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.9.12

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 11939

Contents

Introduction: This manuscript, probably copied in the 12th century, contains 45 homilies by the Patriarch of Constantinople, John Chrysostom, In Matthaeum homiliae (45-90) . The manuscript was previously owned by the Greek monastery of Pantokratoros on Mount Athos, and some traces of the use made by the monks remains, as traces of wax on the leaves and in the gutter. It was used by Frederick Field for his edition of the homilies (Cambridge 1839; see vol. 3, p. XX). The manuscript was bought by the classical scholar Richard Bentley and bequeathed to Trinity College Library after his death. Dr Matteo Di Franco

Language(s): Greek

ff. 1r-294v
John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of St. Matthew 45-90 In Matthaeum homilae 45-90
Rubric: f. 1r Λόγος μεʹ. Τοῦ ἐν ἁγίοις ἡμῶν Ἰωάννου ἀρχιεπ(ισκόπου) Κωνστ(αντινουπόλεως) τοῦ Χρυσοστόμου ἑρμηνεία εἰς τὸ κατὰ Ματθαῖον ἅγιον εὐαγγέλιον
Incipit: f. 1r Καὶ προσελθόντες οἱ μαθηταὶ εἶπον αὐτῶ· διατί ἐν παραβολαῖς αὐτοῖς λαλεῖς
Explicit: f. 294v Ἀλλ’ ὑβρίζεται φησὶν ὁ πένης ⟨παρὰ τοῦ⟩ πλουτοῦντος. Πάλιν μ⟨οι⟩ ||

Defective at the end.

The numbers of leaves occupied by each homily is written in red ink on the lower margin

  • Hom. 45: ff. 1r-4v
  • Hom. 46: ff. 4v-9v
  • Hom. 47: ff. 10r-14v
  • Hom. 48: ff. 14v-23v
  • Hom. 49: ff. 23v-31r
  • Hom. 50: ff. 31r-36r
  • Hom. 51: ff. 36v-44r
  • Hom. 52: ff. 44v-51r
  • Hom. 53: ff. 51r-57v
  • Hom. 54: ff. 58r-65v
  • Hom. 55: ff. 65v-73r
  • Hom. 56: ff. 73v-82r
  • Hom. 57: ff. 82r-89v
  • Hom. 58: ff. 89v-97v
  • Hom. 59: ff. 97v-107r
  • Hom. 60: ff. 107r-111r
  • Hom. 61: ff. 111r-118r
  • Hom. 62: ff. 118r-124v
  • Hom. 63: ff. 125r-130r
  • Hom. 64: ff. 130r-137v
  • Hom. 65: ff. 137v-145r
  • Hom. 66: ff. 145v-151r
  • Hom. 67: ff. 151r-157r
  • Hom. 68: ff. 157v-165r
  • Hom. 69: ff. 165r-172r
  • Hom. 70: ff. 172r-178v
  • Hom. 71: ff. 178v-183v
  • Hom. 72: ff. 183v-188v
  • Hom. 73: ff. 188v-194v
  • Hom. 74: ff. 194v-201r
  • Hom. 75: ff. 201r-208r
  • Hom. 76: ff. 208r-215r
  • Hom. 77: ff. 215r-223r
  • Hom. 78: ff. 223r-229r
  • Hom. 79: ff. 229r-235r
  • Hom. 80: ff. 235r-240v
  • Hom. 81: ff. 240v-247r
  • Hom. 82: ff. 247r-254r
  • Hom. 83: ff. 254r-259r
  • Hom. 84: ff. 259r-264r
  • Hom. 85: ff. 264v-270r
  • Hom. 86: ff. 270v-276r
  • Hom. 87: ff. 276r-281v
  • Hom. 88: ff. 281v-286v
  • Hom. 89: ff. 286v-291v
  • Hom. 90: ff. 291v-294v (ends at PG 58, col. 792 line 9)

PG 58,471-792

CPG 4424

TLG 2062.152

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: ff. 1r-294v: Parchment, medium thickness, low quality with extensive cockling and some eyes, arranged flesh-to-flesh and hair-to-hair with hair outermost (HFFH).
Extent: Codex: i + 294 + i leaves. 347 × 260 mm.
Foliation: [i] + 294 + [ii]; Modern foliation in brown ink in Arabic numerals, recto, upper right corner.

Collation

The manuscript consists of 37 quaternions, the last of which has lost two folios:
  • Quires 1-368 ff. 1r-288v
  • Quire 378-2 ff. 289r-294v
Two sequences of quire signatures are present, completing each other, both on the first rectos of each quire, lower external corner. The first sequence, probably original to the production of the manuscript, in Greek numerals, on f. 17r (γʹ) and from f. 33r (εʹ) to f. 281r (λϛʹ). An isolated number κδʹ is present on f. 211r. The later sequence fills in the gaps of the first and may have been completed by the same hand as the foliation: from f. 9r (2) to f. 25r (4), f. 129r (17) and f. 137r (18) (the signature in Greek is very faded), and f. 289r (37).

Condition

In fair condition. The entire manuscript has been affected by water, especially ff. 59-82; corners are fragile and the first two folios are badly damaged. Some folios have been repaired with patches either in paper and parchment, some covering the text (ff. 4r, 9r-9v, 104v). Two tears have been sewn up on ff. 93 and 165. Small remains of wax are dispersed throughout the manuscript (e.g. ff. 221r, 289v).

Layout

ff. 1r-294v: written space 238 × 180 mm. 28-30 lines per column. Pricked in the outer margins. Ruled in hardpoint, system Leroy 9 (badly executed), type Leroy 06C2 , but the justification line is double, as would be in "16C2n".

Hand(s)

The manuscript is written in a mixed minuscule script, upright or slanting slightly to the right, in dark brown ink, hanging from the ruling line. There is only moderate variation in letter size. Tails are occasionally flourished into the lower margins (e.g. ff. 54r and 136r).

Delta is often majuscule, and sigma often lunate. Tau and gamma have hooked apices. The epsilon-xi ligature appears in a distinctive form in which the upper part forms a closed loop.

Syllabic abbreviations and superscription usually appear only at the ends of lines, but occasionally in mid-line. Breathings are round and mute iota is adscript.

Punctuation used includes the middle and upper point, middle and lower comma, and full stop.

Decoration

Small and simple friezes at the beginning of each homily, with small ivy leaves on ff. 165v and 270r.

Additions

f. 1r: the name Ἀρσε⟨νίου⟩ on the lower margin.

f. 10r: possession note ‘Τὸ παρὸν ἱερὸν βον τὸ κατὰ Ματθαῖον βιβλίον ἕναι[sic] τῆς μονῆς Παντοκράτορος Χ(ριστο)ῦ’

Binding

Wooden boards covered with brown leather; edges are tooled in blind. Spine with bands tooled in gold and a red leather label with title: ‘Chrysostomi Homilae in Matthaeum’.

365 × 275 × 103 mm.

History

Origin: The manuscript was copied in the 12th century.

Provenance and Acquisition

The manuscript comes from the Pantokratoros Monastery on Mount Athos (see notes on f. 10r: possession note ‘Τὸ παρὸν ἱερὸν βον τὸ κατὰ Ματθαῖον βιβλίον ἕναι[sic] τῆς μονῆς Παντοκράτορος Χ(ριστο)ῦ’).

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

Bequeathed by Bentley to the College Library after his death.

Additional Information

Record Sources

Description (2020) draws on M.R. James, The Western Manuscripts in the Library of Trinity College, Cambridge (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1900), vol. 1, p. 275.

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) La provenance athonite des manuscrits grecs legues par R. Bentley a Trinity College, Cambridge et en particulier de l'oncial 0131 du Nouveau Testament Studies in the history and text of the New Testament in honor of Kenneth Willis Clark, Duplacy, Jean (Salt Lake City, 113-126, University of Utah Press, 1967) Codices Chrysostomici Graeci I Codices Britanniae et Hiberniae, Aubineau, Michel (Paris, CNRS éditions, 1968) Les homélies grecques sur la Transfiguration : tradition manuscrite, Sachot, Maurice (Paris, Éditions du Centre national de la recherche scientifique, 1987) Греческие рукописи с пометой Арсения Суханова в Кембридже Труды Отдела древнерусской литературы, Fonkič, B. (43, 304-305, 1993) Frustuli di manoscritti greci a Troina in Sicilia Erytheia, Lucà, SantoVenezia, Sebastiano (31, 75-132, 2010) Codices Chrysostomici Graeci VIII: I: Codices Ancyrae et Constantinopolis II: Addenda et Corrigenda ad volumina I-IV, Barone, Francesca P.Voicu, Sever J. (Paris, CNRS éditions, 2018)

Funding of Cataloguing

The Polonsky Foundation

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Cambridge Digital Library

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