Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries: Cambridge, Trinity College, MS O.1.15

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 11957

Introduction: The manuscript contains a collection of Four Greek Homilies: De sacris imaginibus contra Constantinum Cabalinum , a speech against the emperor Constantine V (741-775), called in the Byzantine sources "Kaballinos" (groom) or "Kopronymos" (dung-named), on account of his support for Iconoclasm, written by the monk John of Jerusalem, Homilia de sancta cruce, attributed to Joseph Confessor, archbishop of Thessalonica, the brother of Theodore of Stoudios, a fervent defender of icons, Oratio de consummatione mundi, attributed to Hippolytus of Rome (ca. 170-235 CE) but spurious, and Homilia in divini corporis sepulturam, attributed to Epiphanius (ca. 310-403 CE) but spurious. The manuscript, which is datable to the 15th century, has suffered severe damage; several leaves are missing and those extant have been bound in disorder. The original structure of the manuscript is partially reconstructable. The first leaves of the manuscript, ff. 2r-16v are misplaced. Ff. 2r-12r contain a part of John of Jerusalem's speech De sacris imaginibus contra Constantinum Cabalinum, which follows immediately on from the portion of the same text contained in ff. 17r-24v. The text is incomplete: the beginning is missing. This text is followed (ff. 12r-16v) by the Homilia in sanctam crucem, attributed to Joseph Confessor, which ends incomplete at f. 16v. The first part of the manuscript can be reconstructed as follows: [missing leaves], ff. 17-24, 2-16, [missing leaves]. The disorder in the leaves must have occurred at a late phase of the manuscript's history. When an annotation was written in the lower margin of f. 2r the leaves were still in the right order, since this note left a trace in the lower margin of f. 24v. The remaining leaves, ff. 25r-30v, also in disorder, contain two other homilies, both incomplete. Ff. 25 and 30, which are badly damaged, contain the beginning of the spurious Oratio de consummatione mundi, attributed to Hippolytus of Rome, and ff. 26-29 contain a portion of Homilia in divini corporis sepulturam, attributed to Epiphanius, also spurious. Here also leaves are missing:

ff. 25,30 [missing leaves]
[missing leaves] ff. 26-29 [missing leaves]

. It is not possible to ascertain where these leaves were originally situated with regard to ff. 2-24. Because of the position of ff. 26-29 between ff. 25 and 30, and because of the fact that no title is present for the Homilia in divini corporis sepulturam, the presence of this text in the manuscript was not previously detected, although, from a physical point of view, the different condition of the leaves (ff. 25 and 30 are much more damaged than ff. 26-29, and exhibit the same loss of the lower external part of the leaf) suggest that the leaves could not have originally been adjacent. Dr Erika Elia

Language(s): Greek

1. ff. 17r-24v, 2r-12r

John of Jerusalem, monk, De sacris imaginibus contra Constantinum Cabalinum

This text was traditionally attributed to John of Damascus , but it is spurious (see CPG 8114)

The leaves are now bound in disorder: the correct sequence is ff. 17r-24v, 2r-12r

Incipit: || f. 17r αὐτῶν τὰς πρεσβείας

Explicit: f. 12r l. 7 νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων ἀμήν.

The text starts, incomplete, at PG 95, 312 l. 40

There are some lacunae in the text:

on f. 22r l. 11 Προδρόμου δεικυομένου[sic] ἐχαράττεται … ἐὰν οἱ πατέρες οὗτοι (PG 95, 320 l. 50-321 l. 15)
on f. 23r l. 5 κατὰ τὸν προφήτην … Δαβὶδ τὰ εἴδωλα τῶν ἐθνῶν (PG 95, 324 ll. 9-17)

TLG 3173.002; PG 95, 309-344; CPG 8114; BHG 1387e-1387g

2. ff. 12r-16v

Josephus Thessalonicensis ca. 760 - ca. 836, Homilia de sancta cruce

Rubric: f. 12r l. 8 Τοῦ ἐν ἁγίοις πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ ὁμολογητοῦ Ἰωσὴφ ἀρχιεπισκόπου Θεσσαλονίκης· λόγος εἰς τὸν τίμιον καὶ ζωοποιὸν σταυρόν

Incipit: f. 12r Σταυροῦ πρόκειται σήμερον ἑορτή

Explicit: f. 16v [...] λαμπροφόρου||

Ed. J. Gretser, Opera omnia de Sancta Cruce, Ingolstadii 1616, 1199-1207

The text ends incomplete (the last part is partly illegible) on Gretser 1616, 1205 D 9

BHG 440, 444b; CPG 7930

3. ff. 25r-25v, 30r-30v

Oratio de consummatione mundi

Rubric: f. 25r Ἱππολύτου τοῦ μακαριωτάτου καὶ μάρτυρος ἐπισκόπου Ῥώμης λόγος περὶ τῆς συντελείας τοῦ κόσμου καὶ περὶ τοῦ ἀντιχρίστου καὶ εἰς τὴν δεύτεραν παρουσίαν τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ

Incipit: f. 25r Ἐπειδὴ οἱ μακάριοι προφῆται

Explicit: 30v [ἐ]πάξει κύριος ἄ[νεμον]||

The leaves are now bound in disorder: the text starts on f. 25 and continues on 30

The text ends incomplete at H. Achelis (ed), Hippolyt's kleinere exegetische und homiletische Schriften, in: G.N. Bonwetsch, H. Achelis, Hippolytus, Werke, I.2, Leipzig 1897, pp. 289-309: p. 290 l. 24

The text is attributed to Hippolytus of Rome (ca. 170-235 CE) , but is considered spurious

PG 10, 904-952; BHG 812z; CPG 1910

4. ff. 26r-29v

Homilia in divini corporis sepulturam

Incipit: || f. 26r ἐν σφαγῇ, ὁ δὲ ἐξ ἐθνῶν, Θεὸν ἐν σαρκί

Explicit: f. 29v καὶ γίνεται πρὸς βραχὺ ἄπνους||

Only a fragment of the text is extant, corresponding to PG 43, 441 l. 28-448 l. 32

The text is attributed to Epiphanius (ca. 310-403 CE) , but is considered spurious

TLG 20121.013;PG 43, 440-464; BHG 808e; CPG 3768

Physical Description

Form: codex

Support: ff. 2-30 Western paper, folded in quarto. Watermarks: ff. 2-30 Bell in the gutter, the watermark is never entirely visible. left pastedown-f. [iii], [ix]-right pastedown Pro Patria with countermark ‘ GR’ surmounted by a crown in a circle ( ca. 90 × cq. 110 mm. ) in the gutter, comparable to Heawood Pro Patria 3700 which is dated to 1747 in England (these are later endleaves). ff. [iv]-[v], Coat of arms with two rampant lions flanking a base topped by letters ‘ IPI’, over it a crown, at its centre a crescent, and surmounted by a latin cross ( ca. 90 × ca. 105 mm. ) in the gutter, comparable to Heawood Coat of arms 388 and 435 which are dated to 1693 (London) and 1684 (London) (these are later endleaves).

Extent: Codex: v + 1 + + 29 + iv leaves. 200 × ca. 140 mm.

Foliation:

Modern pencil foliation, in Arabic numerals, in the upper margin right from 2 to 30; at the beginning of the manuscript there are 5 unnumbered later endleaves (ff. [i]-[v],) and one unnumbered endleaf (f. 1); at the end there are 4 unnumbered later endleaves (ff. [vi]-[ix]): [i]-[v] + 1+ 2-11, 11a, 12-30 + [vi]-[ix].

In the lower margin of some leaves there are some remains of a foliation in black ink (see nr. 1-4 on ff. 2r-5r).

Collation

Quires 1-2, 7-8 are formed by later endleaves. Quire 2 has lost one leaf (without loss of text), and 1 leaf of smaller size has been bound in it (f. 1; due to its small size it is difficult to determine wheter it is contemporary with the other endleaves). The quires of the original manuscript (3-6 and ff. 25, 30) are quaternions, and are now bound in disorder (the order originally must have been quires 5-3-4). Quire 6 is now a binion, but originally it was probably a bigger quire. Ff. 25 and 30 were once adjacent.

ff. [i]-[v](later endleaves )
f. 1(endleaf)
Quires 1-3⁸ ff. 2-24
f. 25
Quire 4⁴ ff. 26-29 (the quire is probably incomplete)
f. 30
ff. [vi]-[ix] (later endleaves)

Condition

The manuscript suffered severe damage. There are big humidity and water stains, which have made the text unreadable in various leaves, and also some mould stains. The margins of the leaves were damaged in particular, not only because of water, but also because of numerous worm-holes. The margins of the leaves and the gutter, have been repaired by the application of paper strips.

Layout

A single column of 22 lines. 155 × 90 mm.

Hand(s)

ff. 2r-30v Hand A: the texts have been written by a single hand, in a minuscule Gebrauchsschrift, vertical, regular in size, but with a certain enlargement of oblique strokes (particularly evident in letters such as alpha, lambda, delta). Iota subscript is never written. It is datable to the 15th century.

The text is written in a brown ink, titles in red.

Hand a. In the margins a few random annotations (they are mostly invocations), in an informal minuscule script, in black ink, see ff. 2r, 12r

Hand b. In the margin of f. 24v a random annotation by a later, rough, hand in black ink.

Hand c. In the margin of f. 22v there are a few annotations by a later hand.

Decoration

On f. 12r there is a small and very simple linear frieze in brown and red ink.

On f. 25r there is a simple line filler formed by a series of thick strokes in red ink

Initials in ekthesis, in red ink, are decorated with a simple vegetal motif (see e.g. f. 25r).

Additions

There are marginal annotations by three different hands:

on ff. 2r, 12r in black ink
on f. 22v
on f. 24v

There are moreover some annotations made in the margins, in pencil, probably by a later librarian, concerning the contents, see f. 12r. On f. 5r a rough drawing of a human figure has been traced in the upper right corner, on ff. 5v, 8r there are some sketches, reproducing parts of ornamental elements

On the left pastedown, in the upper left corner, are written, in brown ink, the old marks ‘ C.64’ and ‘ n° 196’, and the present shelfmark, ‘ O.1.15’. In the centre of the leaf is written an older shelfmark, which has been erased, ‘ O.3.29’.

On f. [i] recto is written, in brown ink, the old shelfmark ‘ C.64’.

On f. 1v there are some notes about the contents by two hands, in brown ink: ‘ ~~Anonymus~~ \ Joannis Damasceni/ de adorandis SS. imagi | nibus. \ In alio libro integer/ | Iosephi Archiepiscopi Thessalonicensis | de cruce adoranda. | Hippolyti papae Romani de | mundi consummatione, de | Antichristo, et Christi | secundo adventu. \ Extat Lat Parisiis Gr… / ’

Binding

Western modern binding. Paper cover over couched-laminate boards; parchment on spine, on which are pasted three paper labels with the shelfmark. 210 × 140 × 15 mm.

The lower part of the spine is damaged.

History

Origin:

The manuscript was copied probably in the 15th century.

Provenance and Acquisition

The manuscript was part of the collection of the antiquary Roger Gale (1672-1744) .

It was donated to Trinity College by Gale in 1738. On f. 1r is pasted the Trinity College bookplate. On f. 2r there is a stamp of Trinity College Library.

Additional Information

Record Sources

Description (2020) draws partly on M. R. James, The Western Manuscripts in the Library of Trinity College Cambridge, vol. 3, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1902, p. 15.

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, Montague Rhodes (Cambridge, 3, University Press, 1902)

Catalogus codicum hagiographicorum graecorum Germaniae, Belgii, Angliae, van de Vorst, CharlesDelehaye, Hippolyte (Brussels, Société des Bollandistes, 1913)

Bibliotheca Hagiographica Graeca, Troisième édition Subsidia hagiographica, Halkin, François (Bruxelles, 3, Société des Bollandistes, 1957)

Novum auctarium Bibliothecae hagiographicae Graecae Subsidia hagiographica ; no 65, , (Bruxelles, Société des bollandistes, 1984)

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 O.1.15

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