For a Periodization of Coptic Literature: Methodological Issues, Manuscript Evidence, Open Questions

The article aims to provide an overview periodisation system of Coptic Literature elaborated and proposed within the ‘PAThs’ project, covering the period between the third and the fourteenth century. Such periodisation is based on manuscript evidence. The first section addresses some of the most relevant methodological issues related to the study of Coptic literary and manuscript tradition, with special attention being given to the relationship between the notions of ‘original work’ and ‘translation’, and to the Greek-Coptic diglossia. A second part examines some important textual issues raised by the late homiletic corpora, by proposing the analysis of two case studies, the former addressing the redrafting process of a known Greek composition (Gregory of Nyssa’s De deitate Filii et Spiritus Sancti), the latter revealing equally complex rewriting phenome- na related to an allegedly Coptic original text (Ps.-Athanasius’ De homicidiis).