Jerome’s Epitaph on Paula: A Commentary on the Epitaphium Sanctae Paulae Edited with an introduction and translated by Andrew Cain (review)

Andrew Cain's monumental work, Jerome’s Epitaph on Paula: A Commentary on the Epitaphium Sanctae Paulae, offers a groundbreaking translation and analysis of St. Jerome’s epitaph for Paula, an aristocrat-turned-ascetic who played a pivotal role in early Christian history. The commentary, spanning 390 pages, provides a deep literary and semantic exploration of Jerome’s text, drawing from his corpus, patristic writings, and classical sources like Virgil and Cicero. Cain’s work advances understanding of Paula’s influence on Jerome’s literary achievements, including the Vulgate translation, and her canonization—a rare honor for a nonmartyr. The commentary also addresses textual emendations, balancing stylistic and semantic considerations with rigorous scholarship. This publication stands as a testament to Cain’s expertise in Jerome’s works and a significant contribution to the study of early Christian texts.

(Ed.). (2014). Jerome’s Epitaph on Paula: A Commentary on the Epitaphium Sanctae Paulae Edited with an introduction and translated by Andrew Cain (review). The Catholic Historical Review, 100(1), 106–107. https://doi.org/10.1353/cat.2014.0009