Guide to The Patrologia Latina Database (PLD)
By Beau David Case,Librarian for Europe and Linguistics
Ohio State University Libraries
E-mail: libwel@osu.edu
Introduction to the PLD
The Patrologia Latina Database (PLD) is available to OSU-affiliated users from the Library's webpage of databases.
The Patrologiae Cursus Completus of Jacques-Paul Migne is the standard source of major medieval authors. The bulk of the work covers the subjects of philosophy and theology, but literature and history also are included. In the Main Library this work (BR60 .M7) occupies one hundred linear feet of shelving and weighs over two thousand pounds. The Patrologiae Cursus Completus is divided into two parts, the Series Latina and the Series Graeco-Latina.
The PLD contains all 221 volumes of the first edition of Jacques-Paul Migne's Series Latina, which includes the original 217 volumes (1844-1855) plus the later four volumes of indexes (1862-1865). The Series Latina covers roughly the years 200 to 1216, although some later works are included when they relate strongly to an earlier text, such as a commentary or other critical work. The PLD is offered on the World Wide Web, and thus can be accessed anywhere by OSU faculty, staff, and students. For those using a commercial internet service provider, or who will access the PLD from another institution, consult the document "Accessing Library Databases from Off Campus" at /whats_new/proxy.html.
The PLD was created by a process of double-keying and reverification of the original, thus ensuring the accuracy of the work. The electronic version then was reviewed by scholars who subdivided the text into intellectual units. This process is called "tagging," and employs the Standard Generalized Mark-up Language (SGML; ISO 8879). Thus, prefatory matter can be distinguished from main text, from marginalia, and so on. Finally, Greek and Hebrew text, as well as illustrations from the original work, are provided as image files within the database.
Differences between the print and electronic versions
There are three differences between the print and electronic versions, and each is an addition to Migne's work. First, authors are categorized as medieval and modern according to modern scholarly practice of taking the year 1500 as a guide. This feature is used in the search interface, allowing users to limit themselves to either medieval or to modern authors (users also can search both). Second, more recent bibliographic information has been included. Individual documents have been given one of three codes, each corresponding to one or more of three standard reference works:
- Code C: Dekkers, Eligius. Clavis patrum latinorum : qua in corpus christianorum edendum optimas quasque scriptorum recensiones a Tertulliano ad Bedam. Steenbrugis: In Abbatia Sancti Petri, 1951 (Reprint in CLA, Z7791 .D45 1995).
- Code G: Glorieux, Palémon. Pour revaloriser Migne; tables rectificatives. Lille: Facultés catholiques, 1952.
- Code S: Ad utramque J.P. Migne Patrologiam Supplementum sive Auctarium Solesmense. Solesmis, 1900.
The code appears in brackets after the entry for each relevant document in the summary of matches, context of matches, table of contents and full text, and denotes that reference is made to the documents in the work(s) specified by the code. An asterisk appearing with the code denotes that in one or more of the reference works cited, the author attribution given by Migne is queried or changed. For example, (C)* would denote that a document has an alternative author specified in the Clavis patrum latinorum, or that the author given by Migne is queried. (C,S) would denote that reference is made to the document in the Clavis patrum latinorum and the Supplementum.
Finally, where Migne added cross references, the PLD provides hyperlinks.
Searching
Keyword searches can be single words (i.e. "imperator") or phrases (i.e. "imperator carolus magnus"). Note that capitalization does not matter--a search for "imperator carolus magnus" retrieves the same results as the search "imperator Carolus Magnus."
Use the title keyword field to search for any word or phrase in the title of a document (i.e. "historia" or "historia carthagensis").
Use the document author field to search for all documents and divisions of documents written by a specific author or authors.
Use the volume field to search for all documents within a particular volume, range of volumes or selection of volumes. The browse feature (see below) must be used in order to search multiple volumes--one cannot simply type in the volume field "1-100" to search the first one hundred volumes.
Search options include period of author (medieval or modern, as described above) and type of text (main text or apparatus). The apparatus includes three types of notes: marginalia, editorial notes (as described above) and variant readings.
The wildcard symbol for the PLD is the asterisk (*). Only end wildcards are allowed. For example, "caesar*" will retrieve both the nominative form of the word, "caesar," and the genitive form, "caesaris." Internal wildcards are not possible in the PLD (i.e. "wom*n" to retrieve both "woman" and "women"). Wildcards can be used in any search field. For example, to search volumes 8 and 80-89, one can type in the volume field "8*".
Next to each search field is a browse button. This allows users to search for exact terms in the database. This is particularly important when searching by author, as the exact form of the name is necessary. Clicking on the author browse button takes one to a look-up box. Enter "ambrose" and one is taken to a list of the nearest consecutive thirty authors matching most closely the name "ambrose." From this list we may click on the author we want to search. The keystroke command shift-click will select a continuous range of authors. The keystroke command of control-click will select multiple non-continuous authors from the list (note that Apple Macintosh users must use command-click for this feature). After authors are selected, click OK to transfer the selections back to the author field of the search screen. Only thirty authors are listed at a time in the browse feature; but, this does not mean that one is limited to searching only thirty authors at a time. To add more authors, simply click on the browse button again, and repeat the process.
The Boolean operators "and," "or," and "not" can be used in the search fields. Operators can be typed either in upper case or in lower case--there is no difference. (The browse feature will put operators all in uppercase.)
Proximity searching also is possible. Combine search terms using the operators "near" (i.e. "tunica near christi") and "followed by" (also "fby") (i.e. "sanctus fby spiritus"). In addition, the distance between two terms can be specified. For example, the keyword search "miles near.6 christi" finds the word "miles" within no more than six words of "christi."
Finally, results can be customized. The number of results displayed per page by default is fifty. Any number from one to ninety-nine can be specified. By default the "by subset" is checked, meaning that results will be displayed beginning with the first print volume in which the search strategy was found, followed numerically by other volumes, if applicable. By selecting the "sampling" option, all results are randomized on the results screen.
Search results
Search results are displayed in summary form, organized
by print volume and further subdivided by author. PLD defines a "match"
as a text having at least one occurrence of the search criteria. PLD defines
a "hit" to be the number of occurrences of the search criteria found in
a text. Thus, one will usually have more hits than matches. To the right
of each summary is a number indicating the times within each author's work
the search criteria were found. Clicking on the table of contents icon
(
) to the right of the search
results will take you to the table of contents of the specific print volume.
Clicking on any of the summaries will take you to the full text. For texts
greater than two hundred kilobytes, a warning screen will appear, notifying
the user that large texts take a long time to download. Within the full
text your search criteria are noted by an orange icon bullet (
)
preceding the search term(s).
Migne's printed edition of the Patrologia Latina is divided into columns, two to a printed page. Most columns are further divided into A, B, C or D, representing divisions down the columns. Since a column of text is displayed as a full screen, column numbers have been added to the text to show where the divisions in the original printed edition occur. In addition, each document has a column number reference. Column numbers appear in bold and within square brackets, for example "[Col. 0967A]." Moreover, references to books of the Bible and to other Patristic or Classical works appear in bold and in brackets, for example "(Luca, I, 36)." The references are standardized and changes of rendition are ignored. There is no online index for these references.
Searching the keyword phrase "praeses consilii" demonstrates
both the display of images and the display of Greek text. Greek text is
incorporated into the Latin text. Images are noted by the figure icon (
).
Clicking on the icon will retrieve the image. Clicking on the text only
icon (
) on the top of the page
will remove from the screen all icons and notes which appear in the text.
Clicking on the text with notes icon (
)
removes from the screen all icons, but leaves any notes. One drawback of
the PLD web version is that Greek text, Hebrew text, and image files are
not searchable.
Additional icons that will appear within search results:
-
previous hit icon (
)
scrolls directly to the previous hit -
next hit icon (
)
scrolls directly to the next hit -
cross reference icon (
)
takes you directly to the relevant point in the database -
apparatus icon (
)
opens an apparatus page of marginalia or editorial notes -
variant readings icon (
)
opens an apparatus page containing alternative readings.
Finally, the current web version does not offer features to save search strategies, save results, and e-mail or download results.
Adapted and expanded from the PLD brochure (10/94) PLD web version notes (2/99).