The third of these three periods, the Paschal fast of Holy Week, is

the most ancient, for it was already in existence during the second

and third centuries. The fast of forty days is mentioned in sources from the first half of the fourth century onwards. The pre-Lenten period developed latest of a ll: the earliest references to a prelimin­ ary week of partial fasting are in the sixth or seventh century, but

the observance of the other three preparatory Sundays did not be­

come universal in the Greek East until the tenth or eleventh century. (1)

The Paschal Fast in the second and third centuries. In the second

century it was the custom for Christians in both East and West to observe, immediately before Easter Sunday, a short fast of one or two days, either on Saturday only or on Friday and Saturday to­ gether.33 This was specifically a Paschal fast in preparation for the service of Easter night. It was a fast of sorrow at the absence of the Bridegroom, in fulfilment of Christ’s own words: ‘ But the days will come, when the Bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days’ (Mark 2 : 20). The fast, whether of one or two days, was in principle a total one, without any food or drink being taken at all. By the middle of the third century, this Paschal fast had in many places been extended to embrace the entire week from Monday to

clearly marked in the existing text of the Triodion: Having completed the forty days that bring profit to our soul, We beseech Thee in Thy love for man: Grant us also to behold the Holy Week of Thy Passion. . . At Constantinople and in the East generally, Saturdays, with the one exception of Holy Saturday, were not considered days of fasting. But in reckoning the number forty it was the custom to count continu­ ously, including Saturdays and Sundays in the calculation. Thus the Ecclesiastical History, VII, xix, 7 (ed. Bidez, p. 3 3 1 ) ; Egeria, Travels, §27 (tr. Wilkinson, p. 128). 38 For the Latin custom of fasting on Saturday, see Pope Innocent I, Letter to DecentiuSy 4 (P .L , lvi, $ i 6 a ) ; Augustine, Letter xxxvi, To Casulanusy §2 (P.L.

xxxiii, 1 3 6 ) ; John Cassini), Instltutcsy iii, 9 - 1 0 . The Latin practice is condemned by the Council In Trullo (A .D . 692), Canon ς ς , which forbids fasting on Satur­ days with the sole exception of Holy Saturday (thus confirming the ruling of Apostolic Canon 66 [64]). 39 The earliest clear testimony to the addition of these four days is the Gelasian Sacramentary (early eighth century), but there are hints of the addition in sources going back to the fifth century (see M cArthur, The Evolution o f the Christian Yeary p. 13 7 ).

forty days began on the first Monday in Lent and ended on Friday in

of Orthodoxy appointed for the first Sunday in Lent. We hope to prepare an English translation o f this material in the future. The rubrics referring to the Patristic readings at the Lenten offices are likewise omitted. As given in the Greek or Slavonic Triodia, the directions are too general to be o f use to the Western reader, and in any case the actual practice in contemporary Orthodox monasteries varies widely.

The principles o f our translation are the same here as in our

previous volume, The Festal Menaion. To save space, however, we have given only the chapter and verse references for Scriptural readings and not the full text, except in the Service o f the Twelve Gospels (Mattins for Great Friday). All Psalm references are according to the numbering o f the Septuagint.83 Verses of the Psalms are numbered as in the edition o f the Old Testament published by the Zoi Brotherhood (issued with the blessing o f the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece: 7th ed., Athens, 1973). Where the text of the Septuagint differs significantly from the Hebrew, ‘ Sept.’ is added in brackets after the reference. 83 For differences between this and the H ebrew numbering, see The Festal Menaion,

p. $ 3 0 . In the same volume w e explain the division of the Psalter into Kathismata and the rules for the recitation o f the Psalms (pp. 5 3 0 -4 ) , and w e provide a glossary of technical terms (pp. 5 4 4 -6 2 ) . W e have not repeated this material here.

For our translation we have used the Greek Triodion Katanyktikon issued by the official publishing-house of the Church of Greece, Apostoliki Diakonia (Athens, i960). W e have also consulted other Greek editions printed at Venice, Bologna and Rome, as well as the Slavonic text. No full translation of the Triodion, so far as we know, has hitherto been published in English. The French language is better served. There exist two translations of the complete Triodion, both pub­ lished in roneotyped form, the first made by an Orthodox and the second by a Roman Catholic:

(1) Jacques Touraille, Textes liturgiques orthodoxes Sdrie l. le

Triode du Grand Careme (9 fascicules, Paris, 19 7 3 -4 );

(2) Denis Guillaume, Triode de Careme: version a Γ usage des

chantres (3 vols., Chevetogne, 19 7 3 ).84* Substantial parts of the Triodion are also to be found in E. Mercenier, La Pridre des Eglises de rite byzantin, vol. ii, part 2 (Chevetogne, no date [ ? 1949]). In English, the following translations of material from the T ri­ odion are known to u s: (a) The Great Canon. (1) Lady Lechmere, The Great Canon o f S. Andrew of Crete, surnamed the Jerusalemite (London, 187$).

(2) Derwas J. Chitty, The Great Canon: A Poem of Saint Andrew of

Crete (published by the Fellowship of St. Alban and St. Sergius, London, 19 5 7 ; 2nd ed., London, 1966).

(3) Anon. [Archimandrite Lazarus Moore], The Great Canon: The

Work of Saint Andrew of Crete (Holy Trinity Monastery, Jordanville,

N .Y ., 1967).

(4) Sister Katherine and Sister Thekla, St. Andrew o f Crete: The