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 O.2.61

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 11977

Contents

Introduction: This manuscript contains a Heirmologion and other musical texts and was probably copied around 1400. The Heirmologion is a liturgical book containing hymns for the morning service (Orthros or Matins), organised into series known as canons, each made up of a sequence of inidividual odes. It is followed here by a Papadike, a manual of musical instruction, and then by a selection of other hymns and Psalms. Among these are a few prose texts, primarily a narrative of the transfer of the body of John Chrysostom from its initial place of burial in Comana to Constantinople. As indicated by a note on f. ii recto, the manuscript was brought to England by Nathanael Konopios (1610-c. 1652), who had served as protosynkellos (chaplain) to the Patriarch of Constantinople Cyril Loukaris (1572-1638), an office whose holder was a senior advisor to the Patriarch and often became his successor. Loukaris had sought to build alliances with Protestant churches, being attracted by Calvinist theology and perturbed by Catholic efforts to convert the Orthodox, encouraging him to seek a united front with the Protestants. These initiatives included seeking theological instruction for Greek clerics at Oxford with the help of the see of Canterbury. His controversial and turbulent patriarchate ended with his execution in 1638 on the orders of the Ottoman Sultan Murad IV (1612-1640), for allegedly inciting Cossack raids against Ottoman territory. As a result of this, Konopios sought refuge in England, and was admitted to Balliol College, Oxford in 1639, with the support of the Archbishop of Canterbury, William Laud (1573-1645). Konopios remained in Oxford through most of the English Civil War, during which it served as the Royalist headquarters, but left for Leyden in 1645 as the Royalist position crumbled. He later returned to Oxford as chaplain at Christ Church, but in 1648 he was expelled from his position by parliamentary commissioners, owing to his Royalist connections. He then took up office as Metropolitan of Smyrna. (William B. Patterson, James VI and I and the Reunion of Christendom (Cambridge, 1997), pp. 206-209) The note records the manuscript's donation by Konopios as a gift to the pioneering physician William Harvey (1578-1657). Harvey served as personal physician to King Charles I (1600-1649) and consequently spent the Civil War in Oxford, where he was also appointed to a university post. After the war, Harvey returned to London, so it was presumably at some time in 1642-1645, when the two men were both living in Oxford, that Konopios gave him the manuscript. Konopios describes Harvey as ‘τῷ ἐμῷ προθυμοτάτῳ εὐεργέτῃ’, ‘my most devoted benefactor’, so the gift may well have been given as recompense for favours Harvey had done for him, perhaps using his influence as a person close to the king. Dr Christopher Wright

Language(s): Greek

Physical Description

Form: codex
Extent: Codex: ii + 3 + 171 + ii leaves.
Foliation: The manuscript is foliated with the numbers [a-b] + i, [ia], ii + 1-171 + [iii-iv], in pencil, in Arabic and Roman numerals, recto, upper right. There are errors in the foliation, which have been corrected.

Binding

18th-century binding with grey paper covering over couched-laminate boards, with a white parchment spine and plain pastedowns. The classmark appears on the spine on patches.

216 × 155 × 66 mm.

History

Provenance and Acquisition

Owned by Nathanael Konopios (1610-c. 1652) , protosynkellos to Cyril Loukaris (1572-1638) .

Given by Konopios to William Harvey (1578-1657) , physician to King Charles I of England (1600-1649), as indicated by the note on f. ii recto.

Acquired by the antiquary Thomas Gale (c. 1635-1702) , Fellow of Trinity and Dean of York. It appears in the 1697 catalogue of Gale's collection contained in Trinity College MS O.5.38 (p. 165).

Donated to Trinity College by Thomas's son, the antiquary Roger Gale (1672-1744) , in 1738.

Part 1 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS O.2.61, ff. i-ii]

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Parchment, of medium thickness and quality.
Extent: Codex: 200 × 130 mm.

Condition

There have been losses from the outer edge of f. ii. The shape of the folios has become somewhat distorted. There is some creasing and areas of dirt.

Layout

ff. i recto-i verso, i recto-i verso A single column of 27 lines. 142 × 100 mm. Pricking survives in the upper margin, but most has been lost to cropping. Ruled in hardpoint, type Leroy 20C2. Text hangs from the lines.

Additions

On f. i verso small pieces of ornament design have been crudely drawn in black ink; one of these has been embellished to produce a picture of a dragon. There are various pen-trials and scribblings.

A note on f. ii recto records the gift of the manuscript by Nathanael Konopios to William Harvey: ‘Τὸ παρὸν βιβλίον δεδώρηκα τῷ ἐνδοξοτάτῳ καὶ σοφωτάῳ βασιλικῷ ἰατρῷ κυρίῳ κυρίῳ Ἁρβείῳ τῷ ἐμῷ προθυμοτάτῳ εὐεργέτῃ. Ναθαναὴλ ἱερομόναχος ὁ Κωνώπιος Πρωτοσυγκέλλος Πατριαρχικὸς Κωνσταντινουπόλεως’ (‘I have given the present book to the most esteemed and most wise royal physician Mr Harvey, my most devoted benefactor. Nathanael Konopios, hieromonachos, patriarchal protosynkellos of Constantinople’).

The former and current classmarks E.17.25 and O.2.19 are marked on f. i recto, along with the note ‘Quarto 1’.

Accompanying Material

In between ff. i and ii, a small piece of paper (f. [ia]) has been inserted, bearing a transcription of Konopios's note of donation from f. ii recto.

History

Origin: These endleaves were evidently included in a previous binding, made at some point prior to Konopios's donation of the manuscript to Harvey, which probably took place between 1638 and 1643.

Part 2 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS O.2.61, ff. 1-171]

Contents

Language(s): Greek

1. ff. 1r-101v
Heirmologion
Filiation: The basis for the edition of Tillyard, Twenty Canons , and used in the preparation of Høeg et al., The Hymns of the Hirmologium .
Rubric: f. 1r Ἀρχὴ σὺν Θεῶ τοῦ εἱρμολογίου τῆ Κυριακῇ ἐκ ἀναστασίμου [....]
Incipit: f. 1r ου η τροπαιουχος δεξια
Explicit: f. 101v ω μυστηριου ξενος μου
2. ff. 102r-114r
Papadike
Rubric: f. 102r Ἀρχῆ τῶν σημαδίων τῆς παπαδικῆς τέχνης
Incipit: f. 102r ἵσον ἄφωνον· ἄφωνον δὲ λέγεται οὐχ'ὅτι φωνὴν οὐκ ἔχει
Explicit: f. 114r εν τοις υψιστοις· σοι πρεπει υμνος τω Θεω
3. ff.114r-117v
Prokeimena
Rubric: f. 114r Ἀρχὴ τῶν προκειμένων
Incipit: f. 114r Ψαλμος τω Δαυιδ:+ Αναστηθι Κυριε Θεος μου
Explicit: f. Ο Κυριος εβασιλευσεν ευπρεπει ανενεδυσατο
4. ff. 117v-120r, line 11
Hymn for Great Vespers
Rubric: f. 117v Ἀρχὴ τοῦ μεγάλου ἐσπερινου
Incipit: f. 118r Δευτε προσκυνησωμεν και προσπεσωμεν τω βασιλει ημων Θεω
Explicit: f. 120r δοξα σοι ο Θεο⟨ς⟩ ο Χριστο⟨ς⟩ ο Θεος
5. f. 120r, line 12-f. 124v
Psalms 1-3

Accompanied by the δόξα

Rubric: f. 120r Ψαλμὸς αʹ
Incipit: f. 120r Μακαριος ανηρ αλληλουϊα:+ Μακαριος ανηρ ος ουκ επορευθη εν βουλη ασεβων
Explicit: f. 124v συχωρη τον αναπαυσον τον δουλον σου

0527.027

6. ff. 125r-133v
Psalms 134-136
Rubric: f. 125r Αρχὴ τοῦ πολυελέου
Incipit: f. 125r Δουλοι Κυριον· αλληλουια· Αινειτε το ονομα Κυριου
Explicit: f. 133vπρος την πετραν· αλληλουϊα αλληλουϊα αλληλουϊα αλληλουϊα

0527.027

7. f. 134r, line 16-f. 141v
Antiphons
Rubric: f. 134rΑρχη των αντιφωνων
Incipit: f. 134r Λογον αγαθον αλληλουϊα
Explicit: f. 141v ῥυσθῆναι[sic] τῶν βασάνων· ἐν ὥρα καταδικῆς
8. f. 142r-142v, line 12
Hymn

Defective at the beginning

Incipit: || f. 142r θω προσελθωμεν· να μετοχοι ζωης αιωνιου
Explicit: f. 142v Γευσασθε και ιδετε οτι Χριστος ο Κυριος· αλληλουϊα αλληλουϊα
9. ff. 142v, line 12-144v
Cherubic hymn for Thursday of Holy Week
Rubric: f. 142v Χερουβιὰ τῆ ἁγία καὶ μεγάλει εʹ τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ κoινωνίαν (?)
Incipit: f. 142v Του δειπνου σου του μυστικου· σημερον Υιε Θεου Χριστου κοινων
Explicit: f. μακαριζομεν την οντος Θεοτοκον· σε μεγαλυνομεν· μεγαλυνομεν
10. ff. 145r-147r, line 17
Setting of the Amomos (Psalm 118) for the Dormition of the Virgin
Rubric: f. 145r Ἄμωμος ψαλλόμενος εἰς τὴν κοίμησιν τῆς ὑπεραγίας Θεοτόκου
Incipit: f. 145r Ευλογητος ει Κυριε· διδαξον μετα δικαιωματα σου· Μακαριοι οι αμωμοι εν οδω
Explicit: f. 147r τίς γὰρ ὡς σὺ προστάτης
11. f. 147r, line 17-f. 153v, line 9
Setting of the Amomos (Psalm 118) for the departed
Rubric: f. 147r Ὁ ἄμωμος εἰς κοιμηθέντας
Incipit: f. 147r Αμωμοι εν οδω αλληλουϊα:+ Μακαριοι οι αμωμοι εν οδω
Explicit: f. 153v επιταφιον θρηνον τοιουντε εσωδην· το αλληλουϊα
12. f. 153v, lines 10-15
Prokeimenon for Holy Days of the Lord (Δεσποτικαὶ ἑορταί)
Rubric: f. 153v Προκείμενον εἰς δεσποτικὰς ἑορτὰς
Incipit: f. 153v Πασα πνοη αινεσατω τον Κυριον
Explicit: f. 153v Αινεσατω τον Κυριον· Υιε ο τον Κυριο ορροτοτο Υιε ο υου ογγον
13. f. 154r, lines 1-14
Antistoicha of the Theotokos
Rubric: f. 153v Προκείμενον τῆς ὑπεραγίας Θεοτόκου
Incipit: f. 154r Μνησθησομαι του ονοματος εν παση γενεα
Explicit: f. 154r εν παση γενεα και γενεα
14. f. 154r, line 15-f. 155r, line 3
Megalynarion for Christmas
Rubric: f. 154r Μεγαλυνάριον τῶν Χριστουγέννων
Incipit: f. 154v Με υιεϊα
Explicit: f. 155r τον εν τω σπηλαιω τεχθεντα βασιλεα
15. f. 155r, line 4-f. 156r, line 18
Megalynarion for Epiphany
Rubric: f. 155r Μεγαλυνάριον τῶν Φώτων
Incipit: f. 155r Με υιεϊα
Explicit: f. 156r εραστης βασιλειας σου
16. f. 156r, line 18-f. 159v
Ioannes Glykys, protopsaltes , Theotokion

Defective at the end

Rubric: f. 156r Στιχέρα σταυροθεότη· μελισθέντες[sic] κατ'ἦχον παρὰ κυρίου Ἰωάννου τοῦ πρωτοψάλτου τοῦ Γλυκέως ἐκείνου
Incipit: f. 156v Δα τα αϊα υιεια· δαμαλις απειροζυγος απειρανδρος παρθενε
Explicit: f. 159v και κορος ου τοις κατα σου ουτος α||
17. ff. 160r-167v
Kosmas, vestitor (730-850), Orationes de translatione corporis mortui Joannis Chrysostomi

Oration 4

Defective at the end

Rubric: f. 160r Κόσμα βεστήτορος Λόγος εἰς τὴν ἀνακομίδην τοῦ λειψάνου τοῦ ἐν ἁγίοις πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἰωάννου τοῦ Χρυσοστόμου, Εὐλόγησον Δέσποτα
Incipit: f. 160r Ἤκουσται πάντως ὑμῖν ὦ φιλόχριστε πανήγυρις καὶ φιλάγιον ἄθροισμα
Explicit: f. 167v καὶ τῆς πειρασμοῦ τὸν στηριγμὸν· τὴν ὑποληψιν[sic] τῶν

TLG 2936.002

BHG 878

18. f. 168r, lines 1-5
List
Incipit: f. 168r Εις τὸ θέρος | εἰς ἀχηρον | τον ψαρο που | εις κρηθαρη απο τον γιαλον | απο τον καρκος α[.] απο τὸν μανγκουριὀτην //// εις το τηρην //// εις τὴν κοπρέαν | του γαλάτη | τοῦ κυριαζη | ὁ αλέξης | τοῦ σπιτίου

This is the full text of the item.

19. f. 168r, lines 6-23
Hymn

Defective at the end

Incipit: f. 168r εξομολλογεισθαι τω Κυριω· οτι αγαθος αλληλουϊα
Explicit: f. 168r το ελεος αυτου· οτι αγαθος [..10..]||
20. f.168v
Prayer

By a monk of the Prodromos Monastery, Mount Athos

Rubric: f. 168v Τοῦ Προδρόμου μόναχος
Incipit: f. 168v ὀ[sic] φοτισμὸς[sic] τῶν ἐν σκότει κοιμένων
Explicit: f. 168v ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζόντος[sic] ἐπιτάσησαι
21. ff. 169r-171r
Hymns
Incipit: f. 169r Δοξα σοι Χριστε· κραταιε ο Θεος ημων
Explicit: f. 171r Πατερ αγιε ου γαρ οιδασιν τι εποιησαν
22. f. 171v
Text regarding St Paul
Incipit: f. 171v οῦλος ὁδγω[...] εκ
Explicit: f. 171v καὶ ἰαθήσεται ὁ δηχθείς

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Eastern paper, folded in quarto.
Extent: Codex: 205 × 145 mm.

Collation

The main body of the manuscript consists of 22 quires, of which one is a quinion and the rest are quaternia.

  • Quires 1-28 ff. 1-16
  • Quire 38-1 ff. 17-23 The last folio has been cancelled, without loss of text.
  • Quires 4-68 ff. 24-47
  • Quire 78-1 ff. 48-54 The last folio has been lost, with loss of text.
  • Quire 88-1 ff. 55-61 The last folio has been lost, with loss of text.
  • Quires 9-158 ff. 62-117
  • Quire 168-1 ff. 118-124 The last folio has been lost, with loss of text.
  • Quire 1710-1 ff. 125-133 The last folio has been lost, with loss of text.
  • Quires 18-208 ff. 134-57
  • Quire 218-1 ff. 158-164 The third folio has been lost, with loss of text.
  • Quire 228-1 ff. 165-171 The second folio has been lost, with loss of text.

There are signatures in pencil, in Arabic numerals, on the first folio of each quire, recto, lower right. They survive on all quires. The number 11 has been erroneously repeated on Quire 12. All numbers thereafter are therefore too small by one. The signature for Quire 15 (the number 14) appears one folio too late, on f. 111r, perhaps because this was previously erroneously numbered 110, but this has not affected the placement of later signatures.

Condition

The lower two-thirds of f. 33 and the upper half of ff. 68 and 84 have been lost. The lower margins of ff. 38 and 162-164 have been cut away. A tear to f. 86 has been repaired with paper patches. In the latter part of the manuscript, some folios have repairs in the gutter using paper strips, and f. 166 has become partially detached. There is significant pest damage to much of the manuscript and small tears to the edges of various folios. There are areas of dirt and extensive water staining, and the paper has become softened. The ink has become faded in places, and has sometimes been overwritten.

Layout

ff. 1r-98r, 106r-113v, 118r-124r, 125r-159v A single column of 15 lines. 155 × 105 mm.

ff. 98v-105v, 124v, 166r-168r, 169r-171r A single column of 13-26 lines. 138-183 × 105 mm.

ff. 160r-165v, 171v A single column of 26-30 lines. 149-158 × 105-110 mm.

f. 168v-168v A single column of 16 lines. 133 × 105 mm.

Hand(s)

ff. 1r-99r, line 3, f. 102v, line 14-f. 124v, line 7, ff. 125r-139v, line 1, ff. 140r-159v and f. 169r-169v were copied by Hand A in upright, regular mixed minuscule script, with modest variation in letter size, in brown ink.

Breathings and accents are not in use in the text accompanied by musical notation, but appear in headings and elsewhere. Breathings are round and there is accentuation of all nomina sacra . There is decorative use of the double dot.

The flat-bottomed omega is present.

Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points and full stop.

Headings are in the same style, in red ink.

f. 99r, lines 4-17, f. 99v, line 9-f. 101v were copied by Hand B in mixed minuscule script, upright or slanting to the right, with modest variation in letter size, in brown ink.

Breathings and accents are not in use in the text accompanied by musical notation, but appear in headings and elsewhere. There is decorative use of the double dot.

Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points and full stop.

f. 99v, lines 1-8 were copied by Hand C in mixed minuscule script, upright or slanting to the right, with modest variation in letter size, in brown ink.

Breathings and accents are not in use. There is decorative use of the double dot.

ff. 102r-102v, line 13 and f. 171v were copied by Hand D in mixed minuscule script, upright or slanting to the right, with modest variation in letter size, in brown ink.

The text copied by this hand is initially closely spaced and without musical notation. After the first nine lines of f. 102r the space between lines increases and muscial notation begins to appear. Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and there is accentuation of all nomina sacra . Accents are sometimes joined to letters. There is decorative use of the double dot.

Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points and full stop.

f. 124v, lines 8-17 were copied by Hand E in a inelegant mixed minuscule script, upright or slanting to the right, with moderate variation in letter size, in brown ink.

Breathings and accents are not in use.

Punctuation used includes the upper point and full stop.

f. 139v, lines 2-10 were copied by Hand F in a inelegant mixed minuscule script with variable slant, with modest variation in letter size, in brown ink.

Breathings and accents are not in use. There is decorative use of the double dot.

Punctuation used includes the middle point and full stop.

ff. 160r-165v were copied by Hand G in mixed minuscule script, upright or slanting to the right, with moderate variation in letter size, in brown ink.

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

Majuscule kappa often appears with an elongated vertical.

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

ff. 166r-167v were copied by Hand H in mixed minuscule script, upright or slanting to the right, with significant variation in letter size and some flourishing of tails into the margin, in brown ink with a green tinge.

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

Majuscule kappa often appears with an elongated vertical. The modern eta and modern nu are in use.

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

f. 168r, lines 1-5 were copied by Hand I in an inelegant mixed minuscule script, upright or slanting to the right, with modest variation in letter size, in brown ink.

Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and there is decorative use of the double dot.

The modern eta is in use.

The text is divided into sections of a few words by vertical strokes, and at one point by four diagonal strokes.

f. 168r, lines 5-22 were copied by Hand J in an inelegant mixed minuscule script, with variable slant and moderate variation in letter size, in brown ink.

Breathings and accents are not in use. There is decorative use of the double dot.

Punctuation used includes the upper point.

f. 168v was written by Hand K in an inelegant mixed minuscule script, with variable slant and little variation in letter size, in black ink.

Breathings are round and there is decorative use of the double dot and accentuation of all nomina sacra .

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

f. 170r-170v was copied by Hand L in mixed minuscule script, with variable slant and little variation in letter size, in black ink.

Breathings and accents are not in use. There is decorative use of the double dot.

Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points and full stop.

f. 171r was copied by Hand M in upright mixed minuscule script, with little variation in letter size, in black ink.

Breathings and accents are not in use.

Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points and full stop.

Musical Notation: The text is accompanied by round musical notation.

Decoration

The beginnings of major sections are preceded by headpieces outlined in brown ink with translucent wash infill, sometimes also with red ink ornament, in the form of a pyle (18r), a rectangular border, sometimes containing the heading (ff. 1r, 43r), or a rectangular bar (f. 70r).

The beginning of the text on f. 102r is preceded by a thin plait in red ink.

The headings to sections are accompanied by plaited line-fillers in red ink or brown ink with red infill (e.g. ff. 14v, 66v).

Additions

A hieromonachos named Theodoulos has added a note inside the headpiece on f. 43r: ‘ Μνῆθητη[sic] Κύριε τὸν δούλων[sic] σου ιερομόναχον Θεὄδουλων[sic] ’.

There are various other marginal annotations in Greek (e.g. ff. 161v, 170v).

History

Origin: The manuscript was probably copied in the early 15th century, as dated by Giannopoulos (Cheirographa byzantines mousikes, p. 324).

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, 3, Cambridge University Press, 1902) Some Byzantine musical manuscripts at Cambridge Annual of the British School at Athens, Tillyard, H.J.W. (23, 194-205, 1918) The hymns of the Hirmologium. Part I, The first mode, (Copenhagen, Munksgaard, 1952) Twenty canons from the Trinity Hirmologium, Tillyard, H.J.W. (Boston, The Byzantine Institute, 1952) The hymns of the Hirmologium. Pt 3 (2), Third plagal mode, barys, Ayoutanti, AglaïaTillyard, H.J.W. (Copenhagen, Ejnar Munksgaard, 1956) Byzantine elements in early Slavic chant : The Hirmologion., Velimirović, Miloš (Copenhagen, Munksgaard, 1960) Reflections on transcribing the Hirmoi in Byzantine music Studies in Eastern Chant, Stöhr, Maria (1, 89-94, 1966) Ta cheirographa byzantines mousikes Anglia = The manuscripts of Byzantine music: England, Giannopoulos, Emmanouil St. (Athens, Institute of Byzantine Musicology, 2008)

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The Polonsky Foundation

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