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 Dd.10.54

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 12168

Contents

Introduction: This manuscript, dating to the late 10th or early 11th century, is a copy of the Ladder of Divine Ascent by St John "Klimakos" (d. 649), a name meaning John "of the Ladder", confected from the title of this, his principal work. The author was a monk of the Monastery of St Catherine on Mount Sinai, who became a hermit and then served as abbot in his later years. The text is a guide to the ascetic life, organised in thirty chapters presented metaphorically as steps on a ladder and each concerning particular virtues to be developed or vices to be overcome. It became one of the most influential works of spiritual guidance in Orthodox Christianity. The manuscript may be a product of the Greek-speaking communities of southern Italy, since some of its headings have been highlighted with yellow wash, which has also been applied to some of the ornament, a typically western practice not in widespread use in the mainstream of the Byzantine world but often found in south Italian Greek manuscripts. However, this could also be a later addition made in western Europe, since its usefulness in identifying the beginning of sections would have remained applicable at any time. The manuscript seemingly spent some of its later history in Italy, given the presence of an early modern note in Italian on f. 1r, which wrongly identifies it as a hagiographical book on the deaths of virgin saints. The text is incomplete at the beginning and end, having lost several quires, while the outermost surviving folios have suffered extensive tears. After this damage was done, the manuscript was repaired with patches reusing parchment from an 11th-century manuscript of St John Chrysostom's homilies on the book of Genesis. These were detached during the manuscript's modern rebinding and bound into the end of the volume. Also at some point after the loss of the final quires, part of a folio from a late 10th or early 11th-century manuscript was reused as an endleaf. This contains part of a text by St Gregory of Nyssa on the birth of Christ, which contains variant readings that have been used in the critical edition of the text. Dr Christopher Wright

Language(s): Greek

Physical Description

Form: codex
Extent: Codex: i + 1 + 158 + 5 + i leaves.
Foliation: The manuscript is foliated with the numbers [a] + i + 1-44, 44*, 45-157 + ii-vi + [b]. Folios 1-157 are foliated in brown ink, in Arabic and Roman numerals, recto, upper right. The endleaf fragment f. ii is foliated in this sequence with the number 158. The endleaves are foliated, in pencil, in Roman numerals, recto, upper right. Faded numbers from the older sequence have been restored and omitted folios numbered in pencil. The omission of f. i from the foliation and the presence on f. 1r of a note purporting to identify the manuscript's content, along with what may be a former classmark, suggests that f. i was at one point detached from the body of the manuscript.

Binding

Rebound in May 1970 by Douglas Cockerell and Son in Grantchester, according to a note inside the left cover. Brown quarter leather and patterned paper covering over millboards, with plain pastedowns. The classmark and the author's name ‘Iohanne Climacus’ are tooled on the spine in gold. Labels from a previous binding, including scraps of leather bearing the current classmark and a label bearing the author's name tooled in gold are pasted inside the left-hand board. The title ‘Κλιμαξ’, has been written in large letters on the tail-edge.

217 × 188 × 61 mm.

History

Provenance and Acquisition

The presence of a note in Italian on f. 1r suggests that the manuscript spent some time in Italy during the early modern period.

Possibly presented in 1715 by George I , as part of the collection of John Moore (b. 1646, d. 1714), bishop of Ely . This is suggested by the presence inside the left board of the bookplate used for this collection. However, this bookplate was sometimes incorrectly placed in manuscripts which did not belong to this collection, and this manuscript is not recorded as part of it in Bernard, Catalogi librorum manuscriptorum Angliæ et Hiberniæ (1697), nor in the handwritten supplementary list of Moore’s manuscripts, now MS Oo.7.50(2), compiled by Thomas Tanner .

Part 1 [Cambridge, University Library, MS Dd.10.54, ff. i, 1-157]

Contents

Language(s): Greek

1. ff. i recto-157v
John Klimakos (d. c. 649), Ladder of Divine Ascent Κλίμαξ Scala Paradisi

Defective at the beginning and end.

Incipit: || f. i recto ⟨κατα⟩στάσεως ⟨μετὰ οὖν τὴν ἑβδόμην προσ⟩καλεσά⟨μενος αὐτὸν κατ’ ἰδίαν ὁ ποιμὴν⟩ ἠρώτα, εἰ ἀρ⟨εστὸν αὐτῷ τὴν συνοίκη⟩σιν μετ’ αὐτῶν ποι⟨ήσασθαι·⟩ ὡς ⟨δὲ⟩ συνθέμενον αὐτὸν
Explicit: f. 157v ἕτεροι, μὴ δυνάμενοι μέσον τῆς ὕλης τῶν ὑλῶν ἀπέχεσθαι· τινὲς μὲν, ἵνα σπουδαῖοι||

TLG 2907.001

CPG 7852

PG 88, coll. 681-1105

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Parchment (FHHF), of variable thickness, but often quite thick, and of medium quality.
Extent: 206 × 169 mm.

Collation

The manuscript consists of 20 quires, of which two are quaternia which have each had two folios cancelled and an extra bifolium added, while the rest are quaternia. Another four quires have been lost at the beginning of the manuscript, and an unknown number at the end.

  • Quire 18-1 ff. i-6 The first folio has been lost, with loss of text.
  • Quires 2-138 ff. 7-101
  • Quire 148-2+2 ff. 102-109 The fourth and eighth folios have been cancelled, without loss of text.
  • Quires 15-198 ff. 110-149
  • Quire 208-2+2 ff. 150-157 The second and eighth folios have been cancelled, without loss of text.

There are early quire signatures in Greek numerals, in pale brown ink, on the first folio of each quire, recto, upper right. A few have been lost to stains or fading. They survive on Quires 2-3, 5-6, 8-15, 17-20 (ϛʹ-ζʹ, καʹ-κδʹ, θʹ-ιʹ, ιβʹ-ιθʹ).

Modern quire signatures in Arabic numerals, in pencil, have been added to the first folio of each quire, recto, lower right.

Condition

Much of the upper part of ff. i and 157 has been torn away, with substantial loss of text, and the damage repaired with paper patches. There are small tears from the edges of a number of other folios, most of which have also been repaired with paper patches (e.g. f. 27). There are lateral tears to ff. 21, 48 and 157, which have been repaired with stitching. The area of the tear to f. 157 has not been written on by Hand A, indicating that this damage was done at the time of production, and the thread is old, whereas the thread in the others is modern and the tear in f. 21 crosses existing text. However, the tear on f. 48 has not been written across by Hand B, indicating that it was present by the time this hand worked. There are occasional small holes (e.g. f. 26), including one in f. 70 which appears to be the result of burning. There is some discoloration and dirt, particularly toward the tail and fore-edges, brown stains to the upper outer corner of ff. 113r-124v, extensive purple mould stains in the early part of the manuscript, especially in the gutter, and green stains to f. 157r-157v. Text is sometimes faded.

Layout

A single column of 23 lines. 153 × 117 mm. Pricking sometimes survives to all three edges, but has often been lost to cropping. Ruled in hardpoint, system Leroy 1, type Leroy 20C1. Text is written along the lines. The end of a word or last word before a strong punctuation mark is occasionally placed below the last line of a recto folio to avoid continuing it overleaf.

Hand(s)

The main text has been copied by Hand A, in a mixed minuscule script slanting markedly to the right, with only slight variation in letter size, in black or brown ink. There are sometimes abrupt changes in the shade of ink, e.g. ff. 90v-91r.

Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings appear only at the ends of lines, and are very rare even there, apart from the horizontal stroke for nu. Breathings are both angular and round, and mute iota is usually absent, but adscript when it occasionally appears. The use of the double dot is functional only, and there is accentuation only of longer nomina sacra or those with enclitics. The double grave accent is present. The stroke over nomina sacra is sometimes decorated with an X shape. Accents are small, with only moderate expansion of the circumflex when it is placed over a breathing.

Majuscule kappa appears with an elongated and hooked ascender. Zeta and xi appear with long, hooked tails.

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

The same scribe has added marginal scholia in a small plain majuscule script with some minuscule letters, and headings in a larger version of the same script.

Additional marginal scholia have been added by Hand B, in a flamboyant mixed minuscule script with Fettaugen characteristics, upright or slanting slightly to the right, with significant variation in letter size, in brown ink.

Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings appear frequently throughout. Breathings are round and mute iota is absent. There is frequent decorative use of the double dot and accentuation of all nomina sacra . Accents are sometimes joined to letters. The double grave accent is present.

There are inclusions of letters within omicron, and frequent ligatures with loops joining letters from below.

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

Decoration

Simple vignettes in brown ink, sometimes highlighted in translucent yellow wash, precede some sections. (e.g. ff. 48r, 149v).

Small decorated initials in brown ink outline, sometimes with infill in translucent yellow wash, mark the beginning of sections, and headings are often highlighted with translucent yellow wash. (e.g. ff. 65r, 149v).

Simple line-fillers in brown ink, sometimes highlighted in translucent yellow wash, accompany the end of some sections and headings (e.g. ff. 65r, 76v).

Additions

Occasional marginal scholia to the text have been provided throughout by the original copyist, Hand A. Further scholia to ff. 1r-90v and occasional section numbers and marginal headings here and elsewhere have been added later by Hand B. There is a note in Italian on f. 1r, in an early modern hand, erroneously identifying the manuscipt's content: ‘libro di memoria dila morti di santi virgini’.

History

Origin: The characteristics of the scripts suggest that the manuscript dates to the late 10th or early 11th century, and that the additional scholia by Hand B were added in the later 13th or 14th century. The use of translucent yellow wash to highlight headings suggests that the manuscript may have been produced in southern Italy, though it is possible that this is a later addition.

Part 2 [Cambridge, University Library, MS Dd.10.54, f. ii]

Contents

Language(s): Greek

2. f. ii recto-ii verso
Gregory of Nyssa, Oratio in diem natalem Christi Λόγος εἰς τὴν γέννησιν τοῦ Χριστοῦ
Filiation: The text of these fragments has been used in preparing the Rhein edition of the text.
Incipit: || f. ii recto κρεῖττονι τοῖς ἀλλοφύλοις ἐπιθειάζοντος (PG 46, col. 1133)
Explicit: f. ii verso επειδη[sic] τοίνυν προλαμβανει τὸν ἐκ παρθενίας ὀ ἀπὸ (PG 46, col. 1136)||

TLG 2017.049

CPG 3194

BHG 1915

PG 46, coll. 1123-1150

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Parchment, of medium thickness and quality.
Extent: A single fragment , cut down from a larger folio and bound into the end of the manuscript. 205 × 160 mm.

Condition

There are some worm-holes and small tears to the fore-edge. There are small stains and dirt, and mild discoloration toward the edges.

Layout

Two columns, with 20 surviving lines; the original number of lines is unknown. Ruled in hardpoint. Text is written alsong the lines. The text lines are very faint.

Hand(s)

The fragment was copied by Hand C, in a mixed minuscule script slanting markedly to the right, with mild variation in letter size and slight flourishing of tails into the margin, in brown ink.

There are no syllabic abbreviations or superscript word endings in the surviving text but there are suspensions of word endings, in mid-line as well as at the end. Breathings are both angular and round, and mute iota is adscript or absent. There are no surviving instances of the double dot, and there is accentuation only of longer nomina sacra . Marginal quotation marks are in use.

The linking tail of minuscule sigma often rises some distance above the loop before turning into the horizontal.

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

Decoration

There are enlarged and flourished initials in brown ink extending into the margin at the beginning of passages.

History

Origin: The characteristics of the scripts indicate that the manuscript from which the fragment came was produced in the late 10th or early 11th century.

Part 3 [Cambridge, University Library, MS Dd.10.54, ff. iii-vi]

Contents

Language(s): Greek

3. f. iii recto-vi verso
John Chrysostom, Homilies on Genesis In Genesim homiliae 1-67

TLG 2017.049

CPG 4409

PG 53-54, coll. 1-580

3.1. ff. iv recto-iv verso, v verso-v recto
Homily 41 (fragments)
Incipit: || f. iv recto ἦν· κ⟨αὶ καθάπερ ἐκεῖνος⟩ ἔσπευσεν κ⟨αὶ ἐ⟩π⟨ὶ τὴ⟩ ⟨ν σκηνὴν ἔ⟩δραμεν (PG 53, col. 382, lines 21-22)
Explicit: f. v recto λόγου θεραπεία ⟨πλέον τῆς δόσεως ἀν⟩εκτήσατο (PG 53, col. 384, lines 43-44)||

PG 53, coll. 374-386

3.2. ff. vi verso-vi recto, iii recto-iii verso
Homily 42 (fragments)
Incipit: || f. vi verso ⟨ἐνεδοί⟩ασεν οὐ⟨κ ἀ⟩νεβάλλετο· ἀλλ’ εὐθέως ἐπ⟨λή⟩ρου τὸ ἐπιταχθὲν, καὶ ταῦ⟨τα⟩ (PG 54, col. 385, lines 43-44)
Explicit: f. iii verso Ἀβρα⟨ὰμ πάντα, ἃ ἐλ⟩άλησε πρὸς ⟨αὐτόν. Βαβαὶ, πόσον τῆς τοῦ⟩ Δεσπότου ⟨φιλανθρωπίας τὸ μέγεθ⟩ος. Ἐπειδὴ (PG 54, col. 387, lines 60-62)||

PG 54, coll. 385-395

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Parchment, of medium thickness and quality.
Extent: Four fragments of various sizes, taken from different folios of a single manuscript and bound into the end of this manuscript. 29-150 × 45-110 mm.

Condition

There are green stains on f. v. There are brown stains around the head and fore-edges of f. iv, carrying traces of black ink smudged across from facing text

Layout

Two columns; the original number of lines is unknown. Ruled in hardpoint. Text hangs from the lines.

Hand(s)

These fragments were copied by Hand D, in a mixed minuscule Perlschrift slanting slightly to the right, with little variation in letter size, in brown ink.

Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings appear only at the end of lines. Breathings are both angular and round, and mute iota is adscript or absent. The are no surviving instances of the double dot or of nomina sacra .

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

Decoration

There are enlarged initials in brown ink at the beginning of passages.

History

Origin: The characteristics of the scripts indicate that the manuscript from which the fragments came was produced in the 11th century.

Provenance

These fragments were used as patches to repair the damage to the edges of ff. i and 156-157 (as recorded in H.R. Luard et al. , A catalogue of the manuscripts preserved in the library of the University of Cambridge , vol. 1 (1856), p. 438), before being removed and bound into the end of the manuscript at the time of the most recent rebinding.

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

    A catalogue of the manuscripts preserved in the library of the University of Cambridge Catalogue of manuscripts (Dd), (Cambridge, 1: Dd, Cambridge University Press, 1856) Glanes Hagiographiques dans les manuscrits grecs de Grande-Bretagne et d'Irlande Analecta Bollandiana, Aubineau, Michel (86, 324-331, 1968) Gregorii Nysseni sermones, (Leiden, 3, Brill, 1996) The Greek Manuscripts of John Moore and Etienne Baluze Codices Manuscripti, Jackson, Donald F. (56/57, 29-42, 2006)

Funding of Cataloguing

The Polonsky Foundation

Digital Images

Cambridge Digital Library

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Study at Cambridge

About the University

Research at Cambridge