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Edward W. Bodnar, SJ papers

 Collection
Identifier: GTM-120731

Scope and content note

Series I includes only works by Edward Bodnar, whether originally authored by Bodnar or translated by him. The series contains multiple drafts of many of these works, from first draft tentative "sense-translations" to final drafts. The card catalogs included in the series also contain photographs of manuscripts found in many of the archives listed.

Series II includes not only copies of Ciriaco manuscripts, but also Bodnar's notes on them, meticulously organized by archive, then by individual manuscript. The names of archives are often shortened to a sigla or code, listings of which can be found in box 5. At times Bodnar included photographs or negatives of manuscripts along with his notes, all of which can be found in the series.

Series III is comprised only of offprints of articles or books on Ciriaco. As an authority on Ciraco, Bodnar frequently commented on or reviewed works. The series contains those works, along with any notes or correspondence pertaining to the work.

Series IV includes all photographs, slides, and negatives filed separately from copies of Ciriaco manuscripts and works by Bodnar. Many of the photographs and slides were taken by Bodnar as he retraced Ciriaco's journeys, examining ruins and inscriptions Ciriaco described in his own writings. Other photos chronicle Bodnar's interest in classical Greece and the Mediterranean in general. The microfilm collection in box 21 is comprised entirely of copies of Ciriaco manuscripts, each labeled by archive and then by manuscript, as in Series II.

Dates

  • 1960-2010

Conditions governing access note

Most manuscripts collections at the Georgetown University Booth Family Center for Special Collections are open to researchers; however, restrictions may apply to some collections. Collections stored off site require a minimum of three days for retrieval. For use of all manuscripts collections, researchers are advised to contact the Booth Family Center for Special Collections in advance of any visit.

Conditions Governing Use

Researchers are solely responsible for determining the copyright status of the materials being used, establishing who the copyright owner is, locating the copyright owner, and obtaining permission for intended use.

Biographical note

Edward Bodnar, S.J. (September 26, 1920-November 29, 2011) was a professor of classics at Georgetown University from 1967-1991, taught Latin, Greek, and classical archaeology, and continued to be an active part of the Georgetown community as an emeritus professor until his death in 2011. Bodnar came to Georgetown as an undergraduate, entered the Jesuit novitiate, and was ordained in 1952. He earned his Ph.D. in Classics from Princeton University in 1958, writing his dissertation on the figure that would define the rest of his professional life, Cyriacus of Ancona. Cyriacus, often considered the father of modern archaelogy, was an Italian merchant in the 15th century who traveled widely throughout the Mediterranean, studying Greek inscriptions and other relics of antiquity. Bodnar devoted the rest of his life to studying Cyriacus, collecting the disparate remnants of his writings, translating and commenting on them, and writing critical studies of Cyriacus and the archaelogical sites the Italian humanist visited and described. Bodnar wrote several books about Cyriacus and published translations of much of Cyriacus's writings. This collection reflects Bodnar's lifelong passion and represents a perhaps unparalleled concentration of copies of Cyriacus manuscripts, as well as an exhaustive collection of secondary sources about him.

Extent

13 Linear Feet (21 containers)

Language of Materials

English

Title
Edward W. Bodnar, SJ, papers
Status
Completed
Author
Luke Jackson, Georgetown University Library Booth Family Center for Special Collections, Washington, D.C.
Date
2013
Description rules
Local Practice
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the Georgetown University Manuscripts Repository

Contact:
Lauinger Library, 5th Floor
37th and O Streets, N.W.
Washington DC 20057