Pseudo-Cyprian


Pseudo-Cyprian is the conventional designation for the anonymous authors of Latin works falsely attributed to Cyprian of Carthage. These works do not have a common transmission history. Most are not forgeries, but were texts mistakenly attributed to Cyprian from an early date in their transmission. In many cases the works were taken to be authentic until modern times.
The Pseudo-Cyprianic corpus can be divided into four groups. The first group is a set of treatises that was copied from an early date alongside authentic letters and became part of larger letter collections, acquiring Cyprianic attribution along the way. These include:
  • De laude martyrii, mentioned in a stichometry of a Cyprianic manuscript from 365
  • De rebaptismate
  • De aleatoribus
  • De duobus montibus Sina et Sion
  • De centesima, sexagesima, tricesima
  • Ad Vigilium episcopum de Judaica incredulitate
  • De bono pudicitiae, now ascribed to Novatian
  • De spectaculis, now ascribed to Novatian
  • Adversus Judaeos, also mentioned in the stichometry of 365
  • Ad Novatianum
  • Ad plebem Carthaginis, actually a Donatist forgery
The second group consists of late antique texts that circulated independently of Cyprian's authentic letters. It includes:
  • Exhortatio de paenitentia
  • Carmen ad quendam senatorem
  • Carmen ad Flavium Felicem de resurrectione mortuorum
  • Hymnus de pascha or De cruce Domini
  • De pascha computus
  • Cena Cypriani
  • two prayers, called Oratio I and II
The third group consists of texts that only came to be attributed to Cyprian at a relatively late date. It includes:
The fourth group consists of texts first attributed to Cyprian only in printed editions of his works. It includes:
  • Revelatio capitis beati Johannis Baptistae, published in the first edition of Cyprian's works by Giovanni Andrea Bussi in 1471
  • Ad Fortunatum de duplici martyrio, published by Desiderius Erasmus in 1530 and probably also forged by him
  • several works of Arnold of Bonneval were published under Cyprian's name for better sales and sometimes taken as authentic by later editors
Two works attributed to Cyprian are of disputed authenticity:
In addition, the works of Cyprianus Gallus have sometimes been published with those of Cyprian of Carthage, but there is no reason to think the two authors to be the same person.