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.9.4

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 11931

Contents

Introduction: This manuscript, probably copied in the first half of the 12th century, with replacement portions added in the 15th century, contains the first 30 of the 67 Homilies of John Chrysostom on the Book of Genesis. These homilies were originally delivered by the Patriarch of Constantinople and leading patristic theologian (d. 407), in 388/389. They are collectively known as the Hexaemeron, from the six days of the Creation, and were among the most frequently copied of Chrysostom's works. They usually followed the sequence found here. The manuscript is incomplete at the end, but probably originally contained at most only a few more homilies, as this collection was usually divided into two volumes, with no standard point of division between them. At some point the opening of the first homily was also lost, and in the 15th century two newly copied paper folios were added to supply the missing content. These subsequently became detached and have been remounted on endleaves. The manuscript was donated by a hieromonachos (priest and monk) named Symeon to the Monastery of the Pantokrator on Mount Athos, from which it was purchased, along with other Greek manuscripts, by the classicist Richard Bentley, Master of Trinity, who left his collection to the college. Dr Christopher Wright

Language(s): Greek

ff. 1r-292v
John Chrysostom, Homilies on Genesis 1-30 In Genesim homilae 1-30 Hexaemeron

Defective at the end: ends at PG 53, col. 281

Rubric: f. 1r Τὸ πρῶτον και[sic] ἅγιον κεφάλαιων[sic] τῆς Εξαημέρου[sic]
Incipit: f. 1r Χαίρω καὶ εὐφραίνομαι ὁρῶν σήμερον τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐκκλησίαν τὸ, [sic] πλύθει[sic] τῶν οἰκίων[sic] τέκνων κοσμουμέννην[sic]
Explicit: f. 292v ἀλλὰ πόθεν δῆλον ὅτι οὐκ ἐδυσχέρανεν· ἄκουε αὐ||

  • Hom. 1: ff. 1r-6r
  • Hom. 2: ff. 6r-12v
  • Hom. 3: ff. 12v-20r
  • Hom. 4: ff. 20r-29r
  • Hom. 5: ff. 29v-36v
  • Hom. 6: ff. 36v-45r
  • Hom. 7: ff. 45r-54r
  • Hom. 8: ff. 54r-61r
  • Hom. 9: ff. 61r-67r
  • Hom. 10: ff. 67r-77v
  • Hom. 11: ff. 77v-85v
  • Hom. 12: ff. 86r-93v
  • Hom. 13: ff. 93v-100r
  • Hom. 14: ff. 100r-108v
  • Hom. 15: ff. 108v-117r
  • Hom. 16: ff. 117r-127r
  • Hom. 17: ff. 127r-143r
  • Hom. 18: ff. 143r-154r
  • Hom. 19: ff. 154r-163r
  • Hom. 20: ff. 163r-172v
  • Hom. 21: ff. 172v-184r
  • Hom. 22: ff. 184r-196v
  • Hom. 23: ff. 196v-207v
  • Hom. 24: ff. 207v-221r
  • Hom. 25: ff. 221r-234r
  • Hom. 26: ff. 234r-245v
  • Hom. 27: ff. 246r-260r
  • Hom. 28: ff. 260r-270r
  • Hom. 29: ff. 270r-284v
  • Hom. 30: ff. 284v-292v

TLG 2062.112

CPG 4409

PG 53,coll. 21-282

Physical Description

Form: codex
Extent: Codex: i + 292 + i leaves. 355 × 265 mm.
Foliation: The manuscript is foliated with the numbers [i] + 1-292 + [ii], in Arabic numerals in brown ink, recto, upper right. The folio number of f. 2r is not visible, probably being hidden by the leaf on which this folio is mounted, and a folio number has been added on that leaf in pencil.

Collation

The manuscript consists of 37 quires, all quaternia.

  • Quire 18-2+2 ff. 1-8 The first two folios have been lost, with loss of text, and replaced by two substitute folios.
  • Quires 2-368 ff. 9-288
  • Quire 378-4 ff. 289-292 The third and sixth-eighth folios have been lost, with loss of text.

There are original quire signatures in Greek numerals, in brown ink, on the first folio of each quire, recto, lower left. They survive on all quires except the first (βʹ-λζʹ).

Binding

18th-century full leather binding over couched-laminate boards, with plain pastedowns. There is decorative gold tooling on the spine and blind tooling on the edges. The title ‘Chrysostom Homiliae in Genesim’ is tooled in gold on a red label on the spine, and the classmark appears on patches.

389 × 292 × 118 mm.

The left board is partially detached. Part of the headband is missing and the tailband is split.

Accompanying Material

There are paper endleaves at each end, belonging to the current binding.

History

Provenance and Acquisition

Owned by the hieromonachos (priest and monk) Symeon and donated by him to the Pantokratoros Monastery on Mount Athos, as indicated by his note on f. 4r. Ownership by the Pantokrator is also recorded by a note on f. 285r.

Purchased from the Abbot of the Pantokratoros by Richard Bentley (1662-1742) , Master of Trinity.

Bequeathed to Trinity College by Bentley .

Part 1 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS B.9.4, ff. 1-2]

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: ff. 1-2 Western paper, folded in folio. Watermark: Mountains ( 79 × 34 mm. ) in the centre of the folio, similar to Briquet 11869, 11874. These examples are dated to 1413-1427.

Condition

There is water staining and areas of dirt, and small holes in f. 2.

Layout

f. 1r-2v Two columns of 26 lines each. 240 × 150 mm.

Hand(s)

ff. 1r-2v were copied by Hand A in mixed minuscule script, in black ink, slanting to the right, with significant variation in letter size. There are frequent spelling errors.

Syllabic abbreviations and superscript 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 point and lower and middle commas.

The heading is written in epigraphic display majuscule script in red ink.

Decoration

The beginning of the text on f. 1r is preceded by a rectangular headpiece in black ink with red infill.

The text begins with a major initial in red ink.

Additions

There are pen-trials and a doodle of a ship on f. 1r, and a list of names on f. 2v.

History

Origin: These folios were copied to replace losses to the original manuscript, probably in the first half of the 15th century, as suggested by the watermark. This is consistent with the style of script.

Part 2 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS B.9.4, ff. 3-292]

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: ff. 3-292 Parchment (FHHF), quite thick and of medium quality, with occasional holes dating from the time of production, including in the written surface (e.g. f. 87).

Condition

Part of f. 6 has been cut away, apparently to excise a headpiece. The lower margins of ff. 36, 82, 110, 114, 118, 130, 175, 186 and 226, and the lower outer corners of ff. 81 and 211 have been cut away. There are tears across ff. 7 and 227, significant losses from the edges of ff. 173, 246-248, 267-268, occasional small tears to the edges of other folios and occasional small holes (e.g. ff. 270, 277, 292). There are occasional small areas of black mould staining, more extensive to f. 270r. Water staining, particularly widespread and severe towards each end of the manuscript, has contributed to fading of the ink in places. Faded text has sometimes been overwritten (e.g. ff. 9r-10r, 14r). There is moderate cockling and creasing and areas of dirt.

Layout

ff. 3r-292v Two columns of 30 lines each. 255 × 190 mm. Pricking survives in the upper and lower margins, but some has been lost to cropping. Ruled in hardpoint, system Leroy 1, type 55C2df. Text hangs from the lines.

Hand(s)

ff. 3r-292v were copied by Hand B in upright mixed minuscule Perlschrift, in brown ink, with little variation in letter size and some flourishing of tails into the margin, sometimes decorated with bars or crosses.

Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings appear only at the end of lines. Breathings are usually angular but sometimes round, and mute iota is absent. Use of the double dot is functional only, and there is accentuation of all lengths of nomina sacra . Circumflexes only occasionally appear above breathings. The double grave accent and marginal quotation marks are in use.

Theta [sic], majuscule eta [sic] and the S-shaped abbreviation of καί are often decorated with a short vertical stroke on the central bar.

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

Headings are copied in Alexandrine majuscule script, in red ink.

Decoration

The beginnings of homilies are preceded by rectangular headpieces outlined in red ink.

Texts begin with moderately ornamented initials in red ink.

The beginnings of sections are marked by simple minor initials in red ink.

Additions

As part of the production of the manuscript, the scribe has placed notes of the homily number in the upper margin of the page on which each begins.

A note by the hieromonachos Symeon on f. 4r records his donation of the manuscript to the Monastery of the Pantokrator: ‘Ἐγὼ ὁ Συμεὼν ἱερομόναχος, ἐπροσήλοσεν τὴν παροῦσαν βίβλον εἰς τὴν μονὴν τοῦ Παντοκράτορος Χριστοῦ, εἴ τις ἀποξενῶσει νὰ ἔχει τὰς ἄρας τῶν ἁγίων τιηʹ θεοφόρων πατέρων καὶ ἐμοῦ τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ’. Another note on f. 285r, apparently by the same hand, also records ownership by the Pantokrator: ‘Ἡ παροῦσα βίβλος ὑπάρχει τοῦ Παντοκράτορος Χριστοῦ τοῦ ἐν τῶ Ἄθω ὄρει καὶ εἴ τις ἀποξενῶση αὐτῶ νὰ ἔχει τὰς ἄρας τῶν ἁγίων τιηʹ θεοφόρων πατέρων ἀμήν’.

A note on f. 3r identifies the manuscript as the first volume of the Hexaemeron: ‘Ἡ Ἑξαήμερος τοῦ Χρυσοστόμου τὸ πρῶτῶν[sic] ’.

There are occasional marginal annotations in Greek by various hands (e.g. ff. 1r, 23r, 37r, 108v) and crude drawings and pen-trials (e.g. f. 105r).

History

Origin: The main body of the manuscript was probably copied in the first half of the 12th century, as suggested by the style of script, although there are features suggestive both of a slightly earlier date, such as the preponderance of angular breathings and rarity of circumflexes appearing above breathings, and of a slightly later one, such as the bars on the central strokes of some letters.

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, 1900)

Funding of Cataloguing

The Polonsky Foundation

Digital Images

Cambridge Digital Library

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