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theGreeks.ThenumberofjuridicaldocumentsandGreekdoctrinaltexts
translatedintoLatinincreased,andthesewereoftenanonymous.Thelatefourth
centuryandtheearlyfifthareinmanywaysRome’ssecondclassicalperiod,
centredonRomeandNorthAfrica.ItseemsfairlycertainthattheImperial
TranslationOfficefoundedbytheEmperorAugustuswasstillinoperation,and
somethingsimilarwastakingshapeinthePapaladministration.Fromtheearly
fourthcentury,averyskilledbandoftranslatorswascentredonRomeandits
schools.Theywerephilosophersandtheologianswhotooktranslationfrom
whatwasgoingoninGreekasnecessarytotheirenterprise.Amongthemost
importantofthesearethephilosopherMariusVictorinus(c.275–362),Rufinus
(340?–416)–anenthusiastforOrigen,whohadafamousquarrelwithJerome,
thephilosopherMariusMercator(c.400–50),andalargenumberof
anonymouschurchmen.
TheChristiantraditionculminatesintheworkofStJerome(Eusebius
SophroniusHieronymusc.342–419/420),whoseVulgate,undertakenatthe
directorderofPopeDamasus,dominatedbiblicalscholarshipuntilthe
Reformationandisonlynowbeingdisplacedastheofficialversionofthe
CatholicChurch.JeromewasbornofChristianparentsatStrido,Dalmatia,and
wenttoschoolinRome.There,histeacherwasthegreatgrammarianAelius
Donatus.In365hewasbaptizedandbeganstudyingtheologyatTrier,then
secondcapitaloftheWesternEmpire.AftergoingtoahermitageintheSyrian
desertin374,hewasordainedpriestatAntioch,andthen,followingtheancient
Romantradition,hestudiedatConstantinopleundertheChristianteachers
GregoryofNazianzenandGregoryofNyssa,twoofthegreatestoftheGreek
Fathers.OnhisreturntoRome,heattractedthenoticeofPopeDamasusandin
382becamehisprivatesecretary.Between380and420heproducedahuge
numberofmiscellaneoustranslationscoveringChurchadministration,monastic
rules,theologyandletters.Jeromeisknownasafirstclassifsomewhatrigorist
andquarrelsometheologian,probablythemostbrilliantscholarofhistime.He
translatedwidelyfromcontemporaryGreekwritersinafairlyclassicalstyle.His
ownthoughtontranslationasexpressedinlettersandprefacesfollowsclassical
rhetoricalprecedentveryclosely.Buthisbiblicalstyleharkedbacktotheearly
Christianliteralstyle.Heseemstohavebeenthefirsttousetruth(veritas)asa
criticalconcept.Hisfirstconcernbeingaccuracyofthesourcetext,hesetabout
producingacriticallyaccurateGreektextfortheNewTestamentand,oncethis
wasestablished,herevisedthetraditionalLatinlightly.FortheOldTestament
hewenttotheHebrew,actuallyaskingafriendlyrabbitoguidehimthroughthe
Hebrewtext(hebraicaveritas).JeromecastdoubtontheOldTestament
booksextantinGreekonly,anattitudelatertobetakenupbyLuther.Buteven
Jeromesoonranintotrouble.ThecorrespondencebetweenhimandAugustine
ispepperedwithStAugustine’swarningsaboutreligiousinnovationand
pastoraldifficultiescausedby‘changing’familiartexts.Tothis,Jeromereplies
thatGodisonthesideofthescholar(Kelly1975).
Romantranslationcomestoanendandmedievaltranslationbeginswith
ManliusAniciusSeverinusBoethius(AD480–524),whocamefroma
senatorialfamilythathadbecomeChristianquiteearly.Followinga
distinguishedpubliccareerundertheOstrogothicemperorTheodoric,Boethius
wasimprisonedontrumpedupchargesanddiedundertorturein524.Heis
mostfamousforhisDeconsolationephilosophiae,whichhadaprofound
influenceontheMiddleAges.TheintellectualclimateoftheMiddleAgescan
besaidtohavebeenbornofhisLatintranslationofAristotle,begunearlyinhis
career.HiswellknowntranslationsincludemostofAristotle’sOrganon,
Porphyry’sIsagoge,andtheGeometria,aratherfreetranslationofEuclid’s
Elements.BoethiusisatoncelastoftheclassicalRomansandfirstofthe
Medievals.Helivedduringaperiodverymuchlikeourown,inwhichthesocial
shapeoftheworldwaschangingfastandpolitical,intellectualandreligious
normswerebeingtransformed.HeintendedtoleaveLatinversionsofmostof
thegreatphilosophers,sothatwhentheworldcametoitssenses,civilization
couldberebuilt.Boethiusisnotableforhisuncompromisingespousalof
literality.ThoughhisstandowesmuchtoJerome’sidealsoftruthintranslation,
heharksbacktothemedicaltranslatorsofthetimeofCicero.Theirliterality
hadbeencondemnedbyCiceroandhiskind,buttheirrhetoricaltraininghad
madethemawarethatdifferenttopicsdemandeddifferentstyles,and