Expositiones in Psalmos

The Expositiones in Psalmos were written in the fourth or fifth century and circulated under the name of Athanasius of Alexandria. It is a foundational source for the development of patristic exegesis in the tradition of Origenes and Eusebius of Caesarea.

The Expositiones in Psalmos are not a continuous commentary, but a series of separate scholia, that is, short explanations or notes. In general, the first expositio on each Psalm offers an introductory remark (ὑπόθεσις), explaining the first line of the Psalm (titulus). The Expositiones aim to offer explanations that are clear and concise, restricting additional historical and philological information to a minimum. Spiritual or ascetic exegesis dominates. Together the Expositiones, over 2,100 in total, cover a large portion of the Psalter. However, the work itself has not been preserved in a direct transmission, but must instead be reconstructed with the aid of the Greek Psalm catenae, i.e. collections of excerpts, which were designed to be used instead of direct transmitted commentaries.

The given edition fulfills a central role in catenary research, undertakes pioneer work for the evaluation of pseudepigraphy in the context of the works of Athanasius, and contributes significantly to the history of exegesis, theology, and spirituality. The project aims to establish a critical digital edition meeting todays standards.