A Translation of Jerome's Chronicon With Historical Commentary [Hardcover]

Saint Jerome (Author), Malcolm Drew Donalson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0773422587 | ISBN-13: 978-0773422582 | Publication Date: June 1996

This translation and commentary makes Jerome's "Chronicle" available in English, and its selective notes aim to clarify Jerome's often terse references to persons, events and places in the 4th century A.D. The extensive bibliography, of both ancient and modern works, provides guidance for Jerome's own sources. It also serves to introduce the reader to many modern works that cover the early chronicle tradition as well as the historical period addressed by Jerome's work, because Jerome's "Chronicle" is concerned largely with imperial Roman history as well as ecclesiastical history.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Latin (translation)
Original Language: Latin

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Edwin Mellen Pr (June 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0773422587
• ISBN-13: 978-0773422582
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,931,555 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Only the last part, October 8, 2004

By 

Demon Teddy Bear - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Translation of Jerome's Chronicon With Historical Commentary (Hardcover)

The book advertises itself as Jerome's Chronicle. But in fact it contains only a portion of the text. Jerome translated the Chronicle of Eusebius of Caesarea, which ran from the birth of Abraham in the 15th dynasty, down to the vicennalia of Constantine in 326AD. He added his own preface, filled in a few gaps where Eusebius had been ignorant of events in the Latin West, and also brought it up to date, adding entries of his own composition down to the death of Valens in 379AD. It is this last portion ---- from the end of the translation of Eusebius' work to the end of the chronicle ---- that is included in this work.

This is a great pity. No translation of the whole Chronicle exists in English. However, the editor has done us a service by translating the last portion, and giving references for each year to the details in other ancient texts such as Eutropius and Aurelius Victor. It is good as far as it goes; I just wish it did more. A photocopy of the Latin text from the Griechische Christlicher Schriftsteller series is appended.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Review of "A Translation of St. Jerome's Chronicon.", October 31, 2000

By 

Dr.Laviece Cox Ward (Hofstra University Hempstead NY 11549) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Translation of Jerome's Chronicon With Historical Commentary (Hardcover)

This book, "A Translation of St. Jerome's Chronicon With Historical Commentary," a work for the serious scholar, contains St. Jerome's Latin continuation to Eusebius' "Chronological Canons with an Epitome of Universal History, Both Greek and Barbarian." The editor/author Malcolm Drew Donalson, who has prepared an English translation of Jerome's Latin continuation to Eusebius's Greek "Chronicon," has produced a solid, well documented study. Note that this text contains only St. Jerome's continuation from AD 327-379 and is not the complete Eusebius-Jerome "Chronicon."

Donalson has done a fine job of translating and coordinating the commentary which follows the translation of Jerome's Latin text. The bibliography and notes are useful to any scholar interested in Late Antique historiography. Helpful, too, is the reprint of the edition by R. Helm's "Eusebius' Werke 5: Die Chronik des Hieronymus," which allows the reader access to a text not otherwise readily available.

The real tour de force is Donalson's preparation of a complex text using several type faces and sizes and languages (Greek, Latin, German, etc.) as well as footnotes and a excellent bibliography. Just formatting and preparing such a complex text for publication must have been difficult. However, the end product is useful, usable, and a welcome addition to body of scholarly work on St. Jerome.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Review of St Jerome's Chronicon, October 31, 2000

By 

Dr.Laviece Cox Ward (Hofstra University Hempstead NY 11549) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Translation of Jerome's Chronicon With Historical Commentary (Hardcover)

This book, "A Translation of St. Jerome's Chronicon With Historical Commentary," a work for the serious scholar, contains St. Jerome's Latin continuation to Eusebius' "Chronological Canons with an Epitome of Universal History, Both Greek and Barbarian." The editor/author Malcolm Drew Donalson, who has prepared an English translation of Jerome's Latin continuation to Eusebius's Greek "Chronicon," has produced a solid, well documented study. Note that this text contains only St. Jerome's continuation from AD 327-379, and is not the complete Eusebius-Jerome "Chronicon."

Donalson has done a fine job of translating and coordinating the commentary which follows the English translation of Jerome's Latin text. The bibliography and notes are useful to any scholar interested in Late Antique historiography. Helpful, too, is the reprint of the edition by R. Helm's "Eusebius' Werke 5: Die Chronik des Hieronymus," which allows the reader access to a text not otherwise readily available.

The real tour de force is Donalson's preparation of a complex text using several type faces and sizes and languages (Greek, Latin, German, etc.) as well as footnotes and a excellent bibliography. Just formatting and preparing such a complicated text for publication must have been difficult. However, the end product is useful, usable, and a welcome addition to body of scholarly work on St. Jerome.