Translated from french by Grok

In our two previous studies (see [1] and [2]), we demonstrated the erudition of KOPNAPOΣ both at the intellectual level and at the scientific level. In particular, we highlighted the possibility that KOPNAPOΣ knew Copernicus’s theory in addition to Harvey’s theory, and his extensive use of the number 4 as a totalizing symbol (see [3]). Furthermore, by studying in detail the fact that he was aware of Harvey’s theory on the circulation of blood in the human body, we know that his erudition is real, since both the original prose version PARIS ET VIENNE dating from 1432 (first printed in 1482) and Albani’s verse version dating from 1626 predate the publication of Harvey’s treatise in 1628 (see [4]). Therefore, the allusions in KOPNAPOΣ’s EPΩTOKPITOΣ to this theory are indeed his own and are not translations.

This observation regarding Harvey, which AΛEΞIOY strangely does not mention (see [5]), alone eliminates the hypothesis of identifying the author of EPΩTOKPITOΣ with BITΣETZOΣ KOPNAPOΣ of the tenth generation of the Venetian family of the same name, who died in 1613. This argument also confirms that of ΣΠ. EYAΓΓEΛATOΣ (1976), who showed that the author knew the Albani version (1626), which already ruled out this hypothesis.

In our previous article (see [2]), we noted the abundance of the number 4 in EPΩTOKPITOΣ. This time, a careful reading of H ΘYΣIA TOY ABPAAM allowed us to observe the complete absence of any occurrence of this number in that work! On the other hand, while the number 3 was practically nonexistent in EPΩTOKPITOΣ, in H ΘYΣIA TOY ABPAAM we found the number 3 three times in verses 23, 383, and 757, as well as the number 9 (a multiple of 3) once in verse 381. This almost numerical result highlights a first difference between the two works by KOPNAPOΣ.

But that’s not the only one! Indeed, in EPΩTOKPITOΣ the name of God was completely absent, whereas what do we see in H ΘYΣIA TOY ABPAAM? Its abundant presence: 77 occurrences! More precisely: ΘEOΣ, ΘEE appear in verses: 3, 8, 12, 13, 22, 61, 77, 91, 100, 163, 222, 228, 241, 255, 288, 372, 374, 392, 399, 402, 403, 405, 473, 563, 625, 647, 679, 683, 716, 722, 730, 740, 749, 768, 830, 866, 876, 946, 958, 1004, 1021, 1042, 1111, 1115, 1124, 1135, 1141, 1144, 1147, 1156, 1157. KYPIOΣ appears in verses: 671, 675, 779, 823, 965, 1153 and AΦENTHΣ in verses: 336, 659, 706, 851, 956, 1150. BAΣIΛEYΣ TΩN OYPANΩN in verses: 609, 971, 1037 and ΠΛAΣTHΣ in verses: 969, 983, 986. As for the designations ΘEIKO, ΠANTOKPATOPAΣ, ΣΩTHPAΣ, AOPATE, ANAPXE and ΘION, they each appear once respectively in verses: 46, 815, 860, 875, 875, and 1069. It is quite obvious that the epic-lyric context for EPΩTOKPITOΣ and the religious context for H ΘYΣIA TOY ABPAAM partly explain this difference, but not this dichotomy: total absence and abundant presence.

In any case, we are dealing on one hand with a religious work that uses popular symbolism, and on the other with an epic-lyric work with numerous scientific references, whose erudition exploits a globalizing symbolism. As for the numbers, KOPNAPOΣ says it himself several times in EPΩTOKPITOΣ: “on passe sur trois et on s’arrête à quatre”. It would therefore be interesting to know whether these factual oppositions in his works simply reflect the evolution of KOPNAPOΣ’s thought.

BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES

[1] N.LYGEROS: Sur les connaissances scientifiques dans EPΩTOKPITOΣ, O ΛYXNOΣ, no 62, January 1995

[2] N.LYGEROS: Sur la présence du chiffre 4 dans EPΩTOKPITOΣ, O ΛYXNOΣ, no 67, April 1996

[3] J.CHEVALIER and A.GHEERBRANT: Dictionnaire des symboles, revised and corrected edition of 1991

[4] W.HARVEY: Exercitation anatomica de motu cordis et sanguinis in animalibus, 1628

[5] B.KOPNAPOΣ: EPΩTOKPITOΣ, critical edition by ΣT. AΛEΞIOY, EPMHΣ 1980.

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