Abstract
Nana Mrevlishvili Antithesis as a Rhetorical and Theological Strategy in the Greek and Georgian Recensions of the Life of Theodora of Alexandria Abstract In hagiographical literature, rhetorical figures function not merely as stylistic devices; they also serve as important mechanisms for shaping theological thought and organizing narrative structure. This paper examines the functioning of antithesis as a rhetorical and theological strategy in the Greek and Georgian (Athonite and Gelati) recensions of the Life of Theodora of Alexandria. The study adopts a comparative textual approach and analyses the antithetical constructions through which the principal narrative and theological models of the work are articulated. Particular attention is paid to oppositional pairs such as honour and shame, life and death, interior and exterior perception, corporeal and incorporeal existence, punishment and liberation, and feminine and masculine identities. These oppositions not only depict the dynamics of the saint’s spiritual transformation but also express the paradoxical nature of Christian ascetic life. The analysis demonstrates that Georgian translators, in most cases, preserve not only the meaning but also the rhetorical organization of the Greek original. At the same time, the Athonite and Gelati recensions reveal distinct translation strategies: the Gelati version tends to favour formal precision and conciseness, whereas the Athonite recension occasionally intensifies rhetorical expression. The paper argues that antithesis constitutes one of the principal organizing principles of the narrative. Through this device, the text constructs a paradoxical model of Christian sanctity in which human weakness is transformed into spiritual strength, humiliation into glory, and human judgement is ultimately overcome by divine mercy. Antithesis, therefore, is not merely a rhetorical device in the Life of Theodora of Alexandria; rather, it functions as a fundamental mechanism for organizing both theological thought and hagiographical narrative.