Breviarium Hipponense

The Breviarium Hipponense is a canonical collection that originated in North Africa at the end of the fourth century.

It contains abridged versions of the canons of the Synod of Hippo (393), most of which have only survived here. The Breviarium was compiled in preparation for the Third Synod of Carthage (397), which confirmed the resolutions of 393. Other African synods also repeated the resolutions. Due to the complicated transmission, it is not always certain which of the jointly transmitted texts actually go back to the Synod of Hippo. Scholarship assumes that 37 canons indeed go back to the 397 council (see Munier's edition). They cover a broad spectrum of liturgical, disciplinary and legal issues (including ordinations and ecclesiastical ministries, the date of Easter, the Eucharist, resolving conflicts within the church, dealing with Donatists, baptism, penance). In the penultimate place, the Breviary contains a canon of biblical books.

The Breviarium was included in the Collectio Dionysiana around 500 and thus achieved a certain degree of fame in the medieval West.

Editions

The editio princeps was that by Pasquier Quesnel, who printed it as part of his edition of the works of Leo the Great. Using his edition, but also numerous manuscripts, the Ballerini brothers produced a new edition in 1757, which was only replaced by Charles Munier's critical edition: Concilia Africae a. 345–525 (CCSL 149, 1974), pp. 30–46.