Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries: Cambridge, University Library, MS Add. 1879.19

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 77969

Introduction: This fragment consists of a single folio from a manuscript copied in the later 10th century, containing the florilegium known as the Loci communes. This compilation of texts on moral and religious topics spanned Christian and pagan authorities, being organised in 71 chapters each composed of a series of excerpts on a particular theme from the Bible, the Fathers of the Church and classical authors. It was traditionally attributed to the 6th-7th century theologian Maximos the Confessor, but its actual origin is unknown, though its composition must predate the appearance of the earliest surviving manuscripts in the late 9th or early 10th century. This fragment, part of the collection of Constantin von Tischendorf, has been identified as part of a copy of this text which he mentioned finding in the library of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, but the only other part of this manuscript identified to date is another Cambridge University Library fragment, MS Add. 1879.20. Dr Christopher Wright

Language(s): Greek

Pseudo-Maximos the Confessor, Loci communes

Ed. Sibylle Ihm, Ps.-Maximus confessor: erste kritische Edition einer Redaktion des sacro-profanen Florilegiums Loci communes nebst einer vollständigen Kollation einer zweiten Redaktion und weiterem Material (Stuttgart 2001)

This is a somewhat abbreviated version of the text. The fragment contains the end of chapter 69 and the beginning of chapter 70

Filiation: These fragments were not included in Ihm's edition, and manuscript from which they came had not been identified when her edition was compiled. On the basis of unreliable partial transcriptions by Tischendorf she concluded that this manuscript did not belong to her redaction MaxU of the text, and contained readings according with the redaction MaxII but not Max I. They have been fully collated by Tchernetska ('Two fragments', pp. 162-164).

Incipit: || Recto οὕτω ράδιον ὡς τὸ γενέσθαι κακόν

Explicit: Verso Ὀλιγῶν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἀπολέσει||

CPG 7718

PG 91, coll. 722-1018

Physical Description

Form: codex

Support: Parchment

Extent: Fragment (leaf) 1 leaves. 260 × 183 mm.

Condition

There are small tears to the edges of the folio and some areas of dirt.

Layout

A single column of 21 lines. 170 × 100 mm. Pricking survives in all three margins. Ruled in hardpoint, type Leroy 20C1. Text stands on the lines.

Hand(s)

The text was copied in a mixed minuscule bouletée script, slanting slightly to the left, in brown ink, with modest variation in letter size.

Syllabic abbreviations are not used apart from the horizontal stroke for nu, and this appears only at the end of lines, as do superscript word endings. Breathings are angular and mute iota is absent. There is occasional decorative use of the double dot, and when this appears on the first letter of a word, the breathing may be omitted. Nomina sacra are unaccentuated. Nomina sacra strokes are decorated with X-shapes.

Majuscule letter forms in use include gamma, delta, epsilon, zeta, eta, kappa, lambda, xi, sigma, phi and psi.

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

Headings for chapters and the names of authors were written by the same hand in Alexandrine majuscule script.

Decoration

The beginnings of sections are marked by simple minor initials in brown ink.

Transitions between chapters are marked by simple vignettes in brown ink.

Additions

A note in Latin has been added on the recto: ‘Elegiacum. Non minor est virtus, quam quaerere, parta tueri, illic, fortuna, hic, erit artis opus’. Some corrections have been noted in the margin. The fragment has been marked with the present classmark and the former classmark T.15.

History

Origin: The style of script indicates that the fragment was copied in the second half of the 10th century.

Provenance and Acquisition

Owned by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria.

Acquired from the Patriarchal library in Cairo by the Biblical scholar Constantin von Tischendorf (1815-1874) .

Bought by the University Library from Tischendorf's executors 23 February 1876.

Additional Information

Availability

Entry to read in the Library is permitted only on presentation of a valid reader's card. For information on eligibility and admissions procedures, see Joining the Library). For further enquiries, and to confirm the availability of the manuscript, please contact the Special Collections Reading Room.

Bibliography

Hand-list of the additional Greek manuscripts in the University Library, Cambridge Scriptorium, Easterling, Patricia E. (16, 2, 302-323, 1962)

Two fragments of the Cahirensis of Loci communes found in Cambridge Handschriften- und Textforschung heute. Zur Überlieferung der griechischen Literatur. Festschrift für Dieter Harlfinger aus Anlass seines 70. Geburtstages Serta Graeca: Beiträge zur Erforschung griechischer Texte, Tchernetska, Natalie (Wiesbaden, 161-164, Dr Ludwig Reichert Verlag, 2014)

Funding of Cataloguing

The Polonsky Foundation

Digital Images

Cambridge Digital Library

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries

Cambridge, University Library, MS Add. 1879.19

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