Rabbi Abba: a) The aforementioned is uncertain to me whether he is Rabbi Abba bar Mamlel [(see there)] or Adir [(see above regarding Rabbi Abba bar Acha, and Abba Abba of Rabbi Ami)]. The miracle of Rabbi Abba before Rabbi Ami appears according to the version of the Gemaras to be Rabbi Abba bar Mamlel, in the chapter of the oaths of testimony [(Luz 2, 47a) and I do not know from where it is known that he is bar Mamlel, for Rabbi Abba is mentioned generally and he is uncertain who this general Rabbi Abba is.
It is written in the book Be'er Sheva, chapter one of Horayot, Rabbi Abba said, "We too..." It would seem to me that we do not read Rabbi Abba, for this general Rabbi Abba is a student of Rav Huna and Rav Yehuda, and Abaye is a student of Rav Yosef and Rabba, and Rabbi Abba is greater than Rav Yosef as is proven in the first chapter of Avodah Zarah (6b) and Bava Kamma (112a), where Rav Yosef sat behind Rabbi Abba and Rabbi Abba sat before Rav Huna, and it is also proven in Gittin, chapter of the sender. And if so, how did Rav Ashi establish the words of Abaye before Rabbi Abba?
And in Chullin (97b), Rabbi Abba said to Abaye, which indicates that there were two general Rabbi Abba, for he would ask Rabbi Abba his uncertainties from Abaye, indicating that he was younger than him (see in the rules, a contradiction to this proof). And we find another general Rabbi Abba who was a long time after Abaye in Shabbat, chapter of the one who asks (110b), Rabbi Abba said to Rav Ashi, and likewise in Bava Batra (147a, 148a) and Taanit (4) and Yoma (48a) and Gittin (34b), and so too in the Asheri, chapter one of Taanit, and in the Rif, the version is, Rabbi Ada said to Rav Ashi, Menachot (37a), Bekhorot (55a), Niddah (62b, 65b), Bava Kamma (27b), and since Rav Ashi did not see Rabba who was born when Rabba died, certainly he did not see Abaye who died before Rabba.
Therefore, we can say that also this Rabbi Abba here did not see Abaye at all, and thus we correctly read here Rabbi Abba.
Thus far the text. And the lineage was written, and Tosafot at the beginning of Me'ilah, Rabbi Asi said regarding Rabbi Abba, we read, for Rav Asi did not see Rabba (and I did not find).
Seder_HaDorot,_Tanaim_and_Amoraim.16:1