Cambridge, University Library, MS Add. 3048
Diktyon no.: Diktyon 12111
Contents
Language(s): Greek
Physical Description
Collation
Condition
Binding
Conservation binding by Cambridge University Library 2021, with card cover.
222 × 167 × 75 mm.
The former binding, of Greek origin and probably original to the production of the manuscript, has been retained and is housed with the manuscript.
There are four sewing stations prepared with v-notches. The sewing is an unsupported loop-stitch with an S-twist sewing thread.
Greek-style endbands around two cord cores. The primary endbands are made of wound cream threads around one core. The secondary decorative endband creates a chevron pattern on top of the primary and over a thinner upper core. Yellow and red threads have been used to create the decorative chevron. A yellow and blue loop is visible on the headband towards the left board. This loop probably marks the previous location of a page marker now lost.
One transverse continuous plain textile lining covering up to one third of the boards.
Board attachment is bridling, each station including three holes. The three holes create a v-shape configuration. The thread passes from the spine edge to the inner side of the board. The cover obstructs the study of the outer face of the board; however it can be assumed that the thread travels from the inner side of the board to the outer side and then back inside.
Hardwood wooden boards with horizontal grain. The boards have no grooved edges but are shaped at the spine edge both inside and outside of the board. The inside of the board creates a gentle curve to the spine; the outside edge of the board is rounded. Full covering of dark brown tanned skin with butt-mitred turn-ins.
Both boards have the text of prayers written on the inside, in a late 16th or 17-century hand.
There are four holes on the corners of both boards suggesting previous use of furniture. There is a peg on the foredge of the left board towards the bottom corner, and a hole in the upper foredge suggesting the presence of another peg now lost. There are two pairs of holes through the right board near the foredge, matching the peg location. There are remnants of a braided leather strap on the inner face of the right board on the bottom pair of holes.
Blind tooling decoration, with a similar pattern for both boards. Outer single-fillet border with two double-fillet frames enclosed. Three circles at each corner of the two inner frames. A single tool forming two hearts facing is repeated between the second and the third frame, creating a decorative roll. A single floral tool is used at the corners of the inner frame.
The classmark is printed on two modern paper labels stuck at the head and tail of the spine.
228 × 181 × 79 mm.
Much of the leather covering material has been lost from the spine and the lower outer corner of both boards and there is cracking of the remaining leather on the spine. There is pest damage to both boards, and a significant amount of wood has been lost from the lower outer corner of the left board.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
Possibly owned by a monastery of the Taxiarches in Zagora (the name of a number of different places), mentioned in a note on f. 3v.
Owned by C. J. Cummings of Volos.
Bought by Cambridge University Library from Cummings in 1891 through H. C. Rae of Liverpool, along with MSS Add. 3046-3047, 3049-3053.
Part 1 [Cambridge, University Library, MS Add. 3048, ff. 1-323]
Contents
Language(s): Greek
f. 2r is blank
f. 3v is blank apart from later notes; f. 4r-4v is blank
ff. 196v-197v are blank
f. 260v is blank
For vespers of the first week in Lent, Monday-Thursday
Physical Description
Collation
The manuscript consists of 41 quires, of which one is a binion and the rest are quaternia.
- Quire 14 ff. 1-4
- Quires 2-408 ff. 5-316
- Quire 418-1 ff. 317-323 The last folio has been lost, with loss of text
Layout
f. 1r A single column of 13 lines. 95 × 70 mm.
f. 1v A single column of 14 lines. 110 × 100 mm.
ff. 5r-320v A single column of 18 lines. 135 × 85 mm.
ff. 321r-323v A single column of 20 lines. 138 × 85 mm.
Hand(s)
f. 1r was copied by Hand A, in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in black ink, with modest variation in letter size.
Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is absent. There is accentuation of all nomina sacra .
The modern eta, modern nu, sigma telikon and loop epsilon are present.
A rubric has been added in the same style in red ink.
f. 1v was copied by Hand B in mixed minuscule script, slanting 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 accentuation of all nomina sacra .
The modern eta, modern nu and sigma telikon are present.
Punctuation used includes the middle point and full stop.
Headings were written in the same style in red ink.
ff. 5r-214v, 215r-320v were copied by Gregorios (Hand C) (RGK I 88). The main text of ff. 5r-111v, 117r-192r, line 7, ff. 198r-214v and 215r-320v and the headings of ff. 198r-214v and 215r-320v were written in a calligraphic Hodegon-style mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in black ink, with significant variation in letter size, especially in the top line of text. The same hand wrote ff. 112r-116v, f. 192r, line 8-f. 196r and the headings to ff. 5r-196r in a different mixed minuscule style.
Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript. Use of the double dot is functional only and there is accentuation of all nomina sacra . Accents are sometimes joined to letters and breathings. Horizontal strokes appear above proper names.
Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points, lower and middle commas and full stop.
On f. 138v an enlarged majuscule gamma in the top line of text has been designed in the form of a bird's head, with red infill.
ff. 321r-323v were copied by Hand D in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in black ink, with modest 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 .
The modern eta, modern nu, sigma telikon and loop epsilon are present.
Punctuation used includes the midle and upper points, lower and middle commas and full stop.
Headings were written in the same style in red ink.
Decoration
The beginnings of some texts are preceded by narrow headpieces in black ink (e.g. ff. 5r, 25v, 117r, 140r) or outlined in black ink with red infill (e.g. f. 176v).
Most texts and sections begin with minor initials in red ink. Some begin with a somewhat larger and more elaborate initial; that on f. 11v is in red and black ink, incorporating a blessing hand, while that on f. 75r incorporates vegetative forms.
Some sections begin with minor initials in black ink.
The transitions between some texts are marked by line-fillers in black ink, in red ink or outlined in black ink with red infill (e.g. ff. 48r, 81v). Those on f. 40r, 184r incorporate zoomorphic forms.
The beginnings of some texts are preceded by simple vignettes in black ink (e.g. ff. 57r, 172r).
The end of the text on f. 260r is followed by a piece of ornament in red ink, incorporating a cross.
Additions
The original scribe has added various marginal annotations for guidance in red ink, and prayers of invocation on ff. 117r and 261r.
There are occasional marginal annotations in Greek by later hands (e.g. ff. 153v, 188r, 212v-213r).
On f. 3v is a note in Greek in an 18th or 19th-century hand, referring to a monastery of the Taxiarches in Zagora: ‘Ἐσφερετίσθε παρ εμου[sic] εἰς τοῦ ἰεροῦ μοναστηρίου τοῦ Ταξιἄρχου εἰς Ζαγορᾶ’. There are a few pen-trials in Greek.
Some crude drawings of pieces of ornament have been added in the margin on f. 139r. These include a manicule, but it probably belongs to this doodling and does not serve a functional purpose.
History
The main body of the manuscript, ff. 5r-320v was copied by the monk Gregorios , as indicated by his colophon on f. 320v, probably in the last quarter of the 16th century, as indicated by the combination of watermarks. This would be consistent with the style of script.
The manuscript contains four successive sequences of quire signatures, while no items of content run across more than one such sequence and the same type of paper is shared only between the first two. This indicates that these portions were originally produced as separate entities. The last two quires, which lack signatures or the crosses marked at the beginning of most of the other quires, whose content is similarly distinct and which were written in a different ink from the preceding quires, probably constitute another such entity. Two portions also begin with prayers of invocation in the margin, suggesting the beginning of a new piece of work (ff. 117r and 261r). However, the fact that all of the four sections with signatures, and the first quire and part of the second quire at the end of the manuscript, were copied by the same scribe in the same format, and that he wrote a single colophon at the end of the last and briefest of the sections he copied, suggests that they were combined into a single volume at an early date. The presence of the colophon suggests that they were intended for this purpose before they left the scribe's possession.
The first quire (ff. 1-4), shorter than the rest, not included in the first quire sequence, partly blank, and copied by different hands in a style suggesting a similar date to the work of Gregorios, was probably originally intended as endleaves. The last three folios of the last quire (ff. 321-323), following the colophon and copied by another hand of similar date, may have been originally left blank and intended for a similar purpose, before having additional content added at some point after the manuscript's completion.
Part 2 [Cambridge, University Library, MS Add. 3048, f. 214*]
Contents
Language(s): Greek
f. 214*v is blank
Physical Description
Collation
This part consists of a single slip of paper inserted loose between ff. 214v and 215r.
Layout
A single column of 11 lines. 100 × 95 mm.
Hand(s)
This slip of paper was written by Hand E, in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in black ink, with modest variation in letter size.
Breathings are round and mute iota is absent.
The modern eta, modern nu and sigma telikon are present.
Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points.
History
Additional Information
Record Sources
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. Revue internationale des études
relatives aux manuscrits, Easterling, Patricia E. (16, 2, 302-323, 1962)
Funding of Cataloguing
The Polonsky Foundation
Digital Images
Abbreviations
View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.
