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.5.19

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 12003

Contents

Introduction: This manuscript, completed in 1616, contains Theodore Balsamon's commentary on Orthodox canon law. The author served in 1178-1183 as nomophylax to the Patriarch of Constantinople, the chief judicial official of the patriarchate, and in 1193 was himself appointed Patriarch. His commentary discusses a standard set of canonical authorities including the so-called Apostolic Canons, the decrees of the Ecumenical Councils and other important early synods, and canonical letters by various Church Fathers. This copy explicitly excludes two portions of the commentary, the canons of Patriarch Germanos I of Constantinople and the large collection of those of Basil of Caesarea. In the case of many of the patristic canons, the commentary alternates with the text of the canons themselves, but in some other cases only the first few lines of the canon are given, while for the Apostolic and conciliar canons, only the commentary itself appears. Much of the manuscript was copied by the Scottish scholar and long-serving royal librarian Patrick Young (1584-1652), while the remainder was copied by several other hands, presumably on his behalf. It falls into two distinct physical parts, of different dimensions and on different papers, but these were evidently part of the same project of production. There appears to have been some confusion at the transition between the two parts, whose copying was perhaps underway at the same time, since text from the end of the first part (f. 84r-84v is duplicated at the beginning of the second (ff. 85r-88r). Young acquired, commissioned, copied and annotated numerous other Greek manuscripts, part of a large collection purchased after his death by the antiquarian Thomas Gale (1635-1702) and donated to Trinity College in 1744 by his son Roger Gale (1672-1744). Dr Christopher Wright

Physical Description

Form: codex
Extent: Codex: 4 + 257 + 3 leaves.
Foliation: The manuscript is foliated with the numbers [i-iv] + 1-257 + [v-vii] in Arabic numerals, in pencil, recto, upper right.

Collation

Part I consists of 11 quires, Part II of 23: 1-38, 44, 5-118, 128, 13-258, 266, 274, 286, 294, 308, 31-324, 33-348, 358-1

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.

376 × 248 × 40 mm.

Accompanying Material

The manuscript is accompanied by a scrap of paper bearing notes in Latin and traces of red wax, and two small fragments of paper from this manuscript, bearing text, which presumably originate from the damaged upper outer corner of one of the later folios.

History

Provenance and Acquisition

Owned by the Biblical scholar and royal librarian Patrick Young (1584-1652) .

Purchased after Young's death 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. 155).

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

Part 1 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS O.5.19, ff. 1-84]

Contents

Language(s): Greek

ff. 1r-84v
Theodore Balsamon (c. 1140-c. 1195), In canones sanctorum apostolorum, conciliorum et in epistolas canonica sanctorum patrum commentaria

For the canons of councils and synods, only the commentary of Balsamon is present (ff. 1r-229v)

PG 137; PG 138, coll. 9-936

The text on f. 84r, line 8-f. 84v is duplicated on ff. 85r-88r, line 3, with the addition (on f. 87r, line 15-f. 87v, line 16) of text omitted after f. 84v, line 21

f. 27v is blank

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: ff. 1-84 Western paper, folded in folio. Watermark: Coat of arms ( 88 × 40 mm. ) in the centre of the folio.
Extent: Codex: ff. 1-84 364 × 230 mm.

Collation

This part consists of 11 quires, of which one is a binion and the rest are quaternia.

  • Quires 1-38 ff. 1-24
  • Quire 44 ff. 24-28
  • Quires 5-118 ff. 29-84

There are catchwords on almost every folio of ff. 17r-84v.

Condition

There is water staining, creasing and areas of dirt.

Layout

ff. 1r-28v A single column of 52-53 lines. 279-290 × 155 mm.

ff. 29r-84v A single column of 38-39 lines. 282 × 155 mm.

Hand(s)

ff. 1-28v, 202r, line 17-f. 204r, f. 218v, lines 9-32 and 227r-257r were copied by Patrick Young (Hand A) in mixed minuscule script, in brown ink, slanting slightly to the right.

Syllabic abbreviations appear throughout the line; superscript word endings are not used. Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript. Accents are sometimes joined to letters.

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

Headings are sometimes written in the same style in red ink.

ff. 29r-154v, 209r-218v, line 8 and ff. 219r-226v were copied by Hand B in mixed minuscule script, in brown ink, slanting to the right. There are deletions by expunctuation.

Syllabic abbreviations appear throughout the line; superscript word endings are not used. Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript. Accents are sometimes joined to letters.

Minuscule sigma often takes the form of a circle joined with a long, curved stroke extending diagonally upwards rather than horizontally.

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

Decoration

Sections on ff. 1r-28v begin with simple minor initials in red ink.

Additions

The beginnings of sections are marked in the margins, sometimes with canon numbers, in red ink on ff. 1r-28v and brown ink elsewhere.

The current classmark appears on f. 1r, corrected from O.5.25, as does the number A.25.

History

Origin: This part was probably copied in 1616 or shortly before, as suggeted by the colophon to the second part on f. 257r.

Part 2 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS O.5.19, ff. 85-257]

Contents

Language(s): Greek

ff. 85r-229v
Theodore Balsamon (c. 1140-c. 1195), In canones sanctorum apostolorum, conciliorum et in epistolas canonica sanctorum patrum commentaria

For the canons of councils and synods, only the commentary of Balsamon is present (ff. 1r-229v); for the canonical letters of Dionysios of Alexandria, Peter of Alexandria, Gregory Thaumatourgos, Timothy of Alexandria, Theophilos of Alexandria, Cyril of Alexandria, Gregory of Nazianzus and Amphilochios of Ikonion, and the excerpted letter of Basil of Caesarea to the Nikopolitans, the texts commented upon are also included (ff. 231r-233r, 235r-243r, ff. 249r-257r); for those of Athanasios of Alexandria, the first few lines of each text commented upon are included (ff. 243v-244r); the first few lines of the first canon of Gregory of Nyssa are given, while for his other canons only the commentary appears (ff. 244v-248v); the canons of Basil of Caesarea and Gennadios I of Constantinople and the commentary on them are omitted entirely, with notes regarding this on ff. 244r and 256v

PG 137; PG 138, coll. 9-936

Colophon: f. 257r 8 Calends Iunii MDCXVI

The text on f. 84r, line 8-f. 84v is duplicated on ff. 85r-88r, line 3, with the addition (on f. 87r, line 15-f. 87v, line 16) of text omitted after f. 84v, line 21

ff. 85v-86r, 171r-174v, 178v, 190v, 198r-198v, 204v, 208v, 230r-230v, 233v-234v and 257v are blank

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: ff. 85-257 Western paper, folded in folio. Watermark: Grapes ( 45 × 20 mm. ) in the centre of the folio.
Extent: Codex: ff. 85-257 348 × 235 mm.

Collation

This part consists of 23 quires, of which four are binia, two are ternia, one is a quinion and the rest are quaternia.

  • Quire 1210 ff. 85-94
  • Quires 13-258 ff. 95-198
  • Quire 266 ff. 199-204
  • Quire 274 ff. 205-208
  • Quire 286 ff. 209-14
  • Quire 294 ff. 215-218
  • Quire 308 ff. 219-226
  • Quires 31-324 ff. 227-234
  • Quires 33-348 ff. 235-250
  • Quire 358-1 ff. 251-257 The last folio has been cancelled, without loss of text

There are catchwords on almost every folio of ff. 85r-154v and 209r-257v.

Condition

There is fire damage to the upper outer corner of the latter part of the manuscript, which has caused losses in this area from ff. 151-257, with loss of text from ff. 235v-257v. There is mild water staining, creasing and areas of dirt.

Layout

ff. 85r-154v A single column of 26-30 lines. 210-238 × 140 mm.

ff. 155r-170v A single column of 41-44 lines. 223 × 135-140 mm.

ff. 175r-204r A single column of 36-55 lines. 277-307 × 150-170 mm.

ff. 205r-208r A single column of 57-59 lines. 279-290 × 150 mm.

ff. 209r-226v A single column of 30-35 lines. 234-264 × 130-140 mm.

ff. 131r-257r A single column of 49-57 lines. 303-317 × 140-150 mm.

Hand(s)

ff. 1-28v, 202r, line 17-f. 204r, f. 218v, lines 9-32 and 227r-257r were copied by Patrick Young (Hand A) in mixed minuscule script, in brown ink, slanting slightly to the right.

Syllabic abbreviations appear throughout the line; superscript word endings are not used. Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript. Accents are sometimes joined to letters.

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

Headings are sometimes written in the same style in red ink.

ff. 29r-154v, 209r-218v, line 8 and ff. 219r-226v were copied by Hand B in mixed minuscule script, in brown ink, slanting to the right. There are deletions by expunctuation.

Syllabic abbreviations appear throughout the line; superscript word endings are not used. Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript. Accents are sometimes joined to letters.

Minuscule sigma often takes the form of a circle joined with a long, curved stroke extending diagonally upwards rather than horizontally.

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

ff. 155r-170v and 205r-208r were copied by Hand C in mixed minuscule script, in brown ink, slanting slightly to the right.

Syllabic abbreviations appear throughout the line; superscript word endings are not used. Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript. Accents are sometimes joined to letters.

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

ff. 175r-182v and 191r-202r, line 16 were copied by Hand D in mixed minuscule script, in brown ink, upright or slanting slightly to the right.

Syllabic abbreviations appear throughout the line; superscript word endings are not used. Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript.

Minuscule gamma often appears with the first downward stroke turned sharply to the left, and the second stroke horizontal.

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

ff. 183r-186v were copied by Hand E in mixed minuscule script, in brown ink, with variable slant. There are deletions by expunctuation

Syllabic abbreviations are very rare but appear throughout the line; superscript word endings are not used. Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript. Accents are sometimes joined to abbreviations.

Iota is usually elongated downwards.

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

ff. 187r-190r were copied by Hand F in mixed minuscule script, in brown ink, slanting slightly to the right.

Syllabic abbreviations are rare and appear only at the end of lines; superscript word endings are not used. Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript. Accents are sometimes joined to letters.

Iota is often elongated downwards and hooked. Minuscule gamma often appears with the first downward stroke turned sharply to the left, and the second stroke horizontal.

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

Additions

The beginnings of sections are marked in the margins, sometimes with canon numbers, in brown ink.

History

Origin: The manuscript was completed on 8 June 1616, as indicated by the colophon on f. 257r.

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)

Funding of Cataloguing

The Polonsky Foundation

Digital Images

Cambridge Digital Library

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