Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries

A catalogue of Western manuscripts and papyri at Cambridge University Library, the Fitzwilliam Museum and selected Cambridge colleges

Cambridge, Christ's College, MS Rouse 255

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 11809

Contents

Introduction: This manuscript, produced during the late 16th century, contains two hagiographical texts: the Life of St Eupraxia and Passion of St Eirene. Eupraxia was a 5th-century Constantinopolitan nun and Eirene a martyred princess, whose story is set in 4th-century Persia. The former text is the work of a priest and monk named Ignatios and its language has vernacular features, a common characteristic in hagiography, a form of literature directed at an unusually wide audience. The latter is anonymous and written in a more classical style of Greek. The two texts are physically distinct from one another, having been written by two different scribes on different papers. The scribe of the first text provided it with quire signatures to guide its binding, but none survive in the second. It is therefore possible that they were originally separate creations which were bound together at a later date. However, they were produced in the same period and their scribes wrote in a similar style with similar decorative flourishes, using the same layout. It therefore remains possible that they were always intended to be combined into a single volume. A further circumstantial indication of a possible common origin is the fact that both hands have been identified among the various copyists of another Christ's College manuscript, MS Rouse 254, a composite volume of ascetic texts. Both were bought by W.H.D. Rouse on the island of Kalymnos in 1898. This raises the possibility that they came from the same source and had a history of common ownership extending back to the time of production. Unfortunately, Rouse's note recording this acquisition (f. [i] verso) is vague about the purchase, saying only that the manuscript came from one of the numerous islands of the Sporades, while the equivalent note in the other manuscript gives no information on its provenance beyond the date and place of purchase. Dr Christopher Wright

Language(s): Greek

Physical Description

Form: codex
Extent: Codex: iii + 125 + iii leaves. 210 × 155 mm.
Foliation: The manuscript is foliated with the numbers [i-iii] + 1-65, [66], 67-69, [70], 71-125 + [iv-vi], in Arabic numerals, in black ink, recto, upper right. The two unnumbered folios ff. [66] and [70] are later blank inserts, replacing lost original folios. The numbering of ff. 67-69 and 71 has been corrected, perhaps to reflect a decision in the process of foliation to assign numbers to missing folios. The quire structure suggests that f. [66] may actually correspond to two lost folios.

Collation

Part I consists of 9 quires, Part II of 7: Quires 1-88, Quire 98-3+2, Quire 108, Quire 116, Quires 12-168.

Condition

Many folios have suffered extensive pest damage in the margins, and there has been some wear to the edges of the outermost folios. The more seriously damaged folios have been repaired with paper patches. These repairs have created hinging in some areas, and tape has been used in places to strengthen them. There are patches of dirt, and discoloration to the outermost folios. There is some water staining to the head, causing fading of the text in the uppermost lines, and some abrasion of ink elsewhere. The water staining becomes more widespread and severe in the latter part of the manuscript.

Binding

19th-century full leather binding over millboards, with marbled pastedowns, by J.S. Wilson and Son of Cambridge. There is decorative gold tooling on the squares inside the cover, and blind tooling on the outside of the cover. The title ‘Lives of Eupraxia and Eirene Ignatius. Greek MS’ is tooled in gold on the spine.

220 × 170 × 44 mm.

Accompanying Material

There are three paper endleaves at each end of the maunscript, dating to the most recent rebinding. On f. [i] verso is a note by W.H.D. Rouse recording his acquisition of the manuscript: ‘W.H.D. Rouse This MS was bought in Calymnos 1898. It came from one of the Sporades’. This folio also bears a note recording the presentation of the manuscript to Christ's College Library and a stamp recording its rebinding.

History

Origin: The watermarks and characteristics of the script of both portions of the manuscript suggest that they were produced during the late 16th century. Since their content, material, script and ornamentation are all similar but separate and the number of lines of text per page is the same, while there are quire signatures in Part I but not in Part II, it is unclear whether they were originally produced as two separate manuscripts or as part of a single project.

Provenance and Acquisition

Belonged to an owner on one of the Sporades, then bought by the classicist and teacher W.H.D. Rouse (1863-1950) , Honorary Fellow of Christ's, on Kalymnos in 1898, according to his note on f. [i] verso.

Presented to Christ's College by W.H.D. Rouse , 3 July 1940.

Part 1 [Cambridge, Christ's College, MS Rouse 255, ff. 1-71]

Contents

Language(s): Greek

1. ff. 1r-71v
Ignatios, hieromonachos , Life of St Eupraxia
Rubric: f. 1r ⟨ Β⟩ίος καὶ πολιτεία, τῆς ὁσίας μητρὸς ἡμῶν Εὐπραξίας· μεταφρασθεὶς εἰς τὴν κοινὴν γλῶτταν, παρὰ Ἰγνατίου τοῦ ἐν ἱερομονάχοις ἐλαχίστου
Incipit: f. 1r Ἄλλο δεν εἶναι ποθεινότερον, καὶ ὠφελιμώτερον
Explicit: f. 71v καὶ τῷ Παναγίῷ καὶ ἀγαθῷ καὶ ζωοποιῷ αὐτοῦ Πνεύματι· νῦν καὶ ἄει καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν ἀιών[sic], ἀμήν

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Western paper, folded in quarto, with 8 chainlines per leaf. Watermark: Anchor ( c. 55 × 40 mm. ) in the gutter, similar to Moşin 1984-2017. These examples are dated to 1580-1690.

Collation

This part consists of 9 quires, all quaternia.

  • Quires 1-88 ff. 1-64
  • Quire 98-3+2 ff. 65-71 The second, third and seventh folios have been lost, with loss of text, and blank inserts substituted, one for the second and third and another for the seventh.

There are original quire signatures in Greek numerals, in brown ink, on the first folio of each quire, recto, upper right, and the last folio of each quire, verso, lower left. They survive on all quires (αʹ-θʹ), but some of those at the end of quires have been lost to damage. A cross has been placed in the centre of the upper margin of the first folio of each quire, recto, and the last folio of each quire, verso. There are original catchwords on the last folio of each quire, verso.

Layout

ff. 1r-71v A single column of 18 lines. Written space 154 × 100 mm.

Hand(s)

ff. 1r-71v were copied by Hand A in a Hodegon-style mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in brown ink. There is modest variation in letter size and some flourishing of tails into the margin. Tails in the lower margin are sometimes ornately looped, with red infill in some of the loops (e.g. ff. 40v-41v).

Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript. There is decorative use of the double dot, and accentuation of all nomina sacra . Accents are sometimes joined to letters. The double grave accent is in use.

The modern eta is present.

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

The heading is written in the same style in red ink.

Decoration

The beginning of the text is preceded by a thin horizontal headpiece, in brown ink with red infill (f. 1r).

The text begins with an ornamented major initial in red ink (f. 1r).

The beginnings of sections are marked with slightly ornamented minor initials in red ink.

Additions

There is a note in Greek on f. 1r with the date 14 July, and another brief note on f. 34r. There are a few pen-trials in the margins.

Part 2 [Cambridge, Christ's College, MS Rouse 255, ff. 72-125]

Contents

Language(s): Greek

2. ff. 72r-125v
Passion of St Eirene
Rubric: f. 72r Μαρτύριον τῆς ἁγίας και[sic] Καλλινίκου μεγαλομάρτυρος του[sic] Χριστοῦ Εἰρήνης: εὐλόγησον Πατέρ
Incipit: f. 72r Κατὰ τοὺς προλαβόντας χρόνους γέγονέ τις βασιλεὺς, ὀνόματι Λικίνιος
Explicit: f. 125v δευτέρα, ἡ Καλλίνικος· τρίτη, Κωνστάντια· τετάρτη, Νήσιβη· παρασκεβῆ[sic] δὲ ἡμέρα||

BHG 952y

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: ff. 72r-125v Western paper, folded in quarto, with 8 chainlines per leaf. Watermark: Anchor ( c. 55 × 40 mm. ) in the gutter, motif similar to Moşin 1984-2017 (dated 1580-1690), countermark similar to Mazzoldi 86 (dated 1573).

Collation

This part consists of 7 quires, of which one is a ternion and the rest are quaternia.

  • Quire 108 ff. 72-79
  • Quire 116 ff. 80-85
  • Quire 12-168 ff. 72-125

There are original catchwords on the last folio of each quire, verso.

Layout

ff. 72r-125v A single column of 18 lines. 134 × 95 mm.

Hand(s)

ff. 1r-71v were copied by Hand B in a Hodegon-style mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in black ink. There is modest variation in letter size, more dramatic in the top line, and frequent flourishing of tails into the margin. Tails in the lower margin are sometimes ornately looped, with red infill in some of the loops and angles, and in the curves of letters in the top and bottom lines (e.g. ff. 104r-107v).

Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of words appear throughout the line. Syllabic abbreviations are occasionally used in mid-word (e.g. f. 125v, line 17). Breathings are round and mute iota is absent or subscript. There is decorative use of the double dot, and accentuation of all nomina sacra . Accents are sometimes joined to letters. The double grave accent is in use. The hyphen is used to merge words and marginal quotation marks are used.

Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points, middle comma and question mark.

Decoration

The beginning of the text is preceded by a rectangular horizontal headpiece, in brown ink with red infill (f. 72r).

The text begins with an ornamented major initial in red ink (f. 72r).

Additions

There are occasional corrections by later hands, including one on f. 77r on which a number of pen-trials have been based.

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

    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)

Funding of Cataloguing

The Polonsky Foundation

Digital Images

Cambridge Digital Library

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