SEXTUS, Sentences of. - A collection of sentences that goes under the name of S.

The author is mentioned for the first time by Origen (Contra Cels., VIII, 30, p. 345, 12, ed. P. Kötschau [CB, 2], and Comm. in Matth., XV, III, p. 354, 19 ff., 25 ff., ed. E. Klostermann [CB, 11]). A Latin translation of 451 sentences was made by Rufinus, who reports a tradition according to which the author of the collection would be the bishop and martyr Sixtus of Rome (Sixtus II [257-58]). Against this attribution St. Jerome spoke out, for whom S. is a Pythagorean and a pagan (Ep. ad Ctesiphontem, 133, 3: PL 22, 1152; In Jeremiam, IV, 22: ibid., 24, 817 A), which however did not prevent him from citing twice with approval a sentence of S. (Adv. Jervin., I, 49: PL 23, 293 C; In Ezechiel., VI, 18: ibid. 25, 173 C). The sentences of S. enjoyed a certain authority in antiquity and in the Middle Ages. In the Rule of St. Benedict, ch. 7 (p. 39 and 184, ed. Butler), a sentence is cited. The author of the collection was certainly a Christian (probably Egyptian), endowed with a broad understanding also for Greek wisdom, who probably knew analogous pagan collections. That the author was a member of the Jewish sect of the Essenes is to be excluded. An ascetic tendency is undeniable.

Bibliography

BIBL.: besides the Latin translation there exist two Syriac translations, v. A. Baumstark, Gesch. der syrisch. Literatur, Bonn 1922, p. 170 and n. 6, and a translation in the Armenian language, v. T. Hermann in Zeitschr. für Kirchengesch., 1938, p. 217 ff. The Latin text and the Syriac translations (translated into Latin) were published by J. Gildemeister, Sexti sententiarum recensiones, Bonn 1873. The Greek text was discovered and published by A. Elter, Onomica, I. Sexti Pythagorici, Clitorchi, Evagrii Pontici sententiae, Leipzig 1892. On S. in the Rule of St. Benedict, v. P. Courcelle, Les lettres gr. en Occident, Paris 1943, p. 313, and S. Brechter, in Benedictus, Vater des Abendlandes, Munich 1947, p. 135 ff. On S. in Jonas of Orléans and Sedulius Scotus v. Manitius, II, p. 804. S. in the Summa of Prepositinus, v. Landgraf, in Collect. Francis., 1 (1931), p. 289 ff. On the attitude of St. Augustine, v. B. Altaner, in Anal. Bolland., 67 (1949), p. 236 ff. V. also W. Kroll, s. v., in Pauly-Wissowa, 2nd series, II, p. 2061 ff., and J. Kroll in Edg. Henneche, Neustentamentl. Apokryphen, 2nd ed., Tübingen 1924, p. 625 ff. V. also: Le S. di S. with introduction, text and translation by F. de Paola, Milan 1937. This author has maintained that S. was an Essene.

Erik Peterson

@incollection{ec11_sesto_sentenze_di, author = {Peterson, Erik}, title = {Sesto, sentenze di}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {XI}, pages = {429--430}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1953}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/sesto-sentenze-di} }

One of some 20,000 entries brought back from the twelve printed volumes (1948–54). Spotted something? Help us improve it.

Sextus, Sentences of

About this entry