Texts chosen for translation

Question 1

Pastoral care:
-Original author/date
-Original Purpose?
-Translator and date?
Close or loose translation?
-Translator’s purpose?

Answer 1

• written by Pope Gregory - late c16th
• Og. purpose = partly to act as a guide for bishops in going about their duties - strongly advocated 2 main principles (education and teaching, alongside living moral lives)
• translated by Alfred himself (assisted by Asser) - around late 880s & then distributed to bishops in 890 along with aestels (WORTH 50 MANCUSES EACH)
• Fairly close translation - least altered out of all translations
• Translator purpose - ‘flagship translation’ - Alfred wanted to outline his reasons for the revival - also as king belived it was his responsibility to care for the spiritual wellbeing of his subjects
• Goal: Moral lessons (recover god’s favour through these lessons in morality)

Question 2

Consolation of Philosophy:
-Original author/date
-Original Purpose?
-Translator and date?
Close or loose translation?
-Translator’s purpose?

Answer 2

• Written by Boethius (whilst imprisoned - 525)
• Og. purpose = a conversation between Boethius and a personification of philosophy - teaches him the importance of spiritual health over physical health - immortal soul - stoicism
• Translated by Alfred - around 897
• very loose translation - Alfred adapted the text to suit his purpose & to be more accessible to a Saxon audience & added more Christian flavour
• Translator purpose - Stressing the importance of wisdom - being a good Christian etc. - likely that the text was partly aimed to console his ealdormen & his subjects over the misery of Viking raids by stressing the importance of looking after one’s immortal soul, therefore going to heaven despite hardship
• Goal = moral lessons/divine providence (meaning god has a plan)

Question 3

Soliloquies:
-Original author/date
-Original Purpose?
-Translator and date?
Close or loose translation?
-Translator’s purpose?

Answer 3

• Written by St Augustine - late C4th, early C5th
• Og. purpose = series of dialogues between Augustine and ‘reason’ - essentially describing the sorts of virtues a good Christian should display (wisdom, courage, humility, justice’) & emphasis on how you should give up your ‘worldly desires’ and instead focus on the fate of your immortal soul, and eternal gifts
• Translated by Alfred - 890s
• Divided into 3 books: end of book 2 and all of book 3 are very loose translations - Alfred used the opportunity to express his own views on god
• Translator purpose - cultivating the key Christian virtues, Eg. courage would be helpful against the Vikings & also the potential link for the burghal construction programme, in proving to his earldormen who objected over expense that spiritual wealth is more important
• Goal = moral lessons/divine providence

Question 4

Dialogues:
-Original author/date
-Original Purpose?
-Translator and date?
Close or loose translation?
-Translator’s purpose?

Answer 4

• Written by Pope Gregory (again) - 593
• Og. purpose = Highlighting the importance of the lives of the Italian saints, who he had felt had been neglected in the West (includes St Benedict, among others) - presented as a dialogue between himself and his disciple Peter
• Translated by Werferth (Mercian called to Alfred’s court) - as told by Asser, on Alfred’s command - sometime between 885-893
• Relatively close translation
• Translator purpose:
  any writings from Pope Gregory were considered important as he was the Pope who brought the Christian faith to the English in the late C6th
  Help from the saints would be helpful in the face of Viking invasions
  Moral examples for the English
  Suggestion that listening to the word of god (and Alfred) leads to an eternal life
• Goal = creation of unity/ moral lessons

Question 5

Eccleastical History:
-Original author/date
-Original Purpose?
-Translator and date?
Close or loose translation?
-Translator’s purpose?

Answer 5

• Written by Bede (monk living in Northumbria earlier on in the Anglo-Saxon period) - around 731
• Og. purpose = Tells the story of England from the end of Roman occupation to his own time - focusses on the development of the Christian church from Augustine onwards - written on orders from the then-king of Northumbria, and shows the peace/prosperity of C7th England when supposedly the British better adhered to the teachings of the church
• Translated by an unknown Mercian translator - almost certainly authorised by Alfred - 890s
• close translation
• Translator purpose: history book - follows on from Oroisus’s history of the pagans & helps people gain a sense of a common English identity through shared roots
  Also helps to provide moral examples like Bede’s original intentions
• Goal = creation of unity/ moral lessons

Question 6

Pslams:
-Original author/date
-Original Purpose?
-Translator and date?
Close or loose translation?
-Translator’s purpose?

Answer 6

• Written by David (as in David and Goliath) - from part of Old Testament - meaning composition date is BC
• Og. purpose = The 50 psalms relate to how David faced many enemies and pleaded with God to help him defeat them - his faith was then rewarded and God helped him win
• Translated by Alfred - late/mid 890s - Asser says Alfred was in the process of translating the psalms at the time of his death in 899
• Generally close translation - but with added introductions added by Alfred to each psalm
• Translator purpose: Alfred associated himself with David’s plight in his own struggles against the Vikings
  Association with a great religious figure may have enhanced Alfred’s reputation
  (Alfred’s handboc contained the psalms)
• Goal = creation of unity/ divine providence

Question 7

History against the Pagans:
-Original author/date
-Original Purpose?
-Translator and date?
Close or loose translation?
-Translator’s purpose?

Answer 7

• Written by Orosius (Spanish Christian priest, historian and theologist) - 410-418
• Og. purpose = disproving that the Roman’s replacement of pagan beliefs for Christianity led to the fall of Rome - Orosius suggests that Christianity led to moral improvement and that things were actually worse beforehand
• Translated by and unknown member of Alfred’s literary circle - almost certainly by command of Alfred - 890s
• Fairly loose translation (tweaked and added to)
• Translator purpose: demonstration of god’s role in guiding world history - applicable to the Viking attacks just being a temporary setback in divine providence
• Goal = creation of unity/ divine providence