II. .
1. The Rule of St. Basil, translated at Pinetum for the Abbat Urseius in 397 or 398. This was the first work written by Rufinus of which we have any knowledge.
2. The Apology of Pamphilus for Origen. This formed the 1st book of an Apology for Origen’s teaching in 6 books, which were composed by Eusebius and Pamphilus during the latter’s imprisonment at Cæsarea previous to his martyrdom. Eusebius speaks of this work in a general way (H. E. vi. 33) as written by himself and Pamphilus. The last book, however, was written by Eusebius alone after the death of Pamphilus. The part translated by Rufinus is only the 1st book, and this he believed to be by Pamphilus alone. Jerome in his Apology (487, 514) asserted that the whole was by Eusebius alone. But his bitter feeling led him astray in this. The Apology for Origen has perished with the exception of this 1st book which survives in Rufinus’ Translation. The Preface which he prefixed to the work, and the Epilogue which he subjoined to it under the name of “The book concerning the adulteration of the works of Origen” are given in our translation (420–427). This work was written at Pinetum near Terracina at the request of Macarius, to whom the Preface is addressed, in the end of 397 or the beginning of 398. For the questions relating to the authorship of the Apology the reader is referred to the Apologies of Jerome and Rufinus (esp. pp. 487, 514), to Lightfoot’s Article on Eusebius in the Dict. of Eccl. Biography, and the Prolegomena to the Translation of Eusebius in this Series, p. 36.
3. Origen’s
Περὶ
᾽Αρχῶν. This
translation was also made at the request of Macarius, and was finished
as the Preface to B. iii. shows in the Lent of 398. The questions
raised by this Translation are discussed in the Introductions to the
Works of Jerome (Vol. vi of this Series), and of Rufinus
in this Volume; and the controversy itself is developed in their
Apologies (434–540). The greater part of the Περὶ
᾽Αρχῶν is known
to us only through this translation.
4. Origen’s Homilies. Those on the Books of Moses and of Joshua were
translated at various times during the last 10 years of Rufinus’
life. He had intended, as he states in his Preface to the Book of
Numbers, to translate all that had been written by Origen on the
Pentateuch: he accomplished this as regards the first three books, and
also as to the book of Joshua, at the request of Chromatius; the book
of Numbers he only finished in Sicily, just before his death; and the
Commentaries on Deuteronomy he did not live to translate. In these
translations, as he tells us (567), he did not scruple to supply what
he found to be omitted in the Greek, the Homilies being of a hortatory
kind, whereas Rufinus’ object was an exposition of the
text.
The Translation of the
Homilies on Judges, though there is no Preface to it, is
ascribed to Rufinus by Fontanini, who maintains that in this case, the
name of Rufinus being discredited on account of Jerome’s diatribe
against him, the editors have suppressed the Preface, while in some
other cases they have substituted the name of Jerome for that of
Rufinus.
The Translation of
Origen’s Commentary 36th, 37th and 38th Psalms is
unquestionably by Rufinus; it is dedicated to Apronianus, and may have
been written in Rome (Fontanini col. 188, beginning of ch. viii). The
Preface is given by us in this volume. Fontanini also gives to Rufinus
a Translation of Origen’s Homilies on I Kings and on Canticles. The books on Joshua and Judges he translated as he found them (567), but in the next he adopted a different method.
The works of Origen on the Ep. to the Romans were very long, and Rufinus did not scruple to condense them (reducing the 25 books of Origen to 10), as he clearly states in his Peroration (567). This work he addressed to Heraclius, and it was composed during his stay at Aquileia.
Rufinus had hoped, as we learn
from the same Peroration (567), to translate some at least of the
Commentaries of Origen upon the other Epistles of St. Paul; but he
first determined to finish those upon the Pentateuch, a task in which, as we have seen, he was overtaken by death.
5. The Translation of 10 Tracts of St. Basil and 8 of Gregory Nazianzen. These are to be found in the works of Basil and Gregory, but without Prefaces; they are, however, mentioned by Rufinus himself in his Eccl. Hist. ii. 9, and in a letter to Apronianus quoted by Fontanini Vit. Ruf. II., viii, I. col. 189.