PHYSIOLOGUS. — Name of a Christian work that gives an allegorical interpretation of the facts (or purported facts) of the life of animals and minerals. The interpretation refers to the work of a “physiologus.” It is not likely that Tatian was its author; it may be that the Christian interpreter was also the compiler of the pseudo-scientific information. The chapter on the elephant (ch. 43) suggests the hypothesis that the allegorical interpreter and the physiologus were one and the same.
The work polemicizes against the Jews and recommends an ascetic spirituality, which is not that of the Alexandrian school but has contacts with that of encratism. The author knows the Acts of Paul and lived in times of persecution. The Septuagint text is generally used for quotations from the Old Testament, but in ch. 26, in the quotation from Ezek. 29:3, another translation is used. That the author transmitted Gnostic (heretical) ideas, as might be inferred from the condemnation of the book in the so-called Decretum Gelasianum, is not certain; perhaps one could speak only of a form of pre-Gnosis, such as is characteristic of encratism. Nevertheless, some connection with the sect of the Sethians ought to be taken into consideration (v. Hippol. Refut., V, 21, 7 ff). It is difficult to date the P. Wellmann’s date, the fourth century, seems late; that proposed by Lauchert, and partly also accepted by Perry, the second century, is perhaps too early. The place of origin is not Egypt, but more probably Palestine-Syria or Mesopotamia. The book was very widely disseminated. To call it a popular work is perhaps too generic, given that the author possessed a knowledge of rhetorical art. The large number of Greek manuscripts has made it possible to distinguish several different recensions. There are also numerous translations into other languages (Latin [fourth century], Eastern languages). Its influence on Christian art, through the so-called “bestiaries,” was considerable.
V. ANIMALE, III. A. NEL SIMBOLISMO CRISTIANO; BESTIARI.
(Inst. Exc. Catt.)
PHYSIOLOGUS — Caprea or bógwov, with exceedingly keen sight, symbol of Christ. Miniature from the 14th century, in the P. of cod. Vat. Greek 695, f. 203 — Vatican Library.
Journ. of Philol., LVIII, p. 492 ff. For the extensive literature, V. F. Lauchert, Geschichte des Ph., 1889 and the same author in Theol. Revue, 1931, pp. 405–17; M. Goldstaub, Der Ph. und seine Weiterbildung, Leipzig 1900; M. Wellmann, Geschichte des Ph., Leipzig 1930; F. Sbordone, Ricerche sulle fonti e sulla composizione del Ph. greco, Naples 1936; Perry, in Pauly-Wissowa, XX, 1, p. 1074 ff. For the influence on Christian art, V. Strzygowski, Der Bilderkreis des griechischen Ph., in Byzantin. Archiv, fasc. II, Leipzig 1899; I. Sauer, Der illustrierte griechische Ph. der Ambrosiana, in Neugriechisch-Byzantinische Jahrbücher, II (Athens 1921), p. 428 ff. On the P. in Arabic, V. Graf, Geschichte der christlich-arabischen Literatur, I. Vatican City 1945, p. 548; in Latin: A. Siegmund, Die Überlieferung der griechisch-christ. Literatur in der lateinischen Kirche, Munich 1939, p. 128 ff. Erik Peterson