Jerome and Florus

This paper explores the presence of Florus in Jerome’s works, with particular focus on the Vitae monachorum. Scholars of the Vita Pauli and Vita Malchi have identified passages where Jerome would employ words or expressions from Florus (no such evidence appears in the Vita Hilarionis). The significance of these lexical borrowings is assessed here. Jerome’s knowledge extends not only to Florus’ Epitome, but also to the fragmentary treatise Vergilius orator an poeta (whose attribution to the same Florus remains debated). If intertextual analysis allows for the investigation of an author’s engagement with another one, there are indications that Jerome may have been familiar with this text as well. This paper provides a comparative analysis of passages in Jerome and Florus, discussing lexical borrowings, sources, rhetorical features, and individual words and expressions, including those drawn from other authors and works.