El "Corpus" epistolar de Cipriano de Cartago (249-258)estructura, composición y cronología

Zusammenfassung

the main interest of this study is the epistolary of Ciprianus, bishop of Carthage since 249 until 258. The most remarkable contributions of our work consist in: a new logical ordination of the letters following chronological criteria; a new date or a major temporal accuracy for many of these writings; and finally, the identification and partial reconstruction of the letters which once were part of the epistolar corpus of Ciprianus but has not been preserved by the manuscript tradition. Indeed, we have detected forty-six not preserved epistles which increase the total figure of his epistolary to one hundred twenty-seven letters at least. On the other hand, the epistolar corpus of Ciprianus contains several synodical letters: those referred to the council of spring 251; those we can conclude that are in relation with the councils celebrated during the spring 252 and 253; the epistle 67, which confirms the existence of an episcopal assembly summoned in autumn 254; and the epistle 70, which shows the attendance of thirty-one bishops at the synod celebrated in spring 255. Besides, we dispose of an epistolar testimony which makes possible the existence of a council celebrated in Carthage in spring 257; certainly, the study of the epistle 1 has provided evidence enough to suggest even with caution the celebration of this council, a possibility that has never been postulated. Our research includes a list of all the individuals appearing in the epistolary of Ciprianus. This exhaustive study has allowed us to determine the identity of three hundred twenty-five persons, and to correct, when possible, some afirmations defended by other authors. In appendix 4.6, we collect for the first time every name mentioned in his correspondence, be they ecclesiastic or not and whatever their origin was. Also, we find it convenient to include in this list all the bishops attending to the council of Carthage celebrated in September 1st 256 for they are contemporary with Ciprianus and so they faced together the conflict of rebaptism. "