Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries

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

Cambridge, Trinity College, MS B.8.1

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 11915

Contents

Introduction: This manuscript, probably produced during the 12th century, is a Menologion for January, a liturgical book containing the hagiographical texts to be read in church during that month, including Lives of Saints, martyrdom narratives and accounts regarding relics and posthumous miracles. All but one of the texts originally found in this volume are the work of Symeon Metaphrastes, or Symeon the Metaphrast, a 10th-century Byzantine civil official and later a monk. He rewrote numerous existing hagiographical texts in a more accessible style and compiled these into a new menologion. The term Metaphrast refers to this practice of rewriting. Symeon's versions of these stories became the most widely used, superseding those read previously. The other Life in the original set here is the only known work of its author, a priest named Gregory. At a later date, probably in the 13th century, the book was expanded with two quires added to the end, containing a contents list to the existing texts and one additional text, an oration dedicated to the Church Fathers Basil the Great, Gregory of Nazianzus and John Chrysostom, by the 11th-century writer Ioannes Mauropous, an imperial court orator and later Metropolitan of Euchaita. During the early modern period the manuscript was owned by the Monastery of the Pantokrator on Mount Athos, as indicated by a note on f. 221v. Among various other notes scribbled on blank leaves at the end of the original part of the manuscript are multiple copies of a note on f. 220r, recording a donation to a church of St Demetrios by one Romanos Thyepolos. However, the repetition of this note and the context in which it is found suggests that these may have been practice drafts for a text to be written elsewhere, rather than referring to this manuscript. Dr Christopher Wright

Language(s): Greek

Physical Description

Form: codex
Extent: Codex: i + 235 + i leaves. 310 × 250 mm.
Foliation: The manuscript is foliated with the numbers [i] + 1-235 + [ii], in pencil, in Arabic numerals, recto, upper right.

Collation

Part I consists of 27 quires, Part II of 2: 1-278, 284, 298, 308-1

Binding

18th-century full leather binding over couched-laminate boards, with plain pastedowns. There is decorative blind tooling in a lozenge pattern on the edges of the boards, and further decorative blind tooling on the spine. The title ‘Vitae Sanctorum M.S.’ is tooled in gold on a red label on the spine, and the classmark appears on patches.

326 × 270 × 82 mm.

The left board is almost completely detached. The tailband in split in two places and the headband is partially missing.

History

Provenance and Acquisition

Owned by the Pantokratoros Monastery on Mount Athos.

Bequeathed by Richard Bentley (1662-1742) , Master of Trinity, to the College library after his death.

Part 1 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS B.8.1, ff. 1-220]

Contents

Language(s): Greek

1. ff. 1r-219v
Menologion for January
1.1. ff. 1-29r
Symeon, Metaphrastes, active 10th century, Life of St Athanasios of Alexandria
Rubric: f. 1r Βίος τοῦ ἐν ἁγίοις πατρός ἡμῶν Ἀθανασίου ἀρχιεπισκόπου Ἀλεξανδρείας
Incipit: f. 1r Ἄλλοι μὲν ἄλλα τῶν μακαρίων ἀνδρῶν ὑπομνήματα
Explicit: f. 29r ἐπιτυχεῖν ἐν Χριστῶ Ἰησοῦ τῶ Κυρίω ἡμῶν· ὧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος· νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων· ἀμήν

TLG 5059.024

BHG 183

PG 25 coll. 185-211

1.2. ff. 29r-89r
Symeon, Metaphrastes, active 10th century, Life of St Euthymios
Rubric: f. 29r Βίος τοῦ ὁσίου πατρὸς ἡμῶν Εὐθυμίου
Incipit: f. 29r Καὶ παντὸς μὲν ἄλλου πράγματος ἄσκησις ὑποδείγματος ἄνευ
Explicit: f. 89r ἡ πρέπει δόξα τιμὴ καὶ προσκύνησις· νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων· ἀμήν

TLG 5059.026

BHG 649, 649b, 649e

PG 114, coll. 596-733

1.3. ff. 89v-95r
Symeon, Metaphrastes, active 10th century, Passion of St Timothy of Ephesos
Rubric: f. 89v Ὑπόμνημα εἰς τὸν ἅγιον ἀπόστολον Τιμόθεον
Incipit: f. 89v Τιμόθεον τὸν μέγαν, ἤνεγκε μὲν. ἡ Λύκαόνων, ἐθρέψατο δὲ καὶ ἤσκησεν
Explicit: f. 95r κράτος τιμὴ καὶ προσκύνησις· νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων· ἀμήν

TLG 5059.027

BHG 1848

PG 114, coll. 761-773

1.4. ff. 95r-114r
Symeon, Metaphrastes, active 10th century, Passion of SS Anastasia the Widow, Agape, Eirene and Chione
Rubric: f. 95r Μαρτύριον τοῦ ἁγίου Ἀναστασίου τοῦ Πέρσου
Incipit: f. 95r Τῆς μεγάλης πόλεως Ἱεροσολύμων ὑπὸ τοῦ Περσῶν βασιλέως ἁλούσης
Explicit: f. 114r ὧ πρέπει πᾶσα τιμὴ καὶ προσκύνησις· νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων· ἀμήν

TLG 3115.003

BHG 82

PG 116, coll. 573-609

1.5. ff. 114r-150r
Symeon, Metaphrastes, active 10th century, Passion of SS Clement of Ankyra and Agathangelos
Rubric: f. 114r Βίος καὶ μαρτύριον τοῦ ἁγίου Κλήμεντος ἐπισκόπου Ἀγκύρας
Incipit: f. 114r Μετὰ διακοσιοστὸν καὶ πεντηκοστὸν ἔτος τῆς τοῦ Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ πρὸς οὐρανοὺς ἀναλήψεως· ἐν ἔτει δωδεκάτω τῆς βασιλείας Οὐλεριανοῦ
Explicit: f. 150r τιμὴ καὶ προσκύνησις· τῶ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῶ Ἁγίω Πνεύματι· νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων· ἀμήν

BHG 353

PG 114, coll. 816-893

1.6. ff. 150r-159r
Symeon, Metaphrastes, active 10th century, Life of St Xene of Mylasa
Rubric: f. 150r Βίος καὶ πολιτεία τῆς ὁσίας Ξένης
Incipit: f. 150r Ὁ καινὸς καὶ ξένος τῆς θαυμασίας ἀληθῶς Ξένης βίος
Explicit: f. 159r εἰς δόξαν Πατρὸς Υἱοῦ καὶ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος· νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων· ἀμήν

TLG 5059.028

BHG 634

PG 114, coll. 981-1000

1.7. ff. 159r-182r
Gregorius, Presbyter. , Life of St Gregory of Nazianzus
Rubric: f. 159r Βίος τοῦ ἐν ἁγίοις πατρὸς ἡμῶν Γρηγορίου ἀρχιεπισκόπου Κωνσταντινουπόλεως τοῦ θεολόγου
Incipit: f. 159r Συγκαλείμεν ὑμᾶς ὦ ἄνδρες Γρηγόριος ὁ πάνυ· ὁ τῆς θεολογίας ἐπώνυμος
Explicit: f. 182r αὐτῶ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας ἀμήν

TLG 3289.001

BHG 723-723c

CPG 7975

PG 35, coll. 244-304

1.8. ff. 182r-196r
Symeon, Metaphrastes, active 10th century, Life of SS Xenophon, Maria, John and Arkadios
Rubric: f. 182r Βίος καὶ πολιτεία τοῦ ὁσίου Χενοφῶντος καὶ τῶν τέκνων αὐτοῦ· Ἰωάννου καὶ Ἀρκαδίου
Incipit: f. 182r Ξενοφῶν ὁ θαυμάσιος, ἔφυ μὲν ἐκ ταύτης τῶν πόλεων
Explicit: f. 196r ὧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος· νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων· ἀμήν

BHG 1878

PG 114, coll. 1014-1043

1.9. ff. 196r-203v
Symeon, Metaphrastes, active 10th century, Commentary on the translation of the relics of St John Chrysostom
Rubric: f. 1r Εἰς τὴν ἀνακομιδὴν τοῦ λειψάνου τοῦ ἐν ἁγίοις πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἰωάννου ἀρχιεπισκόπου Κωνσταντινουπόλεως τοῦ Χρυσοστόμου
Incipit: f. 196r Ἀλλὰ πῶς ἄντις αἰτίας καὶ μώμων ἡμᾶς ἀπαλλάξοι
Explicit: f. 203v ὡς πρέπει πᾶσα δόξα· τιμὴ. κράτος· νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων· ἀμήν

TLG 3115.007

BHG 877-877b, 873f

1.10. ff. 203v-210v
Symeon, Metaphrastes, active 10th century, Life of St Ephraim Syrus
Rubric: f. 203v Βίος καὶ πολιτεία τοῦ ὁσίου πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἐφραὶμ τοῦ Σϋρου
Incipit: f. 203v Ἐφραὶμ ὁ θαυμάσιος· ἐφυμὲν ἐκ τῆς Σύρων γῆς
Explicit: f. 210v τιμὴ καὶ κράτος σὺν Πατρὶ καὶ τῶ Ἁγίω Πνεύματι· νῦν καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων· ἀμήν

BHG 584

PG 114, coll. 1253-1268

1.11. ff. 211r-219v
Symeon, Metaphrastes, active 10th century, Passion of SS Cyrus and John
Rubric: f. 211r Μαρτύριον τῶν ἁγίων θαυματουργῶν ἀββᾶ Κύρου καὶ Ἰωάννου
Incipit: f. 211r Κῦρος ὁ περιφανῆς τῶν μαρτύρων ἀστὴρ
Explicit: f. 219v ὧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος· νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων· ἀμήν

BHG 471

PG 114, coll. 1232-1249

f. 220r-220v is blank apart from various later notes and drawings.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Parchment (FHHF), of medium thickness and quality.

Collation

This part consists of 28 quires, of which one is a binion and the rest are quaternia.

  • Quires 1-278 ff. 1-216
  • Quire 284 ff. 217-220

There are original quire signatures in Greek numerals, in brown ink, on the first folio of each quire, recto, lower left, and the last folio of each quire, verso, lower right. They survive on all quires (αʹ-κηʹ).

Condition

There are small tears to the edges of some folios, most significantly to f. 1, which also contains a few small holes. There are more serious losses from tears and insect damage to f. 220, which is also severely discoloured. There are areas of dirt and some water staining, which becomes serious to the last few folios, where it is accompanied by some mould staining to the tail (ff. 210-220).

Layout

Two columns of 30 lines each. 234 × 157 mm. Pricking sometimes survives in all three margins, but some has been lost to cropping. Ruled in hardpoint, system Leroy 1, type 34C2. Text hangs from the lines. The end of each text is arranged in decorative tapering designs.

Hand(s)

This part was copied by Hand A in an upright mixed minuscule Perlschrift, in brown ink, with little variation in letter size. There are deletions by erasure. Tails are sometimes flourished into the lower margin, especially that of the abbreviation of καί, which is sometimes decorated with X-shapes and other simple ornament.

Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings appear only at the end of lines. Breathings are both angular and round, and mute iota is absent. Use of the double dot is functional only. There is 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.

Headings and lection notes have been added in Alexandrine majuscule script in red ink, and then gilded. The opening lection note is in epigraphic display majuscule.

Decoration

The beginning of the manuscript is marked by a pyle in red, blue, green and white paint and gold, with vegetative ornament (f. 1r). The beginning of each subsequent text is preceded by a rectangular headpiece in the same style (ff. 29r, 89v, 95r, 114r, 150r, 159r, 182r, 196r, 203v, 211r).

Each text begins with a major initial in the same style as the headpieces.

Some lines begin with minor initials, written in red ink and then gilded.

Headings for text and the accompanying lection notes have been written in red ink and then gilded.

There are occasional later drawings in ink: a man wearing a turban and spurs, holding a key and a banner, on f. 191r, an archer on f. 210r, and a number of faces and hands on f. 220r.

Additions

At the beginning of each text are one or more marginal notes in Greek of the number of folios it contains, by later hands.

There are numerous later notes in Greek on f. 220r. These include multiple instances of a note of donation to a church of St Demetrios by Romanos Thyepolos : ‘Καὶ τοῦτο δῶρον Ῥωμανοῦ Θυηπόλου ναῶ προσαχθὲν μάρτυρος Δημητρίου’

There are also various notes on f. 220v, including an epigram to one Stephen: ‘Ὦ Στέφανε κυρ Στέφανε καὶ γαδουνοστέφανε ἐάνπερ βούλη μαθεῖν καλῶς γράφειν τάδε μιμί σου τα[sic] γράμματα ἐγὼ σοι[sic] γὰρ ταῦτ⟨ ην(?) ⟩ φημὶ Στέφανος ὁ σὸς συνώνυμος’. There are a number of monocondylia, including the name of the notary Manuel Makres : ‘νοτάριος Μανουὴλ Μακρής’.

History

Origin: The characteristics of the script suggests that the main body of the manuscript was copied in the first half of the 12th century.

Part 2 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS B.8.1, ff. 221-235]

Contents

Language(s): Greek

12. f. 221r-221v
Contents list to Part I of the manuscript
Rubric: f. 221r Πίναξ ἄριστος τῆς γραφῆς τοῦ βιβλίου
Incipit: f. 221r Μηνὶ Ἰαννουαρίω ιηʹ· Βίος τοῦ ἐν ἁγίοις πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἀθανασίου
Explicit: f. 221v Μαρτύριον τῶν ἁγίων καὶ θαυματουργῶν Κύρου καὶ Ἰωάννου· οὗ ἡ ἀρχὴ Κύρος ὁ περιφανὴς τῶ

Each item in the list includes the incipit of the text.

13. ff. 221v-235v
John, Mauropus, Metropolitan of Euchaita, active 11th century, Oratio I in hierarchas tres
Rubric: f. 221v Ἐγκώμιον εἰς τοὺς ἁγίους τρεῖς ἱεράρχας πατέρας καὶ διδασ⟨κάλους⟩ ἡμῶν ⟨Βασι⟩λείου τοῦ με⟨γάλου, Γρηγορίου τοῦ Θεο⟩λόγου καὶ Ἰ⟨ωάννου τοῦ Χρυσοστ⟩όμ⟨ου⟩ συ[..]αφ[..12..] Εὐχαΐτων τοῦ [..12..]
Incipit: f. 221v Πάλιν Ἰωάννης ὁ τὴν γλῶτταν χρυσσοῦς, καὶ πάλιν ἡμῖν ἐπιφανὴς ἑορτή
Explicit: f. 235v ὅτι αὐτῇ πρέπει πᾶσα δόξα τιμὴ καὶ προσκύνησις εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας ἀμήν

BHG 747

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Parchment (FHHF), of medium thickness and quality.

Collation

This part consists of 2 quires, both quaternia.

  • Quire 298 ff. 221-228
  • Quire 308-1 ff. 229-235

Quire signatures in Greek numerals, in pencil, have been added to the first folio of each quire, recto, lower right, continuing the sequence of the original signatures in Part I. They survive on both quires (κθʹ-λʹ)

Condition

There are significant tears to the edges of all folios, and worm-holes throughout, diminishing further into the manuscript. There are areas of dirt and water staining, which has caused serious discoloration to the fore-edge.

Layout

A single column of 24-29 lines, ruled for 25. 208-222 × 140 mm. Pricking sometimes survives in all three margins, but some has been lost to cropping. Ruled in hardpoint, system Leroy 1, type 32C2. Text largely ignores the lines. The spacing of the ruled lines is irregular, and the ruling sometimes very hard.

Hand(s)

f. 221r-221v

The contents list to the preceding part was written by Hand B in an upright mixed minuscule script, in red ink (for the headings) and brown ink (for the incipits ink, with modest variation in letter size.

Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are both angular and round and mute iota is absent. There is decorative use of the double dot, and accentuation of all lengths of nomina sacra . Accents are sometimes joined to letters and abbreviations.

The flat-bottomed omega is present.

Punctuation used includes the upper point and full stop.

f. 221v-235v

The main text of this part was copied by Hand C in a mixed minuscule script, slanting slightly to the right, in brown ink, with moderate variation in letter size.

Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota was originally absent, though it has been added subscript by a later hand in black ink. There is decorative use of the double dot, and accentuation of all lengths of nomina sacra . The double grave accent is in use. The hyphen is used to merge words (e.g. f. 224r, line 14)

The flat-bottomed omegais present.

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

The heading and lection note are written in the same style in red ink

Decoration

The contents list is preceded by a simple, slender headpiece in red and brown ink.

The beginning of the incipits in the contents list are marked by minor initials is red ink.

Additions

There is a note on f. 221v recording ownership by the Monastery of the Pantokrator on Mount Athos: ‘Ἰαννουάριος μετάφρασις μονῆς τοῦ Παντοκράτορος καὶ Σωτῆρος Χριστοῦ τὴν ἐν τῶ ὄρει τοῦ Ἄθωνος’.

As in Part I, there is a marginal note of the number of folios in the main text on the first page (f. 221v).

There have been frequent corrections, overwriting and addition of mute iota, punctuation and marginal quotation marks to Hand C's text by a later hand in black ink.

History

Origin: This part of the manuscript was evidently produced as a later supplement to the main body. The style of script suggests that it was produced in the 13th century.

Additional Information

Availability

Visitors to Trinity College 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: Trinity College: Information for Readers.

Bibliography

    The western manuscripts in the library of Trinity College: a descriptive catalogue, James, M.R. (Cambridge, 1, Cambridge University Press, 1902) Überlieferung und Bestand der hagiographischen und homiletischen Literatur der griechischen Kirche: von den Anfängen bis zum Ende des 16. Jahrhunderts. Texte und Untersuchungen zur Geschichte der altchristlichen Literatur, Ehrhard, Albert (Leipzig, 2, 1936)

Funding of Cataloguing

The Polonsky Foundation

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Cambridge Digital Library

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