Query Details
| Query Subject: |
Aramaic Translations of 'Soter'
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| Author: | Aaron Shakow | |
| Submitter Email: | click here to access email | |
| Linguistic LingField(s): |
Historical Linguistics
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| Query: |
I'm completing a study of the pharmaceuticals trade in the medieval and
early-modern Mediterranean, with a particular focus on its political iconography. I've been struck by the apparently sudden appearance of the epithet ''al-faruq'' (allegedly derived from the Aram. 'paroqa') to describe Galenic theriaca in the late 9th/early 10th century Arabic medical literature. It occurred to me that these terms might be renderings of the Hellenistic --> Christian 'soter' (or vice versa). When discussed at all (c.f. Crone and Cook's Hagarism) ''al-faruq'' is always rendered unproblematically in millenarian terms. If the association with 'soter' is sound, this seems potentially unwarranted. Although Walafrid Strabo, for example, does equate the epithet with 'salvator' and 'messiah,' he adds, ''id est, rex sacerdos'' [''Glossa ordinaria,'' PL 114, Col.179A]. Back in the day, Cicero was even more equivocal: describing the offenses of Verres in Sicily, he noted inscriptions to the governor as 'soter' and judged the word -- ''qui salutem dedit'' -- nearly untranslatable [Cic. Verr. 2.2.63/154] Whether this meant in principle eschatological salvation or 'health-bringing' is debatable, but in context it's clearly garden-variety political marketing borrowed (at a less exalted level) from the Seleucids and Ptolemies. In any case, while usages shift over time, a putative historical association between the Arabic medicinal ''theriaca of the 'faruq''' and Hellenistic --> Roman legitimation strategies seemed like an interesting footnote. It bears mentioning, at least, that tiryaq was almost invariably a monopoly of state and was prominent both in diplomatic gift exchange with European states and popular donations to the local populace. Is there a historically minded participant who can refer me to any Hellenistic or Byzantine-era translations of official Greek decrees into Aramaic or the like which might cement an association of 'soter' and 'faruq/paroqa' as political usages? Or failing that, perhaps you can TURF me to a specialized list dealing with the dustier lexicographical questions. Many thanks for your consideration. Aaron Shakow |
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| LL Issue: | 17.1550 | |
| Date posted: | 19-May-2006 | |
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