  30. Euthymius Zigabenus, Panoplia Dogmatica Zofia A. Brzozowska, Teresa Wolińska          281
  31. Riccoldo da Monte Croce, Contra legem Sarracenorum Zofia A. Brzozowska, Teresa Wolińska          289
  32. The Sermon on Idols Zofia A. Brzozowska     302
  33. Palaea Interpretata Zofia A. Brzozowska       306
  34. John VI Cantacuzene, Four Apologies, Four Orations against Muhammad Zofia A. Brzozowska, Mirosław J. Leszka 312
  35. On Bohmit the Heretic Zofia A. Brzozowska 317
  36. The Tale of the Rout of Mamai Zofia A. Brzozowska      326
  37. Afanasy Nikitin, The Journey Beyond Three Seas Zofia A. Brzozowska          333
  38. The Tale of the Shameful Saracen Faith Zofia A. Brzozowska 342
  39. Maximus the Greek (Michael Trivolis) Zofia A. Brzozowska 347

 

Indices              359

  1. Index of People             359
  2. Index of Ethnic and Geographic Names             371

 

Abstract           377

  • Title: Muhammad and the Origin of Islam in the Byzantine-Slavic Literary Context. A Bibliographical History
  • Author: Zofia A. Brzozowska, Mirosław J. Leszka, Teresa Wolińska
  • ISBN: 978-83-8220-342-4, 9788382203424
  • Date of issue: 2021-03-25
  • Format: Ebook
  • Item ID: e_208r
  • Publisher: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego