Цари, святые, мифотворцы в средневековой Европе

Franciscan theologian and industrious collector of exempla John of Wales (t ca. 1285) was a forerunner of socalled “classicizing” movement within the Franciscan order. “Classicising friars” had a special concern in Antiquity and inclined to combine scholastic background and classical tradition and literature while working on educational and didactic texts. John who was definitely fascinated by lives of pagan philosophers and intended to use their stories as sources of moralising exempla, had to face a “problem of paganism” (term introduced by J. Marenbon). He felt the need to justify the application of ancient exempla in sermons. Current article aims at tracing his arguments for the use of “pagan” exempla. As a result of analysis of Johns “-loquia” sequence, following pros were brought to light: first of all, he makes references to the authority of Church fathers and other theologians who also mentioned Seneca and other philosophers. Secondly, he stated (cunningly, of course) that whereas biblical exempla were already well-known for the preachers, he felt the need to introduce some new stories. John believed that the preacher had to have a convenient sermon for every moment, not only while preaching but for didactic talks in mensa as well. Finally, his third argument was inspired by St. Augustin who affirmed that human deeds have to be classified according to their goal or motivation (finis). So, John proved the virtuosity of pagans deeds by showing that this act aimed at utility (utilitas) or honour (honestas).

Mikhail Dmitriev

From Anti-Judaism to “Judaizing”

in the Orthodox Culture of the Eastern Europe,

Late 15^th – 16^th Centuries

This article calls in question some stereotypes concerning alleged Muscovite “notorious” judeophobia. It deals with evidence on Muscovite “Juda-izers” of the last quarter of the 15^th century, and “Judaizers’” traces in Muscovy under Ivan the Terrible (Feodosiy Kosoy and his followers), and in Ruthenia (Podole) in the same epoch (recently found “Beseda na gusov”). Russian “Judaizers” were, in fact, interested in Judaism, and most of them were members of clergy. So called “literature of Judaizers” contains borrowings from Judaic tradition. The Laodicean Episle, compiled by d’iak Fiodor Kuritsyn in the end of the 15^th century, is one of rather unquestionable manifestation of Jewish influences among Muscovite elites. The explanation of this phenomenon lies, most probably, in the confessionally peculiar features of the traditional Byzantine-Orthodox attitudes to Jews and Judaism.

Mikhail Boytsov

How Alexander the Great, Moving from Bohemia,

Offered His Support for the Muscovites

The study is centered on one curious text that spread in manuscripts and prints in the Slavic countries of Eastern Europe from the 16^th through the 17^th century. The document seems to have been composed in Bohemia in the 15^th, maybe even in the mid-14^th century This was a charter, ascribed to Alexander the Great, endowing the Slavs with his privilege to possess all lands “reaching from the utmost North down to the Italy’s southern boundaries.” The “Alexanders Slavic charter” is transmitted in several deviating versions, whereas the most peculiar of them was written in one of the (western?) Russian regions, probably as early as in 1556–1576. According to this specific Russian interpretation of the Alexanders generosity, the pagan Slavs – the direct ancestors of the Muscovites – received from the King not the “usual” lands but other vast territories – from the Baltic to the Caspian Sea. The article argues that the intention of the original “Russian version” had differed seriously from the political tendency of the official Chronograph, where this text was finally inserted (presumably between 1646 и 1661) and where it later became visible for scholars.