by Emanuele Zimbardi
The homily on Jonah and the repentance of Niniveh by Ephrem the Syrian (4th century AD) stands out among the works translated from Syriac into Greek; it has survived in both versions, as well as in four other languages. The anonymous translator of the Greek text proves his authorial skill not only by perfectly reproducing the original Syriac metre but also by deliberately changing and cutting the original text.