Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries: Cambridge, Trinity College, MS B.9.5

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 11932

Introduction: This manuscript contains a Byzantine Church History and other texts. The Church History with which the manuscript begins is anonymous, but has traditionally been attributed to Gelasius of Cyzicus, on the basis of a mention by patriarch Photius in his Bibliotheca, (see Hansen (2002), pp. ix-xii). The work consists mainly of a collection of Acts of the Council of Nicaea (325 CE), which condemned the heresy of Arianism. The Church History is followed by texts by the early Christian father Athanasius (c. 297-373) (a well known opponent of this heresy), Theodore of Rhaithu (7th century), and Anastasius, patriarch of Antioch (d. 598). The manuscript was copied around the middle of the 16th century in Italy by a scribe named Michael. He worked within a group of scribes active in Venice around this time, producing manuscripts showing recurrent codicological characteristics: for example, the use of a folio format, a layout in a single column of 30 lines, and so forth (see B. Mondrain, 'Copistes et collectionneurs de manuscrits grecs au milieu du XVIe siècle: le cas de Johann Jakob Fugger d’Augsbourg', in Byzantinische Zeitschrift 84-85, 2 (1992), pp. 354-390), which features also occur in this manuscript. Michael's hand has also been identified in another manuscript containing the same Byzantine Church History accompanied by texts by Athanasius, Theodore of Rhaithu and Anastasius: Madrid, Biblioteca nacional de España, 4672 , on ff. 320r-430v (see Kresten (1976), pp. 57-58). These two codices are linked from the point of view of the tradition of the texts, in particular the text by Anastasius (see Kresten (1973), p. 57; and Weiss, p. 72, MSS C and M) Dr Erika Elia

Language(s): Greek

1. ff. 1r-69v

Church History, books 1-2 Historia Ecclesiastica, 1-2

Rubric: f. 1r Σύνταγμα τῶν κατὰ τὴν ἐν Νικαίᾳ ἁγίαν σύνοδον πραχθέντων

Incipit: f. 1r Τὰ κατὰ τὴν ἁγίαν καὶ μεγάλην καὶ οἰκουμενικὴν τῶν ἐπισκόπων

Explicit: f. 69v l. 29 ὁ θεός σε διαφυλάξει, ἀδελφὲ ἀγαπητέ.

This anonymous text has been traditionally attributed to Gelasius of Cyzicus (5th c.) (see G.C. Hansen, Anonyme Kirchengeschichte: (Gelasius Cyzicenus, CPG 6034), Berlin 2002, pp. IX-XII)

As with most copies of the manuscripts of the Anonymous Church History, only books 1-2 and three letters by Emperor Constantine are preserved (on this see Hansen (2002), pp. XII-XIII)

This manuscript is codex C in the edition by Hansen (2002)

TLG 2768.001; CPG 6034

1.1. ff. 1r-12r

Book 1

1.2. ff. 12r-63r

Book 2

1.3. ff. 63v-67v

Constantine I, Epistle to Arius and the Arians

Also edited in: H.-G. Opitz, Athanasius Alexandrinus, Werke, Band III, Teil 1: Urkunden zur Geschichte des arianischen Streites 318-328, Lieferung 2: Kaiser Konstantins Schreiben zur Einberufung der nicänischen Synode - Brief Kaiser Konstantins an Arius und Genossen (Berlin, 1934) (repr. Berlin-Boston, 2012), Urkunde 34

1.4. ff. 67v-69v

Constantine I, Epistle to the church of Nikomedeia

Also edited in: Opitz (1934) (repr. Berlin-Boston, 2012), Urkunde 27

1.5. f. 69v

Constantine I, Epistle to bishop Theodotos of Laodikeia

Also edited in: Opitz (1934) (repr. Berlin-Boston, 2012), Urkunde 28

2. ff. 69v-81v

Athanasius, Patriarch of Alexandria, De sententia Dionysii

Rubric: f. 69v l. 30 Περὶ Διονυσίου ἐπισκόπου Ἀέξανδρείας· ὅτι καὶ αὐτὸς κατὰ τῆς ἀρειανῆς ἐφρόνει αἱρέσεως· ὡς ἡ ἐν Νικαίᾳ σύνοδος· καὶ μάτην αὐτὸν συκοφαντοῦσιν οἱ Ἀρειομανῖται, ὡς ὁμόδοξον ἑαυτόν[sic]

Incipit: f. 69v Βραδέως ἐδήλωσας περὶ τῆς νῦν διαλέξεως

Explicit: f. 81v l. 18 περὶ πάντων τῶν πεπλανημένων οὕτως εὔχεσθαι.

TLG 2035.004; CPG 2121

3. ff. 81v-94v

Athanasius, Patriarch of Alexandria, Epistula ad episcopos Aegypti et Libyae

Rubric: f. 81v l. 19 Περὶ τῆς πανουργίας καὶ ὑποκρίσεως τῶν ἀρειομανιτῶν· καὶ πῶς μετασχηματιζόμενοι, πλανεῖν ἐπιχειροῦσι τοὺς ἀγνοοῦντας αὐτούς

Incipit: f. 81v Πάντα μὲν ὅσα ὁ κύριος καὶ σωτὴρ ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός

Explicit: f. 94v εἰς τοὺς σύμπαντας αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων ἀμήν.

TLG 2035.129; CPG 2092

4. ff. 95r-102r

Theodorus Rhaetuensis, Praeparatio, 1-10

Rubric: f. 95r Θεοδώρου πρεσβυτέρου τῆς Ῥαϊθοῦ· προπαρασκευή τις καὶ γυμνασία τῷ βουλομένῳ μαθεῖν, τίς ὁ τρόπος τῆς θείας ἐνανθρωπήσεως καὶ οἰκονομίας, καθ’ ὃν πέπρακται· καὶ τίνα τὰ πρὸς τοὺς ταύτην μὴ ὀρθῶς νοοῦντας λεγόμενα, παρὰ τῶν τῆς ἐκκλησίας τροφίμων

Incipit: f. 95r Ἄτοπον οἶμαι, καὶ καλῶς γε τοῦτο νενόμικα

Explicit: f. 102r πρὸς τὴν κατάληψιν τῶν ἐν αὐτοῖς θεωρημάτων παραποδίζωνται.||

The text ends with the end of chapter 10, F. Diekamp, Analecta Patristica, (Rome, 1938) [repr. 1962], pp. 185-222

TLG 2882.001; CPG 7600; PG 91, 1484-1504

5. ff. 102v-137v

Anastasius I. Patriarcha Antiochenus, De orthodoxa fide orationes 5

CPG 6944; PG 89, 1309-1362 (only Latin)

ff. 138r-[ii] verso are blank

5.1. ff. 102v-116v

Oratio 1

Rubric: f. 102v Τοῦ ἁγίου Ἀναστασίου τοῦ ἐπισκόπου Ἀντιοχείας περὶ τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς ὀρθῶν τῆς ἀληθείας δογμάτων λόγος πρῶτος

Incipit: f. 95r Τὸν περῖ τῆς ὑγιοῦς ἡμῶν πίστεως καὶ τῶν ἀληυῶν τῆς ἐκκλησίας

Explicit: f. 116v l. 22 καὶ τὸ ὑποκείμενον ἐναλλάττει τὰ ἐπιχειρήματα.

5.2. ff. 116v-119v

Oratio 2

Rubric: f. 116v l. 23 Δεύτερος περὶ ἀπεριγράπτου

Incipit: f. 116v Πάντα τολμᾷ γλῶσσα δολία

Explicit: f. 119v l. 22 βασιλεῖς καὶ ἰδιῶται πρὸς ὑγείαν προσφέρονται.

5.3. ff. 119v-128v

Oratio 3

Rubric: f. 119v l. 23 Τρίτος περὶ θείας οἰκονομίας

Incipit: f. 119v Ἰκανῶς ἡμῖν τῶν περὶ θεολογίας εἰρημένων

Explicit: f. 128v l. 14 ὡς δυνατὸν ἐξηγοῦμενος.

5.4. ff. 128v-133v

Oratio 4

Rubric: f. 128v l. 15 Περὶ πάθους καὶ ἀπαθείας Χριστοῦ

Incipit: f. 128v Δείξας ἑαυτὸν διὰ τῶν παρ' αὐτοῦ λεγομένων καὶ πραττομένων

Explicit: f. 133v l. 29 ὅτι τέθνηκε καὶ ἐτάφη.

5.5. ff. 133v-137v

Oratio 5

Rubric: f. 133v l. 30 Πέμπτος περὶ ἀναστάσεως

Incipit: f. 128v Ἀλλὰ γὰρ οὐ μέχρι τούτων μόνον

Explicit: f. 137v εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων ἀμήν.

Final rubric: f. 137v Τέλος σὺν θεῷ ἁγίῳ

Physical Description

Form: codex

Support: Western paper, folded in folio Watermarks: ff. 1-128 Anchor in a circle surmounted by a six point star, countermark ‘ T C ’ with a clover ( 69 × 41 mm. ) in the centre of the leaf, identical with Sosower Ancre 95 , which is dated to ca. 1554. ff. 129-137 Anchor in a circle surmounted by a six point star, countermark ‘ B E ’ ( 66 × 45 mm. ) in the centre of the leaf, very similar to Sosower Ancre 47 , which is dated to 1557 (Venice). f. 138 Three mountains in a circle surmounted by a double line ending in a Greek cross ( 84 × 40 mm. ) in the centre of the leaf, comparable to the type Briquet Monts 11912 , which is dated to 1515, but with variants until 1527-1546. ff. [i], [ii] Coat of arms with name ‘P MAVDVIT’ ( 100 × 70 mm. ) in the centre of the leaf, similar to the type Heawood Coat of arms 672 , which is dated to ca. 1680-93 (London).

Extent: Codex: i + 138 + i leaves. 360 × 247 mm.

Foliation:

Foliation in ink, in Arabic numerals, in the upper margin, right, from 1 to 138 (the last number, 138, has been added later, in pencil): [i] + 1-138 + [ii].

Collation

The manuscript consists of quaternions. F. 137 is a single leaf, where the text ends, made of the same paper of quire 17. F. 138 is a single leaf made up of a different paper, also datable to the 16th c. Ff. [i] and [ii] are later endleaves of the 17th c.

Quires 1-16⁸ ff. 1-128
Quire 17⁸⁺² ff. 129-138

A few signatures by the scribe, in brown ink, in the upper right edge of the first leaf of the quires, from ϛ΄ (6) on f. 41r to η΄ (8) on f. 57r; the rest have been lost to trimming. Vertical catchwords by the scribe, written from the top down, in the lower margin of the last leaf of each quire, near the gutter.

Condition

The manuscript is in good condition. There are a few brown stains throughout.

Layout

A single column of 30 lines. 220 × 120 mm.

Hand(s)

ff. 1r-137v Hand A: the texts have been written by Michael (16th century), ( Μιχαήλ, RGK III, 475), a scribe active in Venice.

The text is written in a light brown ink; titles and initials in red.

Hand a: throughout, there are a few marginal notes by a later hand, in black ink, see e.g. ff. 4v-5r, 14v.

Decoration

Small, simple linear friezes in red and brown ink are present at the beginning of the texts on ff. 1r, 12r, 63r, 95r, 102v.

On f. 1r there is an initial in red ink decorated with vegetal motifs. Minor thick red ink initials throughout the manuscript.

The texts often end in a cul-de-lampe disposition. The lines are in certain cases followed by three points in red ink (see e.g. f. 63r).

Additions

On the left pastedown is written, in red pencil, the shelfmark ‘ B.9.5’.

In the upper margin of f. 1r is written the shelfmark ‘ B.9.5’.

On f. 138r there is a note about the circumstances of composition of the last text by Anastasius of Antioch, by a later hand, ‘ Scripsit hunc librum in exilio Anastasius Antiochenus cum esset in exilio sede episcopali ejectus 128(?) B. p. ’

Binding

Western full leather cover over pasteboards. Gold tooling on the boards' edges. Blind tooling on both covers: rectangular frame of triple-fillets with leaves at the corners. On the spine, gold tooling on a red square with title ‘ Anastasii | Antiocheni | M.S.’ and three paper labels with the shelfmark. The edges are coloured in red. 365 × 255 × 45 mm.

The cover is damaged near the edges; the spine is partially split from the boards.

History

Origin:

The manuscript was copied by the scribe Michael, who was active in Italy around the middle of the 16th century ( Kresten (1976), pp. 57-58 suggests a date in the years 1546-1556)

Provenance and Acquisition

In the opinion of M. R. James (1900, p. 263) the manuscript could have been owned by Thomas Nevile (ca. 1548-1615) , Master of Trinity College and Dean of Canterbury. However, there are no elements in the manuscript itself indicating such provenance; moreover, in the list of manuscripts donated to the College by Thomas Nevile contained in the Trinity College Memoriale (MS R.17.8), made in about 1614, no entry seems to correspond to this manuscript.

In the lower margin of f. 1r is pasted the Trinity College bookplate. On ff. 1r and 137v there are stamps of Trinity College Library.

Additional Information

Record Sources

Description (2021) draws partly on M. R. James, The Western Manuscripts in the Library of Trinity College Cambridge (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1900), vol. 1, pp. 263-264.

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)

Studia Anastasiana I: Studien zum Leben, zu den Schriften und zur Theologie des Patriarchen Anastasius I von Antiochien (559-598), Weiss, Günter (München, 1965)

Eine Sammlung von Konzilsakten aus dem Besitze des Kardinals Isidoros von Kiev, Kresten, Otto (Wien, Verl. d. Österr. Akad. d. Wiss., 1976)

Repertorium der griechischen Kopisten, 800-1600 Veröffentlichungen der Kommission für Byzantinistik, Gamillscheg, ErnstHarlfinger, DieterEleuteri, Paolo (Wien, III. Rom mit dem Vatikan, 1997)

Anonyme Kirchengeschichte (Gelasius Cyzicenus, CPG 6034) Anonyme Kirchengeschichte Griechischen christlichen Schriftsteller der ersten Jahrhunderte (1995), Hansen, Gunther Christian (Berlin, Walter de Gruyter, 2002)

Signa officinarum chartariarum in codicibus graecis saeculo sexto decimo fabricatis in bibliothecis hispaniae, Sosower, Mark L. (Amsterdam, Adolf M. Hakkert, 2004)

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, Trinity College, MS B.9.5

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