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.3.48

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 11986

Contents

Introduction: This manuscript, probably copied in the 13th century, contains theological works of Maximos the Confessor, mainly canonical letters. The author was abbot of a monastery in Chrysopolis, near Constantinople, who was exiled and mutilated for his opposition to the doctrine of Monothelitism, introduced by the Emperor Heraclius I (610-641). Dr Christopher Wright

Language(s): Greek

Physical Description

Form: codex
Extent: Codex: iii + 169 + i leaves. 230-235 × 160-170 mm.
Foliation: The manuscript is foliated with the numbers [a-b], I + 1-3, 3(a), 4-19, 19(a), 20-43, 45, 47-75, 75(a), 76-139, 141-142, 144-150, 150(a), 150(b), 151-168 + [c], in Arabic numerals, in black ink, recto, upper right.

Collation

The manuscript consists of 24 quires: 18+1 26-1+2 (1 missing) 38-2+2 (7 and 8 missing) 48-4+4 (1, 3, 6 and 8 missing) 58 68-1 (7 missing) 78-2 (1 and 8 missing) 8eight (all gone) 98-3+2 (2, 7 and 8 missing) 108-2 (1 and 8 missing) 118+1 (1 inserted) 12-188 198-2+1 (3 and 6 missing) 208-2 (1 and 8 missing) 214 222 234-1 (1 cancelled) 2410

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.

243 × 177 × 63 mm.

Accompanying Material

A loose slip of paper is inserted between ff. 87 and 88, bearing notes on the content of a manuscript in Latin and Greek.

History

Provenance and Acquisition

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

Part 1 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS O.3.48, f. i]

Contents

1. f. i verso
Contents list to an Oxford manuscript of Maximos the Confessor
Language(s): Latin and Greek

f. i recto is blank apart from various notes

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: ff. i, 3(a), 9-10, 17, 22, 24, 27, 29, 47, 54-59, 61, 66, 139 Western paper, folded in folio. Watermark: Pot ( 79 × 35 mm. ) in the centre of the folio, comparable but not identical to Heawood 3611, 3623-3624, Churchill 466. These examples are dated to c. 1623-1642.

Layout

f. i verso A single column of 41 lines. 210 × 135 mm.

ff. 3(a) recto-3(a) verso, 9r-10v, 17r-17v, 24r-24v, 27r-27v, 29r-29v, 47r-47v, 54r-59v, 61r-61v, 66r-66v, 139r-139v A single column of 15-35 lines. 109-189 × 80-90 mm.

Hand(s)

ff. 3(a) recto-3(a) verso, 9r-10v, 17r-17v, 24r-24v, 27r-27v, 29r-29v, 47r-47v, 54r-59v, 61r-61v, 66r-66v, 139r-139v were copied by Patrick Young (Hand B), in a western European mixed minuscule script resembling early printing, in brown ink.

Additions

On f. i recto are a series of notes in Latin regarding the use of the works of Maximos by John the Scot and Photios. Slips of paper with other notes on the content are pasted to this folio.

History

Origin: These folios were added to replace losses to the original manuscript by Patrick Young in the first half of the 17th century.

Part 2 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS O.3.48, ff. 1-168]

Contents

Language(s): Greek

2. ff. 1r-64r
Maximos the Confessor, Epistulae XLV

ff. 1r-4r Letter 8 (PG 91, coll 440-445); ff. 4r-8r Letter 6 (PG 91, coll. 424-433); ff. 8r-19v Letter 13 (PG 91, coll. 509-533); ff. 19v-23v Letter 14 (PG 91, coll. 533-544); ff. 24r-64r Letter 12 (PG 91, coll. 460-509)

Rubric: f. 1r Μαξίμου μονάχου ἐπιστολὴ πρὸς Σωφρόνιον μονάζοντα, τὸ[sic] ἐπίκλην εὐκρατὰν
Incipit: f. 1r Ὁ κατὰ σάρκα πόθος· χρόνω μαραίνεσθαι πέφυκεν
Explicit: f. 64r καὶ ἀειπαρθένου Μαρίας, καὶ πάντων τῶν ἁγίων ἀμήν

TLG 2892.044

CPG 7699

PG 91, coll. 364-649

3. ff. 64r-65v
Maximos the Confessor, Epistula ad Iohannem cubicularium
Rubric: f. 64r-64v Ἴσον ἐπιστολῆς Μαξίμου μονάζοντος πρὸς Ἰωάννην κουβικουλάριον+ Μαξίμου μονάζοντος πρὸς Ἰωάννην
Incipit: f. 64v Ὁ πάντα πρὶν γενέσεως ἐπιστάμενος Θεὸς· πᾶσιν ὡς οἴδε συμφερόντως μετασοφίας
Explicit: f. 65v Δι' ὃ, παρακαλῶ τοὺς εὐλογημένους ὑμᾶς δεχομένους αὐτὸν

CPG 7703

4. ff. 66r-117r
Maximos the Confessor, Epistulae XLV

ff. 66r-89r Letter 1 (PG 91, coll. 364-392); ff. 89v-117r Letter 15 (PG 91, coll. 544-576)

Rubric: f. 66r Λόγος παραινετικὸς πρὸς τὸν δοῦλον τοῦ Θεοῦ Γεώργιον γενόμενον ἔπαρχον Αφρικῆς[sic] παρὰ Μαξίμου
Incipit: f. 66r Ουδεὶς οὕτω τῶν φωτὸς, ὡς οἶμαι, καθ' οἷον δήποτε τρόπον ἐστερημένων
Explicit: f. 117r ὁ μόνος σὺν Πατρὶ καὶ Ἁγίωι Πνεύματι δεδοξασμένος εἰς τοῦς[sic] αιῶνας,[sic] ἀμήν

TLG 2892.044

CPG 7699

PG 91, coll. 364-649

5. ff. 117r-139v
Maximos the Confessor, Ambiguorum liber

Ambigua ad Thomam (PG 91, coll. 1032-1060)

Incipit: f. 117r Τῶ ἡγιασμένῳ δούλου τοῦ Θεοῦ πατρὶ πνευματικῷ καὶ διδασκάλω κυρίω Θωμᾶ
Explicit: f. 139v τοὺς τὸν ἄνω κόσμον πληρώσοντας· αὐτῶ δόξα· μεγαλωσύνη· κράτος· σὺν τῶ Πατρὶ καὶ τῶ Ἁγίω Πνεύματι, εἰς τοὺς αἰώνας, ἀμήν

TLG 2892.050

CPG 7705

PG 91, coll. 1032-1417

6. ff. 141r-150r
Maximos the Confessor, Epistula secunda ad Thomam
Rubric: f. 141r Τοῦ αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸν αὐτὸν
Incipit: f. 141r Ὑπόστασιν μὲν σοφίας, τὴν ἀρετὴν· οὐσίαν δὲ φασὶν ἀρετῆς
Explicit: f. 150r καὶ μὴδὲν[sic] ἡγεῖσθαι πίστεως συγκεχυμένης ἐπιδοζώτερον· ὧν τὸ ἀπερρίφθαι Χριστοῦ

TLG 2892.045

CPG 7700

7. ff. 150v-150(a) verso
Maximos the Confessor, Epistulae XLV

Letter 25

Rubric: f. 150r Κυρίω ἀββὰ Ἰωάννη, πρεσβυτέρω καὶ ἠγουμένω·[sic] Μάξιμος μοναχός
Incipit: f. 150r Πιστεύω καθῶς παρέλαβον καὶ ἐδιδάχθην, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν
Explicit: f. 150(a) verso οἱ τὴν ἀλήθειας τῆς φιλαυτίας προτιμὰν μελετήσαντες

TLG 2892.044

CPG 7699

PG 91, coll. 364-649

8. ff. 150(b) recto-168v
John of Damascus, Dialectica (recensio brevior)

Defective at the beginning, with lacunas: begins ed. Kotter, section 5

Incipit: || f. 150(b) recto ται εἰς δύο· εἰς τὴν κοινὸς διαφορὰν, καὶ εἰς τὴν ἰδίως διαφορὰν
Explicit: f. 168v τὸ ἀνύπαρκτον δηλοὶ ποτὲ δὲ τὸ συμβεβηκός

TLG 2934.067

CPG 8041

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: ff. 1-3, 4-8, 11-16, 18-21, 23, 25-26, 28, 30-45, 48-53, 60, 62-65, 67-138, 141-168 Parchment (FHHF), quite thick and of medium quality.

Collation

The manuscript consists of 24 quires, of which one is a quinion, two are ternia, two are binia, one is a single bifolio and the rest are quaternia.

  • Quire 18+1 (ff. 1-8: 2nd leaf and 7th leaf are singletons; leaf added after f. 3).
  • Quire 26-1+2 (ff. 9-15: 1st leaf missing before f. 11; two paper leaves added before f. 11).
  • Quire 38-2+2 (ff. 16-21: 7th and 8th leaves missing after f. 21; one paper leaf added after f. 16)
  • Quire 48-4+4 (ff. 22-29: 1st leaf missing before f. 22; 3rd leaf missing after f. 23; 6th leaf missing after f. 26; 8th leaf missing after f. 28; four paper leaves added, one each in the same locations).
  • Quire 58 (ff. 30-37)
  • Quire 68-1 (ff. 38-46: 7th leaf, f. 44, missing)
  • Quire 78-2 (ff. 47-54: 1st and 8th leaves missing, f. 46 and after f. 53; two paper leaves added, one each in the same locations)
  • Quire 88 (ff. 55-59: quire of perhaps eight leaves, all gone, and replaced by five added paper leaves)
  • Quire 98-3+2 (ff. 60-66: 2nd leaf missing after f. 60, 7th and 8th leaves missing after f. 65; two paper leaves added, one each in the same locations. The stub conjoint with the 1st leaf, f. 60, is now bound between ff. 54 and 55)
  • Quire 106 (ff. 67-72)
  • Quire 118+1 (ff. 73-82: 1st leaf, f. 73, inserted)
  • Quire 128 (ff. 81-88: 3rd and 7th leaves are singletons)
  • Quire 138 (ff. 89-96)
  • Quire 148 (ff. 97-104: 3rd and 7th leaves are singletons)
  • Quire 158 (ff. 105-112: 2nd and 7th leaves are singletons)
  • Quire 16-188 (ff. 113-136)
  • Quire 198-2+1 (ff. 137-145: 3rd leaf missing after f. 138; paper leaf added in this location; 6th leaf, f. 143, missing)
  • Quire 208-2 (ff. 146-150(a): 1st leaf cancelled before f. 146, 8th leaf missing after f. 150(a))
  • Quire 214 (ff. 150(b)-153)
  • Quire 222 (ff. 154-155)
  • Quire 234-1 (ff. 156-158: 1st leaf missing before f. 156)
  • Quire 2410 (ff. 159-168: 4th and 7th leaves are singletons)

There are quire signatures in Greek numerals, in black ink, on the first folio of each quire, recto in the middle of the lower margin. Many have been lost to cropping or the loss of folios. They survive on Quires 5-6, 9, 12, 14-19 (εʹ-ϛʹ, θʹ, ιβʹ, ιδʹ-ιθʹ). The number 3 (γʹ) appears on Quire 22.

Condition

In average condition. Numerous leaves lost throughout the volume. Those that remain have suffered from damp and water-staining, especially around the edges, and the leaves have become stiff and cockled. The stitching has deteriorated and some leaves are beginning to come loose. Patches of dirt or discolouration on some leaves (for instance, ff. 38r, 39r, 45v, 48r). A large repair patch in the upper margin and upper part of the text block on f. 167, not affecting the text.

Layout

ff. 1r-3v, 4r-8v, 11r-16v, 18r-21v A single column of 25-27 lines. 157-170 × 105 mm. Pricking survives in all three margins, but some has been lost to cropping. Ruled in hardpoint, system Leroy 1, type Leroy 20C1s. The relationship of the text to the lines varies, and they are sometimes ignored.

ff. 23r-23v, 25r-26v, 28r-28v, 30r-45v, 48r-53v, 60r-60v, 62r-65v, 67r-138v, 141r-168v A single column of 20 lines. 155 × 100 mm. Pricking survives in all three margins, but some has been lost to cropping. Ruled in hardpoint, system Leroy 1, type Leroy 20C1s. The relationship of the text to the lines varies, and they are sometimes ignored.

Hand(s)

ff. 1r-3v, 4r-8v, 11r-16v, 18r-21v, 23r-23v, 25r-26v, 28r-28v, 30r-45v, 48r-53v, 60r-60v, 62r-65v, 67r-138v, 141r-168v were copied by Hand A, in upright mixed minuscule script similar to Perlschrift, in brown ink, with minimal variation in letter size and occasional flourishing of tails into the margin. There are deletions by expunctuation

Syllabic abbreviations appear only at the end of lines and and superscript word endings are not in use. Breathings are both angular and round and mute iota is adscript or absent, or occasionally subscript. There is occasional decorative use of the double dot, and accentuation of all nomina sacra . The circumflex appears over breathings, and is someimes but not always enlarged when it does. The double grave accent and marginal quotation marks are in use. Horizontal strokes appear above proper names. The hyphen is used to merge words.

The flat-bottomed omega is present.

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

Headings are written in the same style in red ink, in Alexandrine majuscule script in red ink, or in Alexandrine majuscule script in brown ink.

Decoration

The beginning of the text on f. 1r is preceded by a rectangular headpiece, outlined in brown ink with red infill, the text on f. 89v by a pyle in the same style, and that on f. 117r by a pyle outlined in red and brown ink with red infill. Simpler, slender horizontal headpieces outlined in brown ink with red infill precede the beginning of other texts (e.g. ff. 8r, 23v).

Some texts begin with ornamented initials outlined in brown ink with red paint infill (e.g. ff. 20r, 64v, 105r).

Other texts being with smaller, simple initials in red ink (e.g. ff. 100v, 117r). The beginnings of sections are also marked by simple minor initials in red ink

Additions

There are occasional brief marginal notes by various hands, in Greek (e.g. ff. 1r, 146r), including a note on f. 12v mentioning the names Andreas Phlebaris and Andreas Mengoulas , and in Latin (e.g. f. 131r).

There are a number of marginal notes in Latin and Greek by Patrick Young (e.g. ff. 42r, 52r, 117r).

History

Origin: The original body of the manuscript was probably copied in the first half of the 13th century, as suggested by the style of script. The general appearance of the script and particular features such as the continued use of angular breathings and adscript mute iota would tend to indicate production in the 12th century, but mute iota occasionally also appears in its fully subscript form (e.g. f. 19r, lines 8, 10, f. 25v, line 3), which does not generally occur before the 13th century, and these marks do not appear to be later additions.

Additional Information

Record Sources

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) La deuzième lettre à Thomas de Saint Maxime le Confesseur Byzantion, Canart, Paul (34, 415-445, 1964)

Funding of Cataloguing

The Polonsky Foundation

Digital Images

Cambridge Digital Library

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