Ekaterina Dikova
Jürgen Fuchsbauer
REGEST: The Reference Tool for Medieval Greek-Slavonic Translations
REGEST: Справочник за средновековни гръцко-славянски преводи
-
Summary/Abstract
This article presents the first steps in the implementation of REGEST, a collaborative digital reference tool designed for the systematic documentation and semantic annotation of medieval Slavonic translations from Byzantine Greek. Developed at the University of Innsbruck as part of its joint project with KU Leuven – The Slavonic Metaphrasis of Byzantine Orthodoxy (2024–2028) – REGEST provides a structured approach to cataloguing Byzantine-Slavonic texts. Utilising Semantic MediaWiki, this open-access platform captures the dynamic relationships among medieval authors, source texts, translations, and collections, providing efficient processing and retrieval of information while enabling continuous expert curation and update. A case study on Christopher of Mytilene’s hagiographic epigrams illustrates the tool’s capacity for tracing textual transmission and transformation – from the composition of these poems (their initial context, function and target audience) to their later integration into a version of the Synaxarion of Constantinople and, finally, to their transmission within the Slavonic Verse Prolog through two independent South-Slavonic translations. This example highlights REGEST’s potential to reveal complex textual histories and facilitate comparative analysis. By combining semantic structuring with collaborative input, REGEST opens new avenues for research on Byzantine-Slavonic literary heritage.
Subject: Scripta