Cambridge, Trinity College, MS O.4.9
Diktyon no.: Diktyon 11991
Contents
- Roma, Biblioteca Angelica, gr. 109
- Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Suppl. gr. 11
- London, British Library, Harley MS 5605.
Language(s): Greek and Latin
- ff. 2:1r-2:7v Proemium
- ff. 2:8r-2:24r l. 26 Book I
- ff. 2:26r l. 27-2:44v Book II
- ff. 2:47r-2:55r Diagrams for book I
- ff. 2:56r-2:63r Diagrams for book II
Throughout the text, blank spaces have been left for diagrams, which follow the text, traced only on the recto of the leaves
On f. i recto there is a title in Latin: ‘ Heronis Alexandrini spiritalium libri duo Graeci manuscripti numquam adhuc neque Latini impressi’
TLG 0559.001
ff. 2:45r-2:46v, 2:63v-2:75v are blank
Physical Description
- 12 blank leaves at the beginning of the manuscript are numbered 1-12
- 3 leaves containing a dedication letter are numbered i-iii
- the remaining leaves are numbered 1-75.
Collation
The manuscript consists mainly of quaternions.
- Quire 14 ff. left pastedown-1:3
- Quire 212 ff. 1:4-1:12, i-iii([1]/2)
- Quires 3-78 ff. 2:1-2:40([3]/4-11/12)
- Quire 86 ff. 2:41-2:46(13/14)
- Quire 912 ff. 2:47-2:58(1[5])
- Quire 1010 ff. 2:59-2:68
- Quire 118-1 ff. 2:69-2:75 (1st leaf missing, no loss of text)
On ff. 2:1r-2:41r, on the upper edge, centre, of the first leaf of each quire, there are small crosses, in brown or red ink, traced by the scribe (it is a known practice of Ioannes Mauromates, see Cataldi Palau (2000), p. 368).
On ff. iii verso-2:41r there are quire signatures in Arabic numerals, written in brown ink on the quires' first leaf, upper right, and on the last leaf, upper left (2 consecutive numbers per quire), from 2 ( f. iii verso) to 1[5] ( f. 2:47r).
Condition
Layout
A single column of 29 lines. 210 × 120 mm.
Hand(s)
ff. 2:1r-2:44v Hand A: the text has been written entirely by Ioannes Mauromates (active 16th century, mid-3rd quarter) , (Ἰωάννης Μαυρομάτης, RGK I, 171. See also RGK II, 229; RGK III, 283).
The text is written in brown ink; titles and initials in red.
ff. 2:47r-2:63r Hand B: another hand wrote the titles and final rubrics to the diagrams, which were probably also traced by this scribe. The script is a minuscule, vertical, datable in the 16th c.
The ink is brown.
ff. i recto-iii verso Hand C: another hand wrote in Latin the dedication to Ernest of Bavaria, in a humanistic minuscule script. The text is written in brown ink, the title is written in gold with initials in blue and red ink, minor initials in the text are traced in gold and Greek words in red.
Decoration
In the manuscript are distinguishable two different types of decoration: a floral decoration in gold and green, blue, red ink for the dedication letter to Ernest of Bavaria; a more modest decoration in red ink by Ioannes Mauromates for the Greek text.
F. i recto , title-page: a floral rectangular border in gold, green, blue and red surrounds a Latin title written in gold, with initials in blue, red, black and green, ‘ Heronis Alexandrini spiritalium libri duo Graeci manuscripti numquam adhuc neque Latini impressi’. In the centre of the lower part of the frame is depicted the coat of arms of the Electorate of Bavaria.
The dedication to Ernest of Bavaria on f. ii recto is preceded by a headpiece with the same type of floral decoration in green, blue and red ink of the title-page (f. i recto). The title is written in gold, with initials in blue and red ink.
On f. ii recto there is an initial in gold, on a square ground with red penwork ornament.
On f. 2:1r there is a linear undulated frieze with clovers at both ends.
Thick red penwork initials with a vegetal ornament, see e.g. f. 2:1r.
On ff. 2:47r-2:63r there are diagrams illustrating Heron's work.
Additions
The manuscript's shelfmark is written on the left pastedown, and on f. i recto .
On f. 1:2r there are some annotations referring to the manuscript's numbers and shelfmarks: ‘G 31(?) ’ (old shelfmark), ‘ n° 287’ (previous number), ‘ O. 4. 9’ (present shelfmark).
Binding
Western binding, contemporary to the production of the manuscript. Full red morocco cover over pasteboards. Gold tooled borders on boards, decorated with geometrical motifs, lilies in correspondence of the external edges, a vegetal motif in the edges of the internal rectangle; at the centre of the left cover gold tooled medallion. Gold tooling on spine, where are pasted three paper labels with the shelfmark (the second is damaged), ‘ O’, ‘ … ’, ‘ 9’. The holes for leather ties are present on both boards, one hole in the centre of the upper and lower part, 2 holes on the external part of the boards. Gold tooling on the boards' edges. Gauffered gilded edges. 342 × 225 × 30 mm.
There are some scraps on the cover.
History
The manuscript was copied by Ioannes Mauromates between the middle and the 3rd quarter of the 16th century. The watermarks, present also in other manuscripts copied by Mauromates, the codicological features, and some characteristics of the script enable the dating of this manuscript to a particular stage of the scribe's life: he probably copied the manuscript in Rome between December 1555 and 1573 (for this dating and the characteristics of Mauromates' production, see Cataldi Palau (2000), pp. 377-379).
Provenance and Acquisition
The manuscript was donated by the Italian mathematician Giuseppe d'Auria to Ernest of Bavaria (1554–1612) : see dedication on ff. ii recto-iii verso. The donation probably took place around the last quarter of the 16th century: it is known that Giuseppe d'Auria was active in the years 1587-1602 (see RGK II, 289).
The manuscript was donated to Trinity College by the antiquary Roger Gale (1672-1744) in 1738 ( James 1902, p. xxiv). On the lower part of f. i verso is pasted the Trinity College bookplate; above, there is Trinity College Libary's stamp.
Additional Information
Record Sources
Availability
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Bibliography
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The western manuscripts in the library of
Trinity College: a descriptive catalogue, James, M.R. (Cambridge, 3, Cambridge University Press, 1902)
Autografi greci e greco-latini in
Occidente, Bernardinello, S. (Padova, CEDAM, 1979)
Repertorium der griechischen Kopisten,
800-1600. I. Grossbritannien Veröffentlichungen der Kommission für
Byzantinistik, Gamillscheg, ErnstHarlfinger, Dieter (Wien, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie
der
Wissenschaften, 1981)
Repertorium der griechischen Kopisten,
800-1600 Veröffentlichungen der Kommission für
Byzantinistik, Gamillscheg, ErnstHarlfinger, Dieter, (Wien, II. Frankreich, Verlag der Österreichischen
Akademie der
Wissenschaften, 1989)
Il copista Ioannes Mauromates I manoscritti greci tra riflessione e
dibattito: Atti del V Colloquio Internazionale di
Paleografia Greca (Cremona 4-10 ottobre 1998) Papyrologica Florentina, Cataldi Palau, Annaclara (Florence, 335-399, Edizioni Gonnelli, 2000)
A catalogue of western book illumination in
the Fitzwilliam Museum and the Cambridge
colleges Illuminated manuscripts in
Cambridge, Morgan, Nigel J.Panayotova, Stella (London, Harvey Miller, 2009)
Funding of Cataloguing
The Polonsky Foundation
Digital Images
Abbreviations
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