Georgian Textual Tradition of the Alphabetical Collection of the Apophthegmata Patrum (Based on the Manuscripts Sin. Geo. N.4 and Sin. Geo. O.8)

The Georgian tradition of Apophthegmata Patrum, as well as of the entire Gerontika, represents an uninvestigated and unexplored area of philological and historical studies. Alphabetical and systematic collections of AP have attracted the attention of the Georgian scholars since 19th century. However, available editions (Manana Dvali, 1966 and 1974; Dali Chitunishvili, 2015 etc.) offer rather reader-oriented text without provision of research-based critical apparatus and commentaries. Moreover, the new evidence from the Sinai manuscripts, which became available after publications were not taken into account until now. How the Georgian textual tradition developed? – this is the central question, that is addressed in the PhD dissertation. The present dissertation represents the first humble attempt to outline the proper direction towards the better understanding of the Georgian reception of the AP tradition and the treasure of the desert monasticism in general. The PhD thesis gives primary overview of the Georgian AP tradition that was only to some extent available for the international scholarly community so far;furthermore, itdraws the wayfor further research about the AP transmitted by Georgian MSS, in terms of the key approaches and appropriate methodology. The research, in a certain degree though, covered four principal aspects: description of MSS, issues related to the collection composition, characteristics of the text, and the relationship of the Georgian AP tradition to the Greek and other traditions. To all these directions, further steps were taken from the point of the research that was by the beginning of the work. Dissertation includes: Detailed Manuscript Descriptions of Sin. Geo. N.4 and Sin. Geo. O.8, brief descriptions of unedited manuscripts preserving AP (Sin. Geo. N.55), comprehensive concordance table and edition of four AP related to abba Poimen.