perspectivehistorical
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Textual critics debate the extent of Christian interpolation within the surviving manuscript. While the preface suggests a pagan author focusing on classical texts, the manuscript contains numerous ecclesiastical glosses linked to Cyril of Alexandria. Scholars remain divided on whether Hesychius himself integrated these Christian glosses to serve a transitioning late-antique audience, or if later medieval scribes systematically inserted them into the margins, permanently altering the text’s original structural design.
controversy
Supporting arguments
- Unresolved origin of ecclesiastical glosses
- Ambiguity of Hesychius's religious identity
- Scribal marginalia integrated into the main text over centuries
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