Cambridge, Christ's College, MS Rouse 264
Diktyon no.: Diktyon 11813
Contents
Language(s): Greek
Defective at the beginning
ff. 1r-2v are blank apart from a variety of later notes
f. 6r is blank apart from a variety of later notes
Attributed here to John the Faster (Johannes Jejunator), Patriarch of Constantinople (d. 595) Johannes Ieiunator 5XX-595
Incomplete, with lacunas
ff. 21v, 35v-38r are blank apart from various later notes
Defective at the beginning
All these letters are dated 1623
Excerpt: Book 4, chapter 19, from the Greek translation by Pope Zacharias (d. 752)
ff. 329v-332v are blank apart from various later notes
TLG 4461.001
ff. 342v-347v are blank apart from later notes
Includes excerpts from the Apostolic Canons, decrees of councils, canonical responses and other material
Physical Description
Collation
- 3 later endleaves ff. [i]-[iii]
- Quire 14 ff. [iv]-2
- ff. 3-21
- Quire 28 ff. 22-29 (βον)
- ff. 30-44
- Quires 3-48 ff. 38-53 (αον-βον)
- Quire 56-1 ff. 55-58
- Quire 66 ff. 59-64 (δον)
- Quires 7-98 ff. 65-88 (εον-ζον)
- Quire 106 ff. 89-94
- Quires 11-198 ff. 95-167 (θον-ιζον)
- Quire 206 ff. 168-173
- Quires 21-308 ff. 174-253 (ιθον-κηον)
- Quire 318-1 ff. 254-260 (κθον)
- ff. 261-298
- Quires 32-338 ff. 299-314
- ff. 315-378
- 3 later endleaves ff. [vi]-[viii]
Signature βον (2nd) in black ink, in Greek numerals, by hand C, in the lower margin, right, recto, of the first leaf of the quire (f. 22r) and in the lower margin, left, verso, of the last leaf of the quire (f. 29v).
Signatures in brown ink, in Greek numerals, by hand C, in the lower margin, right, recto, of the first leaf of the quire and in the lower margin, left, verso, of the last leaf of the quire, from αον (1st, f. 38r) to λον (30th, f. 261r). The signatures γον, ηον, ιηον are not present.
Catchwords in black ink, by hand E, in the lower margin, verso, of the last leaf of the quires, written horizontally, on ff. 306v and 314v.Condition
Layout
A single column of 15-22 lines. 105-128 × 65-80 mm.
Hand(s)
ff. 3r-5a verso, 12r-14r, 271v-284r, line 12, ff. 284v, 317v, lines 8-19, f. 328r, line 13-f. 329r, f. 342r were copied by Hand A in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in black and brown ink. There is moderate variation in letter size.
Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is absent. There is decorative use of the double dot. Accents are sometimes joined to letters and nomina sacra strokes.
Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points, lower and middle commas and full stop.
Headings are written in the same style in red or brown ink.
ff. 6v, 21r-21v were copied by Hand B in mixed minuscule script, with variable slant, in black ink. There is moderate variation in letter size.
Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is absent. There is decorative use of the double dot. Accents are sometimes joined to nomina sacra strokes.
Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points and middle comma.
A heading is written in the same style in red ink.
ff. 7r-11v were copied by Hand C in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in black ink. There is moderate variation in letter size.
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. Accents are sometimes joined to nomina sacra strokes.
Enlarged tau is usually written with a downward-curved horizontal extending at least as low as the base of the letter.
Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points and middle and lower commas. Points are often marked in red ink, and sometimes combined with commas, visually resembling question marks but not performing this function.
Headings are written in the same style in red ink.
ff. 14v-15v, 268r-271r, line 13 were copied by Hand D in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in brown ink. There is moderate variation in letter size.
Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript. Use of the double dot is functional only. Accents are sometimes joined to letters and nomina sacra strokes.
Minuscule pi is sometimes written in a distinctive form, with the left-hand loop replaced by a long stroke, and the horizontal doubled back (e.g f. 14v, lines 4, 17).
Punctuation used includes the upper point and lower and middle commas.
ff. 16r-20r, 22r-35r, 38v-47v, line 7, ff. 48r-267v were copied by Hand E in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in black ink. There is moderate variation in letter size.
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. Accents are sometimes joined to abbreviations.
Punctuation used includes the lower comma and full stop.
Headings are written in the same style in red ink.
f. 47v, lines 8-18 were copied by Hand F in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in brown ink. There is moderate variation in letter size.
Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round.
Punctuation used includes the lower and middle commas.
A heading is written in the same style in red ink.
f. 284r, lines 13-17 were copied by Hand G in mixed minuscule script with variable slant, in black ink. There is modest variation in letter size.
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.
Punctuation used includes the middle point, middle comma and full stop.
ff. 285r-296v, 299r-317v, line 7 were copied by Hand H in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in black ink. There is moderate variation in letter size.
Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript. Use of the double dot is functional only.
Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points, lower and middle commas, question mark and full stop.
Headings are written in the same style in red ink.
f. 297r-297v was copied by Hand I in mixed minuscule script with variable slant, in black ink. There is modest variation in letter size.
Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is absent. There is decorative use of the double dot.
Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points, lower and middle commas and full stop.
Headings are written in the same style in red ink.
ff. 298r-298v were copied by Hand J in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in black ink. There is moderate variation in letter size.
Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round.
Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points.
The heading is written in the same style in red ink.
ff. 318r-327v were copied by Hand K in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in black ink. There is significant variation in letter size and frequent flamboyand flourishes.
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. Accents are sometimes joined to letters.
Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points, lower and middle commas, question mark and full stop.
ff. 328r, lines 1-13 were copied by Hand L in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in black ink. There is modest variation in letter size.
Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round. There is decorative use of the double dot. Accents are sometimes joined to nomina sacra strokes..
Punctuation used includes the middle point and full stop. Points are usually written in red ink.
The heading is written in the same style in red ink.
ff. 334r-341v were copied by Hand M in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in black ink. There is moderate variation in letter size.
Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is absent. There is decorative use of the double dot. Accents are sometimes joined to letters.
Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points, lower and middle commas and full stop.
ff. 348r-357v were copied by Hand N in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in brown ink. There is moderate variation in letter size.
Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is absent. There is decorative use of the double dot. Accents are sometimes joined to letters.
Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points and lower and middle commas.
Headings are written in the same style in red ink.
ff. 358r-378v were copied by Hand O in mixed minuscule script with variable slant, in black ink.
Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is absent. There is decorative use of the double dot. Accents are sometimes joined to nomina sacra strokes.
Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points and lower, middle and middle commas.
Headings are written in the same style in red ink.
Decoration
Many texts, sections and significant words begin with initials in red ink, of varying sizes and degrees of elaboration.
Some texts and sections begin with enlarged initials in brown ink.
Additions
There is a note of ownership on f. [iv] recto, which has suffered damage rendering the identity of the owner illegible: ‘Τὸ παρὸν ὑπάρ [..12..] καὶ ὅστις τοῦ λήθη ξενώσει’.
There are several annotations by various hands on the originally blank ff. 1r-2v, including two dated 1768 on f. 1r, two by a priest named Menas on f. 1v and another by the same hand on f. 2r, which is dated 1769 and mentions a priest named Giakoumis . There are also notes by a priest named Menas, sometimes in differnt styles, on ff. 14r, 36v-37v and 330r-332v, including notes dated 26 May 1775 on ff. 330v and 332v. The date 1775 also appears alone on f. 330r.
Notes by other hands on f. 2r mention a hieromonachos (priest and monk) named Ioachim , one Giannis , and Georgios Sarakenopoulos . Those on f. 2v include two monocondylion signatures of a hieromonachos named Makarios .
A series of notes by various hands on another otherwise blank folio, f. 6r, include an obituary recording the death of Laurentios, Archbishop of Sinai, at the ninth hour of the day on Sunday 10 November 1516 (7125 AM), after 25 years in office: ‘Τῶ ͵ζρκεʹ Νοεβρί· ιʹ· ὅρα θʹ τῆς ⟨ἡ⟩μερας· ἡμέρα Κυριακὴ ἐκειμήθι ὁ ἀρχιεπίσκοπος ⟨τ⟩οῦ ἁγίου ὄρους Σινᾶ κύριος Λαυρέντιος· ἀρχιερατεῦσε ⟨χ⟩ρόνους· κεʹ τα ἔλι αὐτοῦ ἀπιόντα, πλέω ἀπελα ⟨ἐ⟩νικοντα’.
Notes by various hands on f. 21v include one recording the massacre of Ottoman officials in Bucharest by Michael, Voivod of Wallachia (1558-1601) on 5 November 1593: ‘Εἰς τοῦ ͵αφϙγʹ Νοεῦριοῦ· εʹ ἡμέρα Τρίτης ἐκοψεν ὁ Μηχἅλ βοηβοδας· τοὺς Τοὕρκους εις το Μπουκορεστει· εἰς τὸν κερὄν τοῦ σολταν Μεχμετη· ἐπαρθη, οἱ Οὐγκροβλαχία· ἀπὸ τοὺς Τοὺρκοὺς, εἰς τοὺς· ͵ατοδʹ· ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ γενησεος’.
There are other occasional marginal notes by various hands (e.g. ff. 11v-12r, f. 110r, 298v-299r).
The presentation of the manuscript to Christ's College by W.H.D. Rouse is recorded by a bookplate on the left pastedown. The present classmark and the former classmarks J.17 and GG.2. also appear here, along with the number Y.14, also found in other Rouse manuscripts, which also appears on ff. [i] recto-[ii] recto. Rouse's donation is also recorded by a note on f. [i] verso, with the date 10 July 1940, and a note of the manuscript's acquisition on Kalymnos in 1898.
Binding
19th-century full leather green binding over millboards, by J.S. Wilson and Son in Cambridge. Blind tooling on both covers, gold tooling on the board edges and squares. The title ‘Nomocanon 1560 Greek Ms. ’ is tooled in gold on the spine.
151 × 120 × 65 mm.
Accompanying Material
There are three endleaves belonging to the present binding at each end, the outermost marbled on the outer face. At the left-hand end of the manuscript these are followed by four earlier endleaves, perhaps original to the production of the manuscript, of thick western paper without visible endleaves ( ff. [iv]-2).
History
Provenance and Acquisition
Possibly owned by a priest named Menas in 1768-1775, as suggested by notes on ff. 1r-2v, 330r-330v and 332r.
Acquired by the classicist and teacher W.H.D. Rouse (1863-1950) , Honorary Fellow of Christ's, on Kalymnos in 1898, as indicated by the note on f. [i] verso.
Presented to Christ's College by W.H.D. Rouse , 10 July 1940.
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
-
Folklore from the Southern Sporades Folklore, Rouse, W.H.D. (10, 2, 150-186, 1899)
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
Abbreviations
View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.
