Greek Miscellany of Canon Law and Other Texts, ca. 1430-1440, ca. 1470-1500

Format
Manuscript
Language
Modern Greek (1453-)

Availability

Copies in the Library

Location Call Number Status Location Service Notes
Special Collections - Manuscripts Princeton MS. 247 Browse related items Reading Room Request

    Details

    Subject(s)
    Getty AAT genre
    Compiled/​Created
    ca. 1430-1440, ca. 1470-1500
    Summary note
    • Italy (Venice or Veneto?), 231 fols. (29.5 x 20.3 cm); copied (perhaps Venice or the Veneto), ca. 1430-1440, ca. 1470-1500] 231 leaves, potentially wanting only a single leaf from 25th gathering, else complete, collation: i6, ii-xv8 (the last followed by an inserted bifolium with tables), xvi-xix8, xx5 (with a singleton to complete text), xxi-xxii8, xxiii4 (ending text), xxiv8, xxv-xxvi7 (the second of these gatherings certainly wanting a blank cancel), xxvii8, xxviii-xxix6, xxx-xxxi8, xxxii4; a sammelband of four units: (a) main body of codex, gatherings i-xi, fols.1-177, single column, 35 lines in a single fine Greek bookhand, pale red rubrics and capitals, large initials (set in margin) and marginalia in same, one large decorative headband picking out acanthus leaves and decorative knots and corner pieces in same in opening frontispiece on fol. 1r, other later marginalia and stylised pointing finger marks, text ending with three scribal marks, watermarks dividing this section up into 4 sub-sections: (i) fols. 1-86, scissors, no exact match, but distributed throughout fifteenth century and clustered in northern and central Italy, (ii) fols. 87-94, glove with a star, similar to Briquet no. 11165 (Perpignan, 1505), but that with a flower, (iii) fols. 113-157, swords saltire, close to those from the second half of the fifteenth century, thus this sub-section probably northern or central Italy, second half of fifteenth century; (b) sermons and religious texts, gatherings xxiv-xxix, fols. 178-219, single column, 34 lines in a squarer Greek bookhand, rubrics in red, simple initials in same with foliate flourishes, capitals and some larger initials in pale iridescent yellow (perhaps faded from red), watermarks dividing this section into two: (I) visible on fol. 194, three stylised hills, identifiable as Harlfinger (Monts 23), attested in 1431 with proposed usage range 1426-36, (II) horse close to Briquet no. 3567 (Venice, 1433), thus this sub-section probably northeast Italy, 1420s-1430s; (c) Homily of Philagathus of Cerami, gathering xxx, fols. 220-227, in same hand and arrangement as previous section, watermarks dividing this section into two: (1) visible on fol. 226, letter R, close to Briquet no. 8969 (1417), but with similar examples throughout first three decades of fifteenth century, (2) visible on fol. 222, letter b, similar to Briquet nos. 7973-7977, from last quarter of the fourteenth to first quarter of fifteenth century, thus this sub-section probably early decades of fifteenth century; (d) gathering xxxi, fols. 228-231, small Greek bookhand in single column of 33 lines, rubrics and initials once in red (now faded), watermark not distinguishable; the whole volume with numerous later additions to endleaves.
    • fol. i: Table of Contents (in Latin), tipped into volume: "Hȩc continentur in hoc volumine"
    • fol. 1r-150r: Matthaeus Blastares (1290-1360), Syntagma alphabeticum canonum, a canon law compilation, organized alphabetically, ca. 1335. Between fols. 117v and 118r is a later manuscript (unfoliated) on different paper (unfoliated) containing Easter Tables for the years 725-1351 C.E.
    • fols. 150r-154r: Iohannes Nesteutes (d. 595) [Patriarch John IV of Constantinople, r. 582-95)], Kanonarion (extracts).
    • fols. 155r-159r: Pope Leo I (r. 440-461), Epistola ad Flavianum, on the nature of Christ, written ca. 449 CE for Flavian, patriarch of Constantinople.
    • fols. 159r-174r: Sermons and other religious texts or extracts, including Joseph Bryennios (d. 1436), Sermon for the Feast of the Transfiguration of Christ; a brief treatise on the Seven Mysteries of the Church; and Nicholas III Grammatikos (d. 1111), Patriarch of Constantinople, Poem on Lent. Colophon of the scribe Nicholaos is on fol. 170v. Fol 174v is blank.
    • fols. 175r-220v: Iohannes Xiphilinus (ca. 1010-1075), Homily for the Third Sunday of Lent.
    • fols. 221r-224v: Philagathus of Cerami (d. 1154 or later), Sermon.
    • fols. 225r-228r: Dorotheos of Gaza (ca. 505-565), On judgment (extract). Fol. 228v has unidentified notes.
    Binding note
    Contemporary binding in Greek style; dark-red goatskin over heavy wooden boards.
    Source acquisition
    Purchase: Acquired with matching funds provided by the Program in Hellenic Studies with the support of the Stanley J. Seeger Hellenic Fund, 2017. AM 2018-23.
    Statement on language in description
    Princeton University Library aims to describe library materials in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in the collections we manage. Read more...
    Other views
    Staff view

    Supplementary Information