Commentary

Epipha'nius

11. Described as SCHOLASTICUS.

Sixtus of Sena calls him a Greek, but Ceillier (Auteurs Sacrés, vol. xvi.) and Cave (Hist. Lit. vol. i. p. 405) call him an Italian. He lived about the beginning of the sixth century.

Works

Translator of Didymus on Proverbs and on Seven of the Canonical Epistles

He was the friend of Cassiodorus [CASSIODORUS], at whose request he translated from Greek into Latin the Commentary of Didymus on the Proverbs and on Seven of the Canonical Epistles [DIDYMUS, No. 4.].

Exposition of Solomon's Song

He also translated at Cassiodorus' request the Exposition of Solomon's Song, said by Cassiodorus to be by Epiphanius of Constantia or Salamis. Garetius thinks this exposition was probably written by Plilo of Carpasus or Carpathus; but Foggini vindicates the title of Epiphanius to the authorship.

Other possible translations

Whether Epiphanius Scholasticus was concerned in the translation of the Jewish Antiquities of Josephus, and of the Notes on some of the Catholic Epistles, from the writings of Clement of Alexandria, which Cassiodorus procured to be made, can only be conjectured, as Cassiodorus does not name the translators.

A Catena on the Psalms

Sixtus of Sena ascribes to Epiphanius Scholasticus a Catena (or compilation of comments) on the Psalms, from the Greek Fathers ; but we know not on what authority.

Ecclesiastical Histories

His principal work was translating and combining into one the Ecclesiastical Histories of Sozomen, Socrates, and Theodoret. The Historia Tripartita of Cassiodorus was digested from this combined version.

Codex Encylius

He also translated, by desire of Cassiodorus, the Codex Encylius, a collection of letters, chiefly synodal, in defence of the council of Chalcedon.

Editions

This collection has been reprinted in the Concilia of Binius, Labbe, Coletus, and Harduin, but most correctly by the last two.

Editions

The version of the Commentary of Didymus on the Canonical Epistles is said [DIDYMUS, No. 4] to be that given in the Bibliotheca Patrum; but that on the Proverbs has not, we believe, been printed; the versions of Epiphanius, Josephus, and Clement of Alexandria, have been printed.

That of Epiphanius on Solomon's Song was first published by Foggini, at Rome, in 1750, with a preface and notes.

Further Information

Cassiodorus, Praef. in Histor. Tripart., De Institutione Divinar. Literar. cc. 5, 8, 11, 17, with the notes of Garetius ; Sixtus Senensis, Bibliotheca Sancta, lib. iv.; Fabric. Biblioth. Med. et Inf. Latinitatis, vol. ii. p. 101, ed. Mansi, Biblioth. Graec. vol. vii. p. 425, vol. viii. p. 257, vol. xii. p. 299; Cave, Ceillier, and Foggini, ll. cc.)

Beside the foregoing, there are many persons of the name of Epiphanius of whom little or nothing is known but their names. The ecclesiastics of the name, who appear in the records of the ancient councils, may be traced by the Index in Labbe's Concilia, vol. xvi.

[J.C.M]