Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries

A catalogue of Western manuscripts and papyri at Cambridge University Library, the Fitzwilliam Museum and selected Cambridge colleges

Cambridge, University Library, MS Add. 6677

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 12139

Contents

Introduction: This Gospel book was copied near the end of the 10th century or during the first half of the 11th. Its script, in the Perlschrift style, and its painted ornament are of the standard type for the period. It was not originally provided, or designed to be provided, with the liturgical apparatus of lection notes that helped the reader to identify the passages to be recited during church services for each day. This was inserted later, during the 14th or 15th century. Also in that period, two reused parchment leaves from an unfinished Acts and Epistles lectionary of much more recent production were bound in as endleaves (ff. 1-2). The manuscript was further expanded with a series of paper leaves bearing a summary listing of the lections to be read throughout the year (ff. i-xii). The unfinished lection appearing last on the parchment folios was completed, probably in the 15th century, by one of the manuscript's owners, who also added brief hypotheses to the Gospels, describing their circumstances of production. This was Nikolaos Exarchopoulos, who recorded his ownership of the manuscript with a note on f. 265r. This informs us that he held the post of protopapas in the Venetian-ruled enclave of Coron in the Peloponnese, a title which he rendered in a more classical form as protiereus, and was also a notary. In the late Middle Ages the office of protopapas, or chief priest, was employed by the Venetians and other Catholic regimes which had conquered former Byzantine territories and replaced their Orthodox bishops with Catholic ones. It provided a supervisor of their own language and culture to oversee the Greek-speaking parish clergy, who were subject to the authority of the Catholic hierarchy but continued to minister to the native population according to the traditional Greek liturgy. During the 15th century, one Kyrillos Exarchopoulos (PLP 6066) is also known to have served as protopapas of Coron, indicating that this family had gained a persistent prominence in the town's Greek clerical establishment (Zerlentes, "Κορωναίων κλήρου", pp. 403-405).

Language(s): Greek

Physical Description

Form: codex
Extent: Codex: iii + 15 + 262 + iii leaves. 223 × 170 mm.
Foliation: The manuscript is foliated with the numbers [a-c] + i-xii, 1-3 + 4-265 + [d-f], in pencil, in Arabic and Roman numerals, recto, upper right.
Foliation: There is a second foliation in pencil, in Arabic numerals, recto, bottom centre. This includes the additional paper leaves at the beginning of the manuscript as well as the parchment endleaves and the main body. There have been omissions in this sequence, subsequently rectified, giving the foliation 1-68, 68a, 69-117, 117a, 118-275.

Collation

Part I consists of 1 quire, Part II of 1, and Part III of 34 quires: 112, 24-1, 32, 4-358, 364

Binding

19th-century binding with purple velvet covering over millboards, with plain pastedowns. There is a black leather label on the spine with the title ‘Τα Ἁγια Ευαγγελια - Χειρόγραφα’ tooled in gold. The edges have been gilded.

238 × 182 × 73 mm.

Accompanying Material

A note on a loose piece of paper inserted inside the right board transcribes and describes the ownership note on f. 265r (inaccurately).

History

Provenance and Acquisition

Owned by Nikolaos Exarchopoulos , protopapas of Coron and notary (PLP 91856), probably in the 15th century.

Owned by the Rev. William Makellar of Edinburgh, and after his death sold at auction in November 1898.

Presented to the University Library 6 October 1933 by Arthur William Young (1852-1936) , who had bought it in the Makellar auction. It appears as number 1 in the catalogue of his collection, which is now CUL MS Add. 6751.

Part 1 [Cambridge, University Library, MS Add. 6677, ff. i-xii]

Contents

Language(s): Greek

1. f. [i] recto, line 1
Subscription to John
Incipit: f. [i] recto Τὸ κατὰ Ἰωάννην ἅγιον εὐαγγέλιον ἐξεδόθη μετα[sic] χρόνους λβʹ τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀναλήψεως

The full text of the subscription is given here

Ed. von Soden, pp. 297-299 [40-58]

2. f. [i] recto, lines 2-5
Hypothesis to John
Incipit: f. [i] recto Ἰστέον ὅτὶ τὸ κατὰ Ἰωάννου εὐαγγελίου ἐν τοῖς χρόνοις Τραϊανοῦ
Explicit: f. [i] recto καὶ ἔνδοξον τοῦ Χριστοῦ γενεὰν

Ed. von Soden, p. 311 [108]

ff. [i] verso-[ii] verso are blank.

3. ff. [iii] recto-[xi] verso
Summary lections
Rubric: Ἀρχοτελείαι τοῦ ἁγίου εὐαγγελίου τοῦ ὅλου ἐνιαυτοῦ
Incipit: f. [iii] recto Τῆ ἁγία καὶ μεγάλη Κυριακῆ τοῦ Πάσχα
Explicit: f. [xi] verso Εὐαγγέλιον Λουκᾶ· ἀναστάσα Μαριὰμ· ζήτειται Σεπτεμβρίῳ τοῦ ὄρθρου

f. [xii] recto-[xii] verso is blank.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Western paper, folded in quarto, with 8 chainlines per leaf. Watermark: Anchor ( 70 × 45 mm. ) in the gutter, similar to Briquet 518. This example is dated to 1545.

Collation

This part consists of a single quire of twelve folios.

Condition

There is mild water damage to the edges of some folios and occasional minor stains.

Layout

ff. iii recto-xi verso A single column of 30-31 lines. 160 × 105 mm.

Hand(s)

ff. i recto, iii recto-xi verso

These listings have been added by Hand A, in mixed minuscule script, upright or slanting slightly to the right, in brown ink, with modest variation in letter size.

Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings are frequent. Breathings are round and mute iota is absent. Use of the double dot is functional only. There is accentuation of all nomina sacra . Accents are sometimes joined to letters and abbreviations.

The modern nu and sigma telikon are present.

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

Decoration

Some sections of the summary lectionary are preceded by vignettes in brown ink with red infill.

Section headings and lection listings begin with minor initials in red ink, and subsections of listings begin with normal letters in red ink.

Some lectionary section headings begin with line-fillers accompanying the heading, in the same style as the vignettes

Additions

Later hands have added various marginal annotations, and reference numbers to the lections for various occasions and those of the menologion.

History

Origin: This part of the manuscript was evidently produced as a supplement to the main body. The watermark indicates that it dates to the middle of the 16th century, which is consistent with the characteristics of the script.

Part 2 [Cambridge, University Library, MS Add. 6677, ff. 1-3]

Contents

Language(s): Greek

4. ff. 1r-2v
Acts and Epistles lectionary

Fragment: begins during the lection for the 5th Sunday of Acts (Ac 16:21), ends during lection for 1st Monday after Pentecost (Eph 5:19)

Incipit: || f. 1r Ῥωμαίοις οὖσιν· καὶ συνεπέστη ὁ ὄχλος κατ'αὐτῶν
Explicit: f. 2v ὠδαῖς πνευματικαῖς ἀδοντες[sic] ἐν τῆ καρδία ἡμῶν τὸ[sic] Κυρίω

f. 3r-3v is blank.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Parchment (FHHF), variable thickness, medium quality.

Collation

This part consists of a single quire, a binion with its last folio cancelled, evidently a fragment of another manuscript.

Condition

There is some discoloration to the leaves, and a small tear from the edge of f. 1.

Layout

ff. 1r-2v A single column of 33-35 lines. 199-206 × 142 mm.

Hand(s)

ff. 1r-2v, line 8

Most of these lections have been copied by Hand B, in mixed minuscule script, upright or slanting slightly to the right, in brown 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. Use of the double dot is functional only. There is accentuation of all nomina sacra . Accents are sometimes joined to breathings, letters and abbreviations.

The modern eta and modern nu are present. There is an unusual ligature of delta-epsilon-lambda in which epsilon forms an elevated loop (eg. f. 1v, lines 31-32).

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

f. 2v, lines 8-20

Most of the last lection present has been copied by Nikolaos Exarchopoulos (Hand C), in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in brown 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 decorative use of the double dot. There is accentuation of all nomina sacra . Accents are sometimes joined to breathings, letters and abbreviations.

The modern eta, modern nu, sigma telikon and loop epsilon are present.

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

Decoration

Lections begin with minor initials in red ink, while subsections of lection headings begin with normal letters in red ink.

History

Origin: These leaves were apparently taken from an unfinished manuscript and reused in this one as endleaves, prior to the addition of the preceding part. The characteristics of Hand B indicate that the original manuscript dated to the 14th or 15th century. The last lection begun by Hand B was subsequently completed by Nikolaos Exarchopoulos, whose hand suggests that it dates to the 15th century

Part 3 [Cambridge, University Library, MS Add. 6677, ff. 4-265]

Contents

Language(s): Greek

5. ff. 4v-265r
Gospel book

Gregory-Aland 896

Filiation: The manuscript was categorised by Aland as conforming to the majority text. It is one of the manuscripts of this type used in the Aland Synopsis edition.
5.1. ff. 4v-5v
List of κεφάλαια to Matthew
Rubric: f. 4v Τοῦ κατα[sic] Ματθαῖον εὐαγγελίου τὰ κεφάλαια
Incipit: f. 4v αʹ Περὶ τῶν μάγων
Explicit: f. 5v ξηʹ Περὶ τῆς αἰτήσεως τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Κυρίου

f. 4r is blank.

5.2. ff. 6r-80v
Gospel of Matthew
Rubric: f. 6r Εὐαγγέλιον κατα[sic] Ματθαῖον
Incipit: f. 6r Βίβλος γενέσεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ Υἱοῦ Δαύιδ, Υἱοῦ Ἀβραάμ
Explicit: f. 80v πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας· ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος· ἀμήν
Final rubric: f. 80v Τέλος τοῦ κατα Ματθαῖον ἁγίου εὐαγγελίου στίχοι ͵βχʹ

TLG 0031.001

5.3. f. 80v
Subscription to Matthew
Incipit: f. 80v Ἐξεδόθη ὑπ'αὐτοῦ τοῦτο μετὰ χρόνους ὀκτῶ. τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀναλήψεως

The full text of the subscription is given here

Ed. von Soden, pp. 297-299 [40-58]

5.4. f. 80v
Hypothesis to Matthew
Incipit: f. 80v Τὸ κατὰ Ματθαῖον ἅγιον εὐαγγέλιον πρὸς τοὺς ἐξ Ἰουδαίων
Explicit: f. 80v ἢ ὅτι ἀπὸ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Δαυὶδ ἦν ὁ Χριστός

Ed. von Soden, p. 313 [117]

5.5. ff. 81r-82r
List of κεφάλαια to Mark
Rubric: f. 81r Τοῦ κατὰ Μάρκον εὐαγγελίου τὰ κεφάλαια
Incipit: f. 81r αʹ Περὶ τοῦ δαιμονιζομένου
Explicit: f. 82r μηʹ Περὶ τῆς αἰτήσεως τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Κυρίου
5.6. ff. 82v-128r
Gospel of Mark
Rubric: f. 82v Εὐαγγέλιον κατα[sic] Μάρκον
Incipit: f. 82v Ἀρχὴ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ
Explicit: f. 128r καὶ τὸν λόγον βεβαιοῦντος· διὰ τῶν ἐπακολουθούντων σημείων· ἀμήν

TLG 0031.002

5.7. f. 128r
Subscription to Mark
Incipit: f. 128r Τὸ κατὰ Μάρκον εὐαγγέλιον ἐξεδόθη ὑπ'αὐτοῦ τοῦτο μετὰ χρόνους δέκα τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀναλήψεως

The full text of the subscription is given here

Ed. von Soden, pp. 297-299 [40-58]

5.8. f. 128r
Hypothesis to Mark
Incipit: f. 128r Ἰστέον ὅτι τὸ κατὰ Μάρκον εὐαγγέλιον ὑπηγορεύθη ὑπὸ Πέτρου
Explicit: f. 128r τὴν πτερωτικὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ εὐαγγελίου δηλοῦν

Ed. von Soden, p. 311 [108]

5.9. ff. 128v-130r
List of κεφάλαια to Luke
Rubric: f. 128v Τοῦ κατὰ Λουκὰν εὐαγγελίου τὰ κεφάλαια
Incipit: f. 128v αʹ Περὶ τῆς ἀπογραφῆς
Explicit: f. 130r πγʹ Περὶ Κλεόπα
5.10. f. 130r
Hypothesis to Luke
Incipit: f. 130r Ἱστέον· ὅτι τὸ κατὰ Λουκὰν εὐαγγέλιον, ὑπαγορεύθη ὑπὸ Παύλου ἐν Ῥώμη
Explicit: f. 130r ἀπὸ Ζαχαρίου τοῦ ἱερέως θυμιῶντος ἤρξατο

Ed. von Soden, p. 311 [108]

5.11. ff. 130v-207r
Gospel of Luke
Rubric: f. 130v Εὐαγγέλιον κατα Λουκάν
Incipit: f. 130v Ἐπειδήπερ πολλοὶ ἐπεχείρησαν ἀνατάξασθαι διήγησιν
Explicit: f. 207r καὶ ἦσαν διαπαντὸς ἐν τῶ ἱερῶ· αἰνοῦντες καὶ εὐλογοῦντες τὸν Θεὸν, ἀμήν

TLG 0031.003

5.12. f. 207r
Subscription to Luke
Incipit: f. 207r Ἐξεδόθη μετὰ χρόνους ιεʹ τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀναλήψεως

The full text of the subscription is given here

Ed. von Soden, pp. 297-299 [40-58]

5.13. f. 207v
List of κεφάλαια to John
Rubric: f. 207v Τὰ κεφάλαια τοῦ κατὰ Ἰωάννου εὐαγγελίου
Incipit: f. 207v αʹ Περὶ τοῦ ἐν Κανᾶ γάμου
Explicit: f. 207v ιηʹ Περὶ τῆς αἰτήσεως τοῦ Κυριακοῦ σώματος
5.14. ff. 208r-264v
Gospel of John
Rubric: f. 208r Εὐαγγέλιον κατὰ Ἰωάννην
Incipit: f. 208r Ἐν ἀρχὴ ἦν ὁ λόγος· καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν. καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος
Explicit: f. 264v οὐδὲ αὐτὸν οἶμαι τὸν κόσμον χωρῆσαι τὰ γραφόμενα βιβλία· ἀμήν

TLG 0031.004

5.15. f. 264v
Subscription to John
Incipit: f. 264v Τὸ κατὰ Ἰωάννην ἅγιον εὐαγγέλιον ἐξεδόθη μετα[sic] χρόνους λβʹ τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀναλήψεως

The full text of the subscription is given here

Ed. von Soden, pp. 297-299 [40-58]

5.16. f. 265r
Hypothesis to John
Incipit: f. 265r Ἰστέον ὅτὶ τὸ κατὰ Ἰωάννου εὐαγγελίου ἐν τοῖς χρόνοις Τραϊανοῦ
Explicit: f. 265r καὶ ἔνδοξον τοῦ Χριστοῦ γενεὰν

Ed. von Soden, p. 311 [108]

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Parchment (FHHF), of medium thickness and good quality.

Collation

This part consists of 34 quires, of which one is a single bifolio, one is a binion and the rest are quaternia.

  • Quire 32 ff. 4-5
  • Quires 4-358 ff. 6-261
  • Quire 364 ff. 262-265

There are small quire signatures in brown ink, in Greek numerals, on the first folio of each quire, recto, lower right, in a sequence beginning from f. 6, discounting the initial bifolio. They appear on all subsequent quires except the first (Quires 5-36: βʹ-λγʹ). They are probably original to the production of the manuscript.

Quire signatures in Arabic numerals, in black ink, have been added to the first folio of each quire, recto, lower right, and the last folio of each quire, verso, lower left. Some of them have been lost to cropping. This sequence includes the initial bifolio.

The first few numbers are erroneously placed: ff. 5, 13 and 21 are treated as the beginning of quires that in fact begin on the folio following each of these, but from the beginning of Quire 6 (f. 38r) these signatures are correctly placed.

Condition

A small hole has been burned through f. 246. The lower outer corner of f. 265 has been torn away and repaired with a paper patch. There is a small tear from the lower outer corner of ff. 12v and 228, and occasional small lateral tears to the edges of folios (e.g. f. 71). There are extensive brown stains on ff. 23v-24v, and small stains and slight discoloration elsewhere. There is slight worm damage to the first few folios (ff. 4-8. This was evidently inflicted before the parchment endleaves (ff. 1-3) were added. There is slight creasing to some folios, and very slight cockling.

Layout

A single column of 23 lines. 144 × 102 mm. Pricking survives to the tail-edge. Ruled in hardpoint, system Leroy 1, type Leroy 34C1. Text hangs from the lines. The end of a word or last word of a sentence is occasionally placed below the last line of a recto folio to avoid continuing it overleaf. The text at the end of the Gospel of John (f. 264v) is decoratively arranged in a tapering pattern.

Hand(s)

The main text has been copied by Hand D, in an upright scribal mixed minuscule Perlschrift , in brown ink. The size of letters is generally consistent, with occasional expansions.

Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings appear only at the end of lines, and are uncommon even there, except for the use of a horizontal line for nu. Breathings are both angular and round, while mute iota is usually absent, but adscript when it appears. Use of the double dot is functional only, and only longer nomina sacra or those with enclitics are accentuated. The double grave accent is in use. Accents are small, with only slight expansion when the circumflex appears above a breathing. Nomina sacra strokes are very occasionally decorated with a single bar.

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

The same hand has written the chapter lists, marginal chapter numbers and headings, Ammonian section numbers and minor initials in Alexandrine majuscule script, using brown ink for the lists and purple for the rubric. Gospel headings have been added in epigraphic display majuscule.

Lection notes have been added by Hand E, along with the hypothesis on f. 130r and subscriptions on ff. 80v and 207r, in an upright Hodegon-style mixed minuscule script, in red ink.

Breathings are round and mute iota is absent. Use of the double dot is functional only.

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

Nikolaos Exarchopoulos has added hypotheses and subscriptions on ff. 80v, 128r and 264v-265r, in a Hodegon-style mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in pale brown ink.

Breathings are round and mute iota is absent. There is accentuation of all nomina sacra . Accents are sometimes joined to letters.

The modern eta, modern nu and sigma telikon are present.

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

Decoration

The Gospel of Matthew is preceded by a pyle, and the other three Gospels by rectangular headpieces, with vegetative ornament, in gold and red, blue, green and white paint:-

  • f. 6r Matthew
  • f. 82v Mark
  • f. 130v Luke
  • f. 208r John

The text of each Gospel begins with a major initial with vegetative ornament in the same style as the headpieces.

Minor initials in purple ink frequently appear at the beginning of lines.

Simple vignettes in purple ink mark the beginning and end of each chapter list, and the end of the Gospels of Matthew and Mark.

Additions

As part of the original production of the manuscript, Hand D has added marginal κεφάλαιον (chapter) numbers and τίτλοι (titles), and Ammonian section numbers.

Hand E has later added marginal Ammonian section numbers and lection notes. The lection notes include ἀρχή and τέλος marks indicating the beginning and end of lections, which appear in the margin or squeezed into the text, as space has not been left for them, indicating that these additions were not part of the original production. This hand has also occasionally supplied material omitted by Hand D (e.g. f. 71v) and made corrections (e.g. f. 5v).

Nikolaos Exarchopoulos has added hypotheses on ff. 80v, 128r and 264v-265r, a subscription on f. 128r and an ownership note on f. 265r: ‘Τὸ παρὸν ἱερὸν καὶ θεῖον τετραευαγγέλιον, πέλει· Νικολάου πρωτἱερέως Κορώνης τοῦ Ἐξ⟨αρχο⟩π⟨ού⟩λ⟨ου⟩ καὶ ταβουλλαρίου νοταρίου δημοσίου τῆ βασιλικῆ ἐξουσία’.

A later hand has frequently added small crosses and other reference marks in green or occasionally red ink to marginal chapter and Ammonian section numbers, and to the corresponding point in the text where the section in question begins.

Other marginal liturgical notes in later hands occasionally appear (e.g. ff. 259v-260r).

Modern chapter and verse references, in Roman and Arabic numerals in pencil, have been added to the early part of the manucsript (ff. 6v-40v).

History

Origin: The characteristics of Hand D suggest that the main body of the manuscript was produced in the late 10th or first half of the 11th century. Their styles of script suggest that the additions by Hand E were made in the 14th or 15th century, and those by Nikolaos Exarchopoulos in the 15th century. The placement of their work indicates that Nikolaos worked later than Hand E.

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

    Novum Testamentum Graece : ad antiquissimos testes denuo recensuit apparatum criticum apposuit Constantinus Tischendorf. Vol. 3, Prolegomena, Gregory, Caspar René (Leipzig, J.C. Hinrichs, 1894) Textkritik des Neuen Testamentes, Gregory, C. R. (Leipzig, J. C. Hinrichs, 1900) Τοῦ Κορωναίων κλήρου κατὰ τοῦ ἱεράρχου αὐτῶν Βησσαρίωνος γράμμα Palamas, Zerlentes, P. (3, 403-405, 1919) Hand-list of the additional Greek manuscripts in the University Library, Cambridge Scriptorium, Easterling, Patricia E. (16, 2, 302-323, 1962) Repertorium der griechischen Kopisten, 800-1600. I. Grossbritannien Veröffentlichungen der Kommission für Byzantinistik, Gamillscheg, ErnstHarlfinger, Dieter (Wien, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1981) Synopsis quattuor evangeliorum: locis parallelis evangeliorum apocryphorum et patrum adhibitis, Aland, KurtNestle, EberhardNestle, Erwin (Stuttgart, Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1986)

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