Works

It is still difficult to establish the real extent of Sergius’ writings. They can be subdivided as follows: (1a) original theological works, (1b) original philosophical works, (2a) theological translations or paraphrases, (2b) philosophical translations or paraphrases, and (2c) medical translations or paraphrases from Galen, not treated here. We will not mention the works attributed to Sergius, but surely not written by him.

Here, we give only the extant works:

(la)  - The Discourse on Spiritual Life (SpL), used by Sergius as a preface to his translation of Pseudo-Dionysius’ corpus; edited and translated by Sherwood (1960-1961) and now newly translated by Fiori (2008), on the base of a wider collation of mss.

(lb)  - The Treatise Composed by Sergius Archiater of Resh‘ayna on the Categories of Aristotle the Philosopher. It is a short introduction to the Aristotelian treatise. Not published; partial translation and commentary in Hugonnard-Roche (2004:53-163).

-  The Commentary to Theodore (CT), whose real title is Writing Composed by Mar Sargis the Archiater on the Aim of All the Aristotelian Writings. Not published; partial translation in Furlani (1922); translation and commentary of the Preface and the first book (of seven) in Hugonnard-Roche (2004: 165-231). It is in fact a longer treatise on the Categories, to be understood in the tradition of the Neoplatonic commentaries on Aristotle.

(2a) - While it is doubtful that Sergius was the translator of the S2 version of Evagrius Ponticus’ Kephalaia Gnostika (see Guillaumont 1962:14-227), he is assuredly the author of the first Syriac version of the Dionysian corpus (CD). An introduction to this version has been provided by Perczel (2000). (Perczel 2004 has edited and translated Sergius’ translation of the fourth Epistle.) Hornus (1970) has edited the first chapter of the Mystical Theology.

(2b) - The Treatise on the Causes of the Universe, Which Has Been Composed By the Priest Sergius of Resh‘ayna According to the Doctrine of Aristotle the Philosopher, [Showing] That It Is A Globe (CU). Unpublished, and translated by Furlani (1923), it is in fact a sort of epitome of some arguments of a longer treatise by Alexander of Aphrodisias On the Universe, whose original Greek text is not extant and can be read in Arabic (edition in Genequand 2001). Discussed by Miller (1994), who advances some legitimate doubts about the attribution to Sergius.

-  A version of the pseudo-Aristotelian treatise Peri Kosmou/De mundo, edition De Lagarde (1858), studied at length by Ryssel (Ryssel 1880-1881).