Table 2. Post-Nicene texts referenced in scholarship regarding the origin of Lent Approximate Ancient work or author Key and phrases dates c. 335 St. Athanasius in his Letters” fast,” forty-day fast prior to “Festal “holy for the years 329-334 Holy Week forty days of penance fasting for Canons of Athanasius readmission to Eucharist 381–384 Egeria in 30.1 or fast, Week” Itinerarium “Great [London 1971], pp. distinct from rest of Lent Egeria’s Travels 128-139 385 Siricius, Bishop of Rome, letter to day” reference to a “forty Himerius of Terragona in prepaschal program for preparation of baptismal candidates Table 2, continued Ancient work or author Key and phrases Approximate dates 387 St. John Chrysostom in Antioch in forty days of fasting 30.1-3 Homilies on Genesis, Epiphanios for Cyprus forty days of fasting 387 Augustine is baptized at the Easter Vigil April 24-25, 387 Byzantine historian Socrates in before Easter,” c. 380–c. 450 “fasts “three weeks excepting Saturdays and Historia Ecclesiastica 5.22 Sundays,” the fast for six “keeps weeks,” Days,” “Forty “fast seven weeks before the feast” d. 444 St. of Alexandria in his forty-day period of fasting “Festal Letters” Pope St. Leo with their fasts the d. 461 “fulfill Apostolic institution of the forty days” late 4th C (V.13.3–4) fast the Holy Week of Apostolic Constitutions “of Pascha” after the forty-day fast 5th C Sozomen in 7, 19 so-called Forty Days before Histo.Eccl, “the Pascha…some begin at 6 weeks… others at 7 weeks.”
Table 2. Post-Nicene texts referenced in scholarship regarding the origin of Lent Approximate dates Ancient work or author Key and phrases c. 335 St. Athanasius in his “Festal Letters” for the years 329-334 Canons of Athanasius “holy fast,” forty-day fast prior to Holy Week forty days of penance fasting for readmission to Eucharist 381–384 Egeria in Itinerarium 30.1 or Egeria’s Travels [London 1971], pp. 128-139 fast, “Great Week” distinct from rest of Lent 385 Siricius, Bishop of Rome, letter to Himerius of Terragona in “forty day” reference to a prepaschal program for preparation of baptismal candidates Table 2, continued Approximate dates Ancient work or author Key and phrases 387 St. John Chrysostom in Antioch in Homilies on Genesis, 30.1-3 forty days of fasting Epiphanios for Cyprus forty days of fasting 387 Augustine is baptized at the Easter Vigil April 24-25, 387 c. 380–c. 450 Byzantine historian Socrates in Historia Ecclesiastica 5.22 “fasts before Easter,” “three weeks excepting Saturdays and Sundays,” “keeps the fast for six weeks,” “Forty Days,” “fast seven weeks before the feast” d. 444 St. of Alexandria in his “Festal Letters” forty-day period of fasting d. 461 Pope St. Leo “fulfill with their fasts the Apostolic institution of the forty days” late 4th C Apostolic Constitutions (V.13.3–4) fast “of the Holy Week of Pascha” after the forty-day fast 5th C Sozomen in Histo.Eccl, 7, 19 “the so-called Forty Days before Pascha…some begin at 6 weeks… others at 7 weeks.”
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