Source Texts

Patrologia Graeca (PG)

Edited by Jacques Paul Migne and published between 1857 and 1866, the Patrologia Graeca comprises 161 volumes of Greek Christian writing from the Apostolic Fathers (1st–2nd century) through the Council of Florence (1439). Despite its age, Migne’s collection remains the standard reference for many texts that have not been published in modern critical editions. The PG typically presents Greek text with a facing Latin translation.

Column numbers from the PG are used as standard references throughout this library (e.g., “PG 16, col. 3205”).

Patrologia Latina (PL)

The companion series to the PG, the Patrologia Latina was published between 1844 and 1855 in 221 volumes, covering Latin Christian writing from Tertullian (c. 200 AD) through Pope Innocent III (d. 1216). For Latin Fathers like Tertullian and Marius Victorinus, the PL is often the primary reference text.

Sources Chrétiennes

Published by Éditions du Cerf in Paris since 1942, Sources Chrétiennes is the premier modern critical edition series for patristic texts. Where a Sources Chrétiennes edition exists, it is preferred over the Migne text for translation. Each volume includes the original language text, a French translation, and extensive scholarly apparatus.

Other Critical Editions

For some texts, standalone critical editions published by De Gruyter, Oxford University Press, Brill, or other academic publishers provide the best available text. These are noted in the source information for each individual translation.

Digital Resources

Several online collections provide access to digitized versions of these texts:

• The Thesaurus Linguae Graecae (TLG) — the standard digital corpus of Greek literature from Homer through 1453 AD
• Documenta Catholica Omnia — digitized Migne volumes
• Google Books and HathiTrust — scanned volumes of Migne and older critical editions
• Perseus Digital Library — selected Greek and Latin texts with morphological tools