Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries: Cambridge, Christ's College, MS 6

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 11803

Introduction: This Gospel lectionary manuscript belongs to the fuller of the two main types, the "weekday" lectionary, which includes readings for every day of the week, except during Lent, when a Gospel reading was only given on Saturdays and Sundays. It is complete apart from the loss of two quires, and was apparently completed in the mid-13th century. The scribe has left a brief colophon on f. 219r, giving thanks for the completion of the work. Fuller information on the early history of the manuscript is available from a note written in a different hand on f. 219v, recording the purchase of the book for the sum of 9 hyperpyra (the standard gold coin of Byzantium in its later centuries), but the roles of the people involved and the significance of the dates mentioned remain ambiguous. What appears to be the likeliest reading is that this note was written by one Michael Tankris on either 4 September 1261 or 4 August 1262, recording the purchase of the manuscript by the monk Athanasios Tankris from the hieromonachos (monk and priest) Lazaros Exeleissiastin in May in the first year of the indiction, the fifteen-year cycle originating in the Late Antique Roman tax assessment system. This would place the purchase probably in 1258, the most recent first year of the indiction when the note was written. Michael Tankris may well be the priest of that name who copied a manucript dated 1263, now Mount Athos, Monastery of Docheiariou, MS 275 (Lambros 2949) (Marie Vogel and Victor Gardthausen, Die griechischen Schreiber des Mittelalters und der Renaissance (Leipzig 1909), p. 322). The left-hand side of the same page was previously filled by a note in red ink, subsequently erased, whose placement on the page suggests that it predated the surviving note. The likeliest explanation of this is that it was a record of ownership, scrubbed out by a later owner to protect their own claim to the manuscript. This would have been an especially pressing concern if the former owner had been a monastery, as monks were forbidden to alienate their convent's property, and ownership notes in books owned by monasteries typically included explicit prohibitions pronouncing curses on anyone who deprived the institution of its possessions. The manuscript was presumably relatively new when both of these notes were written, as the scribal characteristics of the main text, notably the occasional appearance of mute iota in its final subscript form and the form of the abbreviation of καί, indicate that it was copied no earlier than the 13th century, although it has in the past been assigned an earlier date. The crudity of the script and relatively poor quality of the parchment are suggestive of a provincial production, perhaps in a peripheral region outside the Byzantine mainstream. This impression is reinforced by the unusual, crude but lively form of its ornament, which includes some dramatically elongated initial letters and the frequent use of animal forms, mostly snakes. The prevalence of such zoomorphic forms, the use of translucent paint and the highlighting of some headings with yellow wash suggest a possible origin in the Greek-speaking communities of southern Italy, where Greek manuscripts continued to be produced after the 11th-century termination of Byzantine rule and where distinctive practices emerged, often under the influence of Latin manuscript production. This is complicated, howerver, by the use of hyperpyra for the purchase recorded on f. 219v, since this indicates that by that time the manuscript was located inside the Byzantine world, then fragmented into a number of successor states following the fall of Constantinople to the Fourth Crusade in 1204. Dr Christopher Wright

Language(s): Greek

ff. 1r-219r

Gospel lectionary (Saturdays, Sundays and weekdays)

Gregory-Aland l 185

Rubric: f. 1r Εὐαγγέλιον σὺν Θεῶ καθημερινὸν

Incipit: f. 1r Ἐν ἀρχῆ ἦν ὁ λόγος· καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος

Explicit: f. 219r οὐδὲ αὐτὸν οἶμαι τὸν κόσμον χωρῆσαι, τὰ γραφόμενα βιβλία ἀμήν

1.1. ff. 1r-21r

Synaxarion: Lections for the weeks of John

Incomplete, with a lacuna

1.2. ff. 21r-76v

Synaxarion: Lections for the weeks of Matthew

On f. 52r, at the start of the lection for Monday of the 10th week after Pentecost, the beginning of weekday lections from Mark is indicated by a headpiece and heading (‘Ἀρχὴ τοῦ κατὰ Μάρκον εὐαγγελίου τῆ δευτέρᾳ τῆς δεκάτης ἑβδομάδος’), but the same numerical sequence of weeks continues.

1.3. ff. 76v-127v

Synaxarion: Lections for the weeks of Luke

Incomplete, with a lacuna

1.4. ff. 127v-133v

Synaxarion: Lections for the weeks of Mark (Lent)

1.5. ff. 134r-180v

Synaxarion: Lections of Holy Week

1.6. ff. 180v-183r

Menologion: Lections for September

1.7. ff. 183r-184r

Menologion: Lections for October

1.8. ff. 184r-185v

Menologion: Lections for November

1.9. ff. 185v-191v

Menologion: Lections for December

1.10. ff. 191v-197v

Menologion: Lections for January

1.11. ff. 197r-199v

Menologion: Lections for February

1.12. ff. 199v-201r

Menologion: Lections for March

1.13. ff. 201r-202v

Menologion: Lections for April

1.14. ff. 202v-204r

Menologion: Lections for May

1.15. ff. 204r-207v

Menologion: Lections for June

1.16. ff. 207v-208v

Menologion: Lections for July

1.17. ff. 208v-212r

Menologion: Lections for August

1.18. ff. 212r-212v, col. a, 7

Lections for various occasions

1.19. f. 212v, col. a, 7-col. b, line 11

Selected orthros lections

1.20. f. 212v, col. b, lines 12-19

Orthros lections for Holy Week

1.21. f. 212v, col. b, lines 20-30

Prokeimena for vespers in Holy Week

1.22. ff. 213r-219r

Eothinon lections

1.23.

Colophon: f. 219r Δόξα τᾢ λόγω τῶ δόντι τέλος ἀμήν

Physical Description

Form: codex

Support: Parchment (FHHF), of variable thickness and somewhat poor quality.

Extent: Codex: ii + 219 + iii leaves. 300 × 222 mm.

Foliation: The manuscript is numbered by columns with the numbers [i-ii] + 1-871, [872-873] + [iii-v], in black ink, in Arabic numerals, recto and verso, upper right and upper left. On f. 62r the number 245 is duplicated, so numbers thereafter are too small by one. On f. 94r the number 371 is duplicated, so numbers thereafter are too small by two. On f. 167r the number 662 is duplicated, so numbers thereafter are too small by three.

Foliation: ff. 1-22 are foliated with the numbers 1-22, in black ink, in Arabic numerals, recto, lower right.

Collation

The manuscript consists of 28 quires, of which one or two are ternia, five are quinia and the rest are quaternia. The quinia probably arise from the cancellation of one folio of a quaternion and the insertion of a new bifolio and cancellation of one of its leaves as a substitute. One quire has been lost after Quire 2 and one after Quire 14.

Quire 1⁶ ff. 1-6
Quires 2-13⁸ ff. 7-102
Quire 14^10-2 ff. 103-110 The third and seventh folios have been cancelled, without loss of text.
Quires 15⁸ ff. 111-118
Quire 16^10-2 ff. 119-126 The third and seventh folios have been cancelled, without loss of text.
Quires 17-18⁸ ff. 127-142
Quire 19^10-2 ff. 143-150 The third and seventh folios have been cancelled, without loss of text.
Quires 20-21⁸ ff. 151-166
Quire 22^10-2 ff. 167-174 The third and seventh folios have been cancelled, without loss of text.
Quires 23-24⁸ ff. 175-182
Quire 25^10-2 ff. 183-198 The third and seventh folios have been cancelled, without loss of text.
Quires 26-27⁸ ff. 199-214
Quire 28^8-3? ff. 215-219 The first five folios survive, those following having been cancelled, without loss of text. This may be either a ternion with the last folio cancelled, or a quaternion with the last three folios cancelled.

There are quire signatures in Greek numerals, in brown or occasionally black ink, on the last folio of each quire, verso, lower left. A few have been lost to cropping. They reflect the state of the manuscript before the loss of the missing quires, and survive on Quires 1-3, 6-7, 10-15, 18-27 (αʹ-βʹ, δʹ, ζʹ-ηʹ, ιαʹ-ιεʹ, ιζʹ, κʹ-κθʹ), while a trace survives on Quire 8. There are also modern quire signatures in Arabic numerals, in pencil, on the first folio of each quire, recto, lower right. They survive on quires 1-28. There is a single quire signature in Arabic numerals, in black ink, on the last folio of Quire 5, verso, lower left.

Condition

There are occasional small tears at the edges of folios (e.g. f. 14), and occasional small holes. Some tears have been repaired with small paper patches (e.g. ff. 41, 137). There are some worm-holes in the outermost folios (ff. 1-5, 216-219). The folios are mildly cockled. There is extensive abrasion of the text, and some areas of dirt, drops of wax and brown stains (e.g. ff. f. 150v, 213v). There is extensive water staining to the last few folios.

Layout

Two columns of 27-36 lines. 237-251 × 175 mm. Pricking occasionally survives in the lower margin, but has mostly been lost to cropping. Ruled in hardpoint, system Leroy 1, type probably Leroy 32C2. Text sometimes hangs from the lines, but usually ignores them.

Hand(s)

The main text was copied by Hand A in a mixed minuscule script with variable slant, in brown ink, with moderate variation in letter size. Tails are very occasionally flourished into the lower margin, sometimes ornamented with an X-shape (e.g. f. 15r). There is considerable variation in the overall size of text.

Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings usually appear only at the ends of lines, but occasionally elsewhere. Breathings are round and mute iota is usually absent but very occasionally subscript (e.g. f. 219r, col. b, line 31). There is decorative use of the double dot, and accentuation of all lengths of nomina sacra . The double grave accent is in use.

Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points, lower and middle commas, question mark and full stop.

The flat-bottomed omega is present.

Headings for lections are by the same hand, in Alexandrine majuscule script, sometimes partially in red ink. The opening heading of the text and the heading for the first lection (f. 1r) are written in epigraphic display majuscule, in red ink.

Decoration

The text is preceded by a pyle, outlined in brown and red ink, with red and green paint infill. The unusually designated section for the weeks of Mark is preceded by a pyle outlined in brown ink, with red and blue paint infill (f. 52r). Some other sections of the lectionary are preceded by rectangular headpieces of different sizes, in the same style:

f. 21r Weeks of Matthew
f. 180r September
f. 212r Lections for various occasions
f. 213r Eothina lections

Others are preceded by thin strips of ornament in the same style:

f. 76v Weeks of Luke
f. 127v Weeks of Mark (Lent)
f. 153r Lections of the Passion
f. 168v Lections of the Hours
f. 183r October
f. 212v Selected orthros lections
f. 212v Orthros lections for Holy Week

The text of each lection begins with an ornamented major initial outlined in red, with blue paint infill, and occasionally also green (e.g. ff. 1r, 46v-48r). In the early folios, these are highlighted with translucent yellow wash (ff. 2v-7r). Many of these initials are decorated with a snake or two entwined snakes (e.g. ff. 45v, 77v-78r, 93v, 128v, 144r). Other representational forms include birds (e.g. f. 46r) and blessing hands as the central stroke of epsilon (e.g. f. 46v). Sometimes initials are very elongated (e.g. f. 87v). Occasionally lection headings or summary lections have small initials in the same basic style (e.g. f. 4v). On f. 204v an initial has been omitted, and one added by a later hand in brown ink.

Summary lections and various important words in lection headings begin with small initial letters in red ink.

The beginning of months of the menologion other than September is accompanied by small line-fillers in the same style as the headpieces (e.g. ff. 183r, 184r).

In the early folios, headings are highlighted with translucent yellow wash (ff. 2v-7r).

Additions

There are occasional marginal notes in Greek with additional lection information, in various hands (e.g. ff. 14r, 41r, 70v, 79r, 178v, 206v). There is some overwriting of abraded text in black ink (e.g. f. 70v).

On f. 219v there is long note in red ink, probably recording ownership, which has been erased. On the same folio is a note enumerating the number of folios in the manuscript as 233: ‘Αυτη η βηβλὸς· εχη φηλα διακοσηα τριακοντα· καὶ τρια’.

There is also a note dated either 4 September 1261 or 4 August 1262, written by Michael Tankris. The uncertainty results from the fact that the Anno Mundi year 5770 (September 1261-August 1262) is preceded in this note by the day and month 4 September and followed by what appears to be 4 August. The note records the purchase of the manuscript by the monk Athanasios Tankris from the hieromonachos Lazaros Exeleissiastin for nine hyperpyra in May in the year of the first indiction, probably 1258: ‘Ἐποῦλείθην τὸ παρὼν εὐαγγέλειων. καὶ ηγῶράσθη παρὰ Ἀθανασιου μοναχοῦ τοῦ Τἀκγρὶ· ἀπὸ τὸν ἱἐρομοναχοῦ κυροῦ Λάζαρον τὼν Ἐξελεισσιαστῖν εἶς ὑπέρπυρα θʹ: μηνὶ Μαΐω ἰνδικτιῶνος αʹ:+ Μιχαῆλ ὀ Τακρὶς ταύτᾶ γραφῆς: Σεμπτεβρίω δʹ τὸ ἔτος ͵ϛψοʹ Αὑγούστῳ δʹ’

Below, another hand has copied part of the megalynaria sung on the Feast of Holy Angels: ‘Τοῦ Ἀρχιστρατηγοῦ σοῦ Μιχαὴλ ⟨καὶ⟩ τοῦ Αρχαγγελοῦ ⟨τὸ μ⟩ελώδημα Γαβριὴλ, μιστίριον ξένον τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ δοχεῖον χαρὰ δε τōν ἀγγελων βο⟨ήθει⟩ τὸ σιστιμα’

Modern chapter and verse references, in Arabic numerals and Latin text, have been added at the beginning of each lection, indicating its content.

The current classmark and the former classmark DD.1.6 appear on the left pastedown.

Binding

18th-century full leather binding over couched-laminate boards, with plain pastedowns. There is decorative blind tooling on both boards, and the title ‘Evangelia Graece MS’ tooled in gold on a red leather patch on the spine.

313 × 242 × 67 mm.

The tailband is split, and there are splits in the caps at head and tail. Both joints have begun to split. There is insect damage near the lower end of the spine.

Accompanying Material

There are three paper endleaves from a previous binding (ff. [i], [ii-iii]). Of these, f. [ii] recto bears Latin notes of content and another note in the same hand, recording the manuscript's donation to Christ's College in 1654: ‘E dono Francisci Tayleri in Theologia licentiati olim Collegii Christi apud Cantabrigienses alumni nunc vero verbi divini in Aede Christi apud Cantuariensis concionatoris Data Iulii 14 1654’). Also on f. [ii] recto is a note by F.H.A. Scrivener regarding his collation of the text, dated June 1854, and a later note citing Scrivener's Codex Augiensis. On ff. [iii] recto-[iv] recto are tables identifying the locations in the manuscript of the lections from each chapter of Matthew, Mark and Luke.

Outside these are two more endleaves from the present binding (ff. [i], [v] verso).

Inserted loose at the front of the manuscript is a letter from Scrivener to the Librarian regarding the completion of his collation of the manuscript, arrangements for its return to the library, and a request to borrow a manuscript of the Acts and Epistles previously collated by Mill, presumably Christ's College MS 9, in order to collate this also.

History

Origin: The style of script and the likeliest dating of the purchase recorded in the note on f. 219v suggest that the manuscript was copied in the 13th century, before May 1258. The relatively low quality of the parchment, the crude execution of the text and ornament, the prevalence of zoomorphic ornament using translucent paint, and the highlighting of headings with translucent yellow wash suggest a possible origin in ; southern Italy.

Provenance and Acquisition

Probably bought from the hieromonachos Lazaros Exeleissiastin by the monk Athanasios Tankris , in May 1258, as recorded in the note on f. 219v.

Presented to Christ's College by the theologian Francis Taylor (1590-1656) , 14 July 1654.

Additional Information

Availability

Visitors to Christ's who wish to consult Special Collections material are required to apply to the Library in advance of their visit. For information on eligibility and admission procedures see: Christ's College Old Library.

Bibliography

An exact transcript of the Codex Augiensis: a Græco-Latin manuscript of S. Paul's Epistles, deposited in the Library of Trinity College, Cambridge, Scrivener, Frederick Henry Ambrose (Cambridge; London, Deighton, Bell, and Co., 1859)

Greek manuscripts in Cambridge: recent acquisitions by college libraries, the Fitzwilliam Museum and private collectors. Transactions of the Cambridge Bibliographical Society, Easterling, Patricia E. (4, 179-191, 1966)

The Centre for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts

Funding of Cataloguing

The Polonsky Foundation

Digital Images

Cambridge Digital Library

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries

Cambridge, Christ's College, MS 6

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