The Slavonic Reception of Evagrius Ponticus’ On Prayer within the Apophthegmatic Collections

An early 12th- or 13th-century collection of the Scete Paterikon, Beograd Dečani 93, consisting of translated accounts of the systematic type of Apophthegmata Patrum (AP), seems to have been used as an intermediary link to bring Evagrius's writings to the Slavs. Alongside the customary Apophthegmata material, such as sayings of the desert fathers and mothers, the compilation is notable for its inclusion of Evagrius Ponticus's almost complete treatise On Prayer, albeit here ascribed to Nilus. The manner in which this work is incorporated into the compilation sheds light on the approach employed by the compiler of this parchment book. It has been assumed that the collection in question had at least two Slavonic sources, ruling out the involvement of a translator in its creation. Moreover, the selection and contextualisation of the material in this new compilation differ from those in any other Slavonic Paterikon collections in our corpus. However, this is not the only AP collection comprising maxims from On Prayer by Evagrius. This paper explores the Slavonic reception of this Evagrian writing within the Apophthegmata collections. A central question to be addressed in this study is how the Evagrian tract was transmitted to the Slavs. To proceed with the analysis, it is necessary to ascertain whether the material has undergone any revision or adaptation to suit the new audience. The paper will also attempt to identify the reasons behind this type of composition.