Ascetical-Mystical Writing
Ascetical-mystical writing is a branch of Christian theological writing; It spread widely in Georgia from the 6th century, from the beginning of monasticism. Ascetical-mystical writing included Christian moral study manuals, collections of apophthegms, etc. It expressed the ideals of monks and nuns. In the early periods, this field was represented only by translated works: by the 10th century, almost all, important writings known in Byzantine literature were translated into Georgian (Anthony the Great, Amba Amona, Markos the Monk, Arsenius the Great, Simeon Stylites the Younger, John Moschus, John Climacus, Macarius of Egypt, Ephrem the Syrian and others). Georgian manuscripts have also preserved the names of such authors that are not known (or identified) in Byzantine writing: Stephen of Saint Sava's Monastery, Poemen, Sahak, Abraham the Monk and others. The ascetical-mystical literary works were combined into collections in early stages. Wise sayings, aphorisms, moral proverbs of various authors were collected in them by the editors-transcribers. Such collections were called Pateriks, The Book of the Fathers. The composition of Georgian collections were not strictly defined either; Basically, two groups are distinguished: alphabetical and systematic. The development of Georgian ascetical-mystical writing was greatly contributed by Euthymius the Athonite, Giorgi Mtatsmideli, Ephrem Mtsire, Theophilus the Hieromonk, Stephanus of Athens and others. Almost no references to early translators have been preserved. In the 18th century, the interest in ascetical-mystical monuments was revived in Georgia: Catholicos Anton I turned John Climacus's Climax into an iambic verse, Gabriel Mtsire created several collections of ascetical-homiletic nature, etc.
Literature: აბულაძე ილ., ქართულის კვალი ძველი სომხური მწერლობის ერთს ძეგლში (სომხური პატერიკის წყაროს საკითხისათვის), «ლიტერატურული ძიებანი», 1944, [ტ.] 2; კეკელიძე კ., ქართული ლიტერატურის ისტორია, ტ. 1, თბ., 1960; შუასაუკუნეთა ნოველების ძველი ქართული თარგმანები. ტექსტი გამოსაცემად მოამზადა, გამოკვლევა და ლექსიკონი დაურთო მ. დვალმა, [წგ.] 1–2, თბ., 1966–74.
M. Kavtaria
