Introduction:
This manuscript, copied in the late 16th or early 17th
century, contains excerpts from the Euchologion, the
liturgical book containing the portions of church services recited
by the priest, together with prayers and poems. The selections
include the Office of the Lesser Purification (the rite for the
blessing of water), prayers by the patristic theologians John
Chrysostom and Basil of Caesarea, and two alphabetic poems.
The bulk of the manuscript was copied by two different
hands, with brief texts later added to what were probably originally
blank pages by two other hands. It was owned at one time by a deacon
named Nektarios, brother of a priest named Gregorios, who left a
note of ownership on a flyleaf.
Dr Christopher Wright
Language(s): Greek
1. ff. 1r-2r
Alphabetic poem on the birth of Christ
A later hand has added the title ‘
Αλφαβιτος[sic] διὰ τὴν γενησιν τοῦ
Χριστοῦ[sic]
’
Incipit:
f. 1r Ἄναρχος Θεὸς
καταβαῖβησκεν· καὶ εκ της παρθένου κατῶκισεν
Explicit:
f. 2r Ὧ παρθένε σώζε τους
πιστοῦς βασιλεῖς ἣν ὅπως σοζώμεν θα και ἡμῆς
2. ff. 2v-6v
Prayers
Incipit:
f. 1r Παντάνασα πανύμνητε
παρθένο
Explicit:
f. 6v καὶ Υἱὼ καὶ τω Αγίω
Πνεύματι, νὺν καὶ αεἶ καὶ εἰς τοῦς αἰώνάς τῶ αιώνων ἀμὴν
3. ff. 7r-21r
Euchologion
Excerpt: Office of the Common Supplication (ed Goar, chapter
44)
Rubric:
f. 7r
⟨Α⟩κολουθία τῆς
κοινῆς παρακλήσεως εὐλογήσαντος τοῦ ἰρέως[sic]
Incipit:
f. 7r Τῇ Θεοτόκῳ ἐκτενῶς νῦν
προσδράμωμεν ἁμαρτωλοὶ
Explicit:
f. 21r Ελεήμων γὰρ καὶ
φιλάνθρωπος Θεὸς ὑπάρχοις καὶ σοὶ τὴν δόξαν ἀναπέμπομεν
TLG 5332.002
4. f. 21v
Note on food
Incipit:
f. 21v Ένθὺμισις πρός πάντας
τούς ἀνθρὼπους τι τοὺς κάμνεἴ χρεἴα να τρόγουν
Explicit:
f. 21v κανέναν τρόπου καὶ
σίρόπην αμηδώπί
5. ff. 22r-39r
Euchologion
Excerpt: Office of the Lesser Purification (ed. Goar, chapter
19)
Rubric:
f. 22r
⟨Α⟩κολουθία τοῦ
μικροῦ ἁγιασμοῦ
Incipit:
f. 22r Εὐλογήσαντος τοῦ
ἱερέως Αρχόμεθα· τὸ Κύριε εἰσάκουσον
Explicit:
f. 39r καὶ σῶσον τὰς ψυχὰς
ὡς ἀγαθὸς καὶ φιλάνθρωπος:+ καὶ ἀπόλυσιν
TLG 5332.002
6. ff. 39v
List of groups for whom to pray
Incipit:
f. 39v Ευξομεθα υπερ τῶν
ευσεβών· καὶ ορθοδόξων χριστιανῶν
Explicit:
f. 39v και υπερ πᾶντών τών
προ αναπαυσα
7. ff. 40r-50r
Basil of Caesarea (c. 329-379),
Orationes sive Exorcismi
Rubric:
f. 40r Εὐχαῖ ἥτοι ἐξορκισμοὶ
τοῦ μεγάλου Βασιλεῖου προς[sic]
Incipit:
f. 40r Ὁ Θεὸς τὸν
Θεὸν[sic] καὶ Κύριος τῶν Κύριον[sic]
Explicit:
f. 50r καὶ σοὶ τὴν δόξαν
ἀναπέμπομεν τῶ Πατρὶ καὶ τω[sic] Υἱῶ, καὶ τῶ Ἁγίω Πνεύματι·
νὴν[sic] καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοῦς αἰῶνας τῶν
αιώνων[sic] ἀμὴν
TLG 2040.064
CPG 2931
PG 31, coll. 1677-1684
8. ff. 50r-51r
John Chrysostom (d. 407),
Precatio in obsessos
From Supplementum ad liturgiam
Rubric:
f. 50r Εὐχῆ τοῦ Χρυσοστόμου·
εἰς τα[sic]
αυτον[sic] τοῦ Χριστοῦ Κυρίου δέηθῶμεν
Incipit:
f. 50r Ὁ Θεὸς ὁ
αιώνιος,[sic] ὁ λιτροσάμενος[sic] τὸ γένος τῶν
ἀνθρώπων ἐκ τὴν αἰχμαλωσίας τοῦ διαβόλου, ρῦσαι[sic] τὸν
δοῦλον σου
Explicit:
f. 51r σὺν τῶ παναγίω, καὶ
αγαθῶ[sic] καὶ ζωοποιῶ Πνεύματι· νὴν[sic] καὶ αεὶ
καὶ εἰς τοῦς[sic] αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων ἀμὴν
TLG 2062.368
CPG 4710
PG 64, col. 1061
9. f. 51r-51v
John Chrysostom (d. 407),
Precatio
From Supplementum ad liturgiam
Rubric:
f. 51r Εὐχῆ ετέρα[sic]
τοῦ αυτοῦ·[sic] τοῦ Κυρίου θ[sic]
Incipit:
f. 51r Ὁ πᾶσιν
ακαθάρτοις[sic] πνεύμασιν ἐπιτιμήσας, καὶ δυνάμη
ρήματος[sic] ἐκδιώξας τον[sic] λεγεῶνα
Explicit:
f. 51v μεθ οῦ[sic]
εὐλογητὸς εἶ σὺν τω[sic] παναγίω, καὶ ἀγαθῶ καὶ ζωοποιῶ σου
Πνεύματι· νῦν καὶ εἰς
TLG 2062.369
CPG 4711
PG 64, coll. 1061-1064
10. ff. 51v-52r
John Chrysostom (d. 407),
Precatio
From Supplementum ad liturgiam
Rubric:
f. 51v Εὐχῆ ετερα[sic]
του[sic] αὐτοῦ· του[sic] Κυρίου
δεηθώμεν[sic]
Incipit:
f. 51v Ἐπικαλοῦμεθά σου
δεσποτα[sic] Θεὲ παντωκράτορ
Explicit:
f. 52r ὅτι σὺ Κύριος μόνος
ὕψιστος παντοκράτωρ ευλογητὸς[sic] εἰς τοῦς[sic] αἰῶνας
τῶν αἰώνων ἀμὴν
TLG 2062.370
CPG 4712
PG 64, col. 1064
11. ff. 52v-58r
John Chrysostom (d. 407),
Precatio
From Supplementum ad liturgiam
Rubric:
f. 52r Εὐχῆ ετερα[sic]
τοῦ αὐτοῦ· τοῦ Κυρίου δεηθώμεν[sic]
Incipit:
f. 52v
Την[sic] θεῖαν τε καὶ ἀγίαν και[sic] μεγάλην καὶ φρικτὴν
καὶ ἄστεκτον ὀνομασίαν
Explicit:
f. 58r καὶ τῶ παναγίω καὶ
αγαθῶ, καὶ ζωοποιῶ αυτου[sic] Πνεύματι νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς
τοῦς[sic]
αιωνας[sic] τῶν αἰώνων αμὴν[sic]
TLG 2062.371
CPG 4713
PG 64, coll. 1064-1068
12. ff. 58v-62v
Prayer
Rubric:
f. 58v
⟨Ε⟩ὐχῆ λεγομένη ὑπὸ αρχἰερέος·[sic] ἢ
πνευματίκοῦ[sic] πατρὸς· ἐπὶ τοῦς[sic] μέλλοντάς·
μεταλαβεῖν τῶν αχρὰν των μυστηρίων
Incipit:
f. 58v Κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστὲ ὁ
Θεὸς ἡμῶν Υἱὲ καὶ λόγε τοῦ Θεοὺ τοῦ ζῶντος· πιμὴν καὶ ἀννὲ· ἔρων τὴν
αμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου
Explicit:
f. 62v καὶ τῶ παναγίω καὶ
αγαθῶ, καὶ ζωοποιῶ σου Πνεύματι νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ· καὶ εἶς[sic]
τοῦς [sic]
αιῶνας[sic] τῶν αἰώνων ἀμὴν
13. ff. 63r-64r
Alphabetic poem
Incipit:
f. 63r Ἀθάνατον κριτήριον,
κρίτης δικαιοκρίτης
Explicit:
f. 64r Ὡς αγαθὼς[sic]
ελέησον[sic] ὡς ελεἧμων[sic] σώσον
Final rubric:
f. 64r
Τέλος
Form: codex
Support:
ff. i recto-6v
Western paper, folded in octavo. Watermark:
Unidentified motif
at the top of the
gutter.
ff. 7r-14v, 22r-37v Western paper,
folded in octavo.
Watermark:
Anchor (
c. 53 × c. 45 mm.
) at the top
of the gutter, similar to Mošin
2245. This example is dated to 1600-1610.
ff. 15-21, 38-65 Western paper, folded
in octavo. Watermark:
Anchor
(
c. 53 × c. 45 mm.
) at the top
of the gutter.
Extent:
Codex:
iii + 66 + ii leaves.
143 × 97 mm.
Foliation: The manuscript is foliated with the
numbers [a-c] + i-ii, 1-64 + [d-e], in Arabic and Roman
numerals, in pencil, recto, upper right. Beginning with f. 21 (previously numbered 20),
the initial foliation has been cancelled by a later hand, also
using pencil, and replaced with numbers larger by one, producing
the current sequence [a-c] + i-ii, 1-19, 21-65 + [d-e]. The
replacement numbers are too large by one for their actual
position in the manuscript.
Collation
The manuscript consists of nine quires, of which one is a
binion and the rest are quaternia.
- Quires 1-28
ff. i-ii,
1-14
- Quire 38-2
ff. 15-19, 21
The last two folios have been cancelled,
without loss of text.
- Quires 4-58
ff. 22-37
- Quire 64
ff. 38-41
- Quires 7-98
ff. 42-65
There are quire signatures in Greek
numerals, in black ink, on the first folio of each quire,
recto, lower centre or upper centre, and the last folio of
each quire, verso, lower centre. Many are absent. They
survive on Quires 1-5, with errors. Quire 3 has the number 2
(βʹ) marked at the beginning and no signature at the end,
Quire 3 has 4 (δʹ) at the beginning and 5 (εʹ) at the end,
and Quire 5 has no signature at the beginning and 7 (ζʹ) at
the end.
Condition
There is serious pest damage throughout, causing
extensive losses to the outermost folios (ff. i-ii, 65). This has been repaired with Japanese
paper. There are areas of dirt in the outermost
folios.
Layout
A single column of 14-16
lines.
92 × 50 mm.
Hand(s)
ff. 1r-21r and 22r-39r were copied by Hand A in
an upright mixed minuscule script, in
black ink, with little variation in letter size.
Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings appear
throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript. There is decorative
use of the double dot, and accentuation of all nomina sacra . Accents are sometimes
joined to abbreviations.
Punctuation used includes the lower and middle points, lower
comma and full stop. Most punctuation is marked in red ink, full
stops in black and red.
Headings are written in the same style in red ink.
f. 21v was copied by Hand B in
an inelegant mixed minuscule script
with variable slant, in black ink, with moderate variation in
letter size. The loops of some letters have red infill.
Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings appear
throughout the line. Breathings are round. There is decorative
use of the double dot. Some accents and most breathings are
omitted.
The only punctuation used is the middle point.
f. 39v was copied by Hand C in
an inelegant mixed minuscule script,
slanting to the right, in black ink, with little variation in
letter size.
Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings appear
throughout the line. Breathings are absent. Accents are
sometimes joined to abbreviations.
The only punctuation used is the middle point.
ff. 40r-64r were copied by Hand
D in mixed minuscule script, slanting
slightly to the right, in black ink, with moderate variation in
letter size.
Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings appear
throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is absent. There is decorative use
of the double dot, and accentuation of all lengths of nomina sacra . Accents and breathings
are often omitted or erroneous.
Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points, lower and
middle commas and full stop.
Headings are written in the same style in red ink.
Decoration
The beginning of the texts on ff. 7r and 22r are preceded by rectangular plaited headpieces,
outlined in black ink with red infill, that on f. 40r by a headpiece outlined in black ink
with red and green infill and that on f.
65v by one in black ink only. The text on f.
21v is preceded by a very crude headpiece in red and
black ink.
Texts and sections begin with in initials in
red ink, with varying size and degrees of ornamentation.
Additions
There are a number of prayers and other notes on ff. i verso-ii verso and 64v-65r, including an ownership note
of the deacon Nektarios on f. i
verso, ‘Ετούτη βιφίλο θα ηπαρχη του κυρ
διάκου του κυρ Νέκτάριου του πάπα κυρ Γρήγωρίου του αδελφού καὶ
ὁπιος τω απόξενόσι να έχη τας άαρας του αγήων πατέρων των τιηʹ
θεοφόρων τὼν εν Ηκαία σίνόδου αμήν καὶ ημων τὼν αμάρτωλων τὼν
ληποιρὼν επαγώγε χημάζουσὶ τὴν αθλήαν’, and a note dated 1641
on f. ii verso, ‘͵αχμαʹ ἠπεσεν του αγίου Ιωάννου πεμπτην
ημέραν’
A later hand has added a heading for the text beginning on f. 1r: ‘Αλφαβιτος διὰ
τὴν γενησιν του Χριστοῦ’.
There are occasional marginal annotations and pen-trials in Greek,
including a series of names on f.
1v, ‘Μάρκος Αντόνι Αλεξάνδρο’ and
f. 2r: ‘Ζαβάνια’.
The former classmarks D.19 and 236 are written on f. i recto.
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.
152 × 102 × 15 mm.
Much of the parchment covering material from the spine
has been lost. This damage has been repaired with thick
paper.
Origin: The manuscript was copied in the late 16th or early 17th century,
before 1641, as indicated by the watermarks and the
presence of a note dated in that year on f. ii verso.
Provenance and Acquisition
Owned by the deacon
Nektarios
, as indicated by his note
on f. i verso.
Donated to Trinity College by the antiquary
Roger Gale
(1672-1744)
in 1738.
