Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries: Cambridge, University Library, MS Ff.1.26

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 12179

Introduction: This Greek manuscript contains a commentary on the Psalms by Euthymius Zigabenus, a Byzantine theologian of the early 12th century, and a commentary on the biblical canticles attributed to the same author, but with less certainty. The texts are both incomplete. In the commentary on the Psalms there are three lacunae, each occurring between two quires: they could therefore originate from a loss of quires. The commentary on the canticles is incomplete at the end, as the scribe states in an annotation. The texts were written by Bernardinos Sandros from Cremona, a scribe working in Italy in the first half of the 16th century. The manuscript belonged to the sixteenth-century archbishop of Canterbury Matthew Parker, who ascribed it, along with other Cambridge manuscripts he owned, to his predecessor as archbishop Theodore of Tarsus (d. 690) . An annotation on the left pastedown says that the codex was brought to England from Rome by Theodore of Tarsus in 668. This assumption is clearly incorrect, given the age of the manuscript, and was rejected on these ground first by the English palaeographer and librarian Humphry Wanley (1672-1726) (see Easterling 1977, pp. 183-186; Easterling 2000, pp. 110-111). Dr Erika Elia

Language(s): Greek

1. ff. 1r-302v

⟨Zigavēnos, Euthymios, approximately 1050-approximately 1118 or 1120⟩ , Commentary on the Psalms Commentarius in Psalterium

Incipit: || f. 1r Ἀνεπίγραφος μὲν οὖν παρ' Ἑβραίοις ὁ πρῶτος ψαλμός

Explicit: f. 302v l. 3 δόξα, τιμὴ, καὶ προσκύνησις εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων ἀμήν.

The text starts incomplete from PG 128, 73 A l. 13

the Psalms are numbered in red ink in the margins from β΄ (2) to ρν΄ (150)

ff. 1r-28v l. 2 Psalms 1-10
ff. 28v l. 3-64v l. 3 Psalms 11-20
ff. 64v l. 4-86v l. 16 Psalms 21-30
ff. 86v l. 16-113v l. 29 Psalms 31-40
ff. 113v l. 30-129r l. 12 Psalms 41-50
ff. 129r l. 12-143v Psalms 51-60
ff. 144r-169r l. 15 Psalms 61-70
ff. 169r l. 15-203r l. 12 Psalms 71-80
ff. 203r l. 12-226v l. 15 Psalms 81-90
ff. 226v l. 16-240r l. 16 Psalms 91-100
ff. 240r l. 16-255v l. 27 Psalms 101-110
ff. 255v l. 27-278r l. 8 Psalms 111-120
ff. 278r l. 8-284r l. 18 Psalms 121-130
ff. 284r l. 18-289v l. 13 Psalms 131-140
ff. 289v l. 14-303v l. 3 Psalms 141-150

there are three lacunae:

on ff. 120v l. 32-121r l. 1 προσμαρτυρεῖ τὴν δικαιοσύνην … εἴτις αὐτοῖς ἐνῆν (Psalms 44-48, PG 128, 493 D 9-525 C 10)
on ff. 248v l. 32-249r l. 1 πανταχοῦ γὰρ διεδόθησαν …ματικὴν παρ' αὐτῶν λαμβάνοντες (Psalms 104-106, PG 128, 1033 D 2-1068 Β 14)
on ff. 288v l. 32-289r l. 1 ἐκείνων μὲν τὰ πρωτότυπα … τῷ ἀμαρτάνειν καὶ οἱ πρωτόπλαστοι (Psalms 134-140, PG 128, 1236 C 5-1272 A 5)

TLG 3038.003; PG 128, 41-1325

2. f. 302v ll. 4-12

Various excerpts

In the margin, the scribe wrote ‘ θεοτόκου p.’

2.1.

Incipit: f. 302v l. 4 Διὰ πρεσβειῶν τῶν ἁγίων ἐνδόξων

Explicit: f. 302v l. 5 ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς

2.2.

Incipit: f. 302v l. 6 τῶν ἑρωτικῶν ἀντίβλεψις, ὑπόμνησις τοῦ πάσχοντος

Explicit: f. 302v l. 11 καὶ ὁσω[sic] πλέον τὸ κάλλος αὐτοῖς φαντάζεται||

This excerpt is formed by two brief passages found in Maximus the Confessor and Gregory of Nazianzus:

f. 302v ll. 6-8 Maximus the Confessor, ‘ Loci communes’, sermo III, exc. (PG 91, 744 C 7-11)
f. 302v ll. 8-12 Gregory of Nazianzus, ‘ Funebris oratio in laudem Basilii Magni Caesareae (orat. 43)’, 19.2, ll. 1-8 (F. Boulenger, Grégoire de Nazianze. Discours funèbres en l'honneur de son frère Césaire et de Basile de Césarée, Paris 1908, p. 98)

3. ff. 303r-321r

Zigavēnos, Euthymios, approximately 1050-approximately 1118 or 1120, Commentary on the Biblical Canticles Commentarius in Cantica

Rubric: f. 303r Cantica

The title of the work is written by a later hand in the upper margin

Final rubric: f. 319r Τὰ ἐπόμενα πάντα λείπει, ὡς καὶ ἐν ἀρχῇ πολλά. Τῷ θεῷ χάρις.

As specified in a note by the scribe at the end of the text, it is incomplete. On ff. 320v-321r the scribe left blank spaces writing ‘ λείπει’ ("it is missing"), evidently due to an incomplete exemplar

The attribution of the work to Euthymius Zigabenus is uncertain

3.1. ff. 303r-304v

Commentary on the (First) Song of Moses (Canticle 1)

Rubric: f. 303r Ὠδὴ[sic] Μωυσέως ἐν τῇ Ἐξόδῳ

Incipit: f. 303r Ταύτην πρώτην ἦσαν τὴν ὠδὴν[sic], οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰσραὴλ ἀβρόχῳ ποδὶ

Explicit: f. 304v l. 1 τῷ ὕδατι τῶν παθῶν ἐν μέσῳ τῆς θαλάσσης τοῦ βίου.

3.2. ff. 304v-309r

Commentary on the (Second) Song of Moses (Canticle 2)

Rubric: f. 304v l. 2 Ὠδὴ[sic] Μωυσέως ἐν τῷ Δευτερονομίῳ

Incipit: f. 304v Μέλλων ἤδη τελευτᾶν Μωυσῆς διαμαρτύρεται τῷ λαῷ

Explicit: f. 309r l. 24 τὴν Παλαιστίνην τὴν γῆν, τοῦ νέου λαοῦ αὐτοῦ.

3.3. ff. 309r-310v

Commentary on the Prayer of Hannah (Canticle 3)

Rubric: f. 309r l. 24 Προσευχὴ Ἄννης τῆς μητρὸς τοῦ Σαμουὴλ ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ τῶν βασιλειῶν βίβλῳ. \ Ὠδὴ[sic] γ΄/

Incipit: f. 309r Οὐ μόνον ὑμνεῖ τὸν θεὸν ἐφ' οἷς εὐηργέτηται λαβοῦσα

Explicit: f. 310v l. 4 τοὺς οὐρανοὺς γάρ φησι ἡ δόξα αὐτοῦ.

3.4. ff. 310v-313v

Commentary on the Prayer of Habakkuk (Canticle 4)

Rubric: f. 310v l. 4 Ὠδὴ[sic] Ἀββακοὺμ τοῦ προφήτου

Incipit: f. 310v Τὴν ἐνανθρώπησιν τοῦ κυρίου προμηνύει

Explicit: f. 313v l. 23 ἤγουν ἄδοντα[sic], καὶ ὑμνοῦντα αὐτόν.

3.5. ff. 313v-316r

Commentary on the Prayer of Isaiah (Canticle 5)

Rubric: f. 313v l. 24 Προσευχὴ Ἠσαίου τοῦ προφήτου

Incipit: f. 313v Ληφθεῖσα ἐκ τῆς βίβλου τῆς προφητείας αὐτοῦ, καὶ περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ διαγορεύουσα. Ἐκ νυκτὸς ὀρθρίζει τὸ πνεῦμά μου πρός σε ὁ Θεέ. Νύκτα μὲν ὀνομάζει τὴν νομικὴν

Explicit: f. 316r l. 2 ἀπὸ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου μεμαθήκαμεν.

3.6. ff. 316r-317r

Commentary on the Prayer of Jonah (Canticle 6)

Rubric: f. 316r l. 3 Προσευχὴ Ἰωνᾶ τοῦ προφήτου. \ Ὠδὴ[sic] ϛ΄/

Incipit: f. 316r Ἐκ τῆς βίβλου αὐτοῦ ληφθεῖσα. Προσηύξατο δὲ ταύτην ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ τοῦ κήτους ὢν ἔτι, Ἐβάησα ἐν θλίψει μου πρὸς κύριον τὸν θεόν μου. Θλίψιν λέγει τὴν ἐκ τοῦ καταποθῆναι

Explicit: f. 317r l. 5 \ τούτ… ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας μου/.

3.7. ff. 317r-318v

Commentary on the Prayer of the Three Holy Children (Canticle 7)

Rubric: f. 317r l. 5 Προσευχὴ Ἀζαρίου.

Incipit: f. 317r Ἐκ τῆς βίβλου ληφθεῖσα Δανιὴλ τοῦ προφήτου. Εὐλογητὸς εἶ κύριε ὁ θεὸς τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν, καὶ αἰνετὸν, καὶ δεδοξασμένον τὸ ὄνομά σου εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Εὐλογητὸς εἶ τουτέστιν εὐφημητός

Explicit: f. 318v l. 27 ὅτι εὐλογητὸς εἶ πανταχοῦ.

3.8. ff. 318v-319r

Commentary on the Song of the Three Holy Children (Canticle 8)

Rubric: f. 318v l. 28 Ὕμνος τῶν ἁγίων τριῶν παίδων

Incipit: f. 318v Ζήτησον τὴν ἐξήγησιν ὅλην τοῦ ρμη΄ ψαλμοῦ

Explicit: f. 319r l. 32 καὶ τὰ ἐφεξῆς ὕστερον προσετέθησαν.

3.9. ff. 319r-321r

Commentary on the Song of the Theotokos; commentary on the Song of Zacharias (Canticle 9)

Rubric: f. 319r l. 32 Ὠδὴ[sic] τῆς θεοτόκου ἐν τῷ κατὰ Λουκᾶν εὐαγγελίου

Incipit: f. 319r Τουτέστιν εὐφημεῖ, δοξάζει

Explicit: f. 321r οὕτω καὶ αὕτη πνεύματος ἁγίου ἐστὶ χωρισμός.||

ff. 321v-[iv] verso are blank

Physical Description

Form: codex

Support: ff. [i]-[ii] Western paper, folded in folio. Watermark: Pitcher with one handle, and letters ‘ P D | B(?) ’, surmounted by a crown and a four-leaf clover ( 65 × 25 mm. ) in the centre of the folio, comparable (with different letters) to Heawood, Pot 3550 dated to 1597. ff. 1-145, 152-152 Western paper, folded in quarto. Unidentified watermark, ( ca. 55 × 12 mm. ) in the gutter. ff. 146-151, 153-321 Western paper, folded in folio. Watermark: Pitcher with one handle, and name ‘ SIMO(?)NET’, surmounted by a four-leaf clover. ( 53 × 18 mm. ) in the centre of the folio, comparable, with differencies in the letters' disposition, to Briquet, Pot 12825 which is dated to 1544/1577, or Piccard online, Pot DE7635-PO-31441, 31585, 31733 which are dated to 1542 and 1538. ff. [iii]-[iv] Western paper, folded in folio. Watermark: Pitcher with one handle, and letters ‘BB’, surmounted by a four-leaf clover. ( 70 × 25 mm. ) in the centre of the folio, without exact parallels in the main repertoires.

Extent: Codex: 2 + 321 + 2 leaves., 273 × 180 mm.

Foliation: Modern pencil foliation, in Arabic numerals, in the top right hand corner, recto: [i]-[ii] + 1-321 + [iii]-[iv].

Foliation: The manuscript has also a pagination in red (crayon?), from 1 (f. 1r) to 641 (f. 321r), in the upper margin, external corner, perhaps attributable to Matthew Parker, who owned the manuscript (among the most familiar features of his manuscripts is the use of a red pencil for foliation, see Oates 1986, p. 107). The page numbers have been written only on the recto of the leaves.

Collation

The codex consists of a bifolium, 40 quaternions, and two bifolia, the first having lost the second leaf, leaving a paper strip.

Quire 1² ff. [i]-[ii]
Quires 2-41⁸ ff. 1-320
Quire 42^2-1 f. 321
Quire 43² ff. [iii] recto-[iv] verso

Horizontal catchwords under the text, near the gutter, by the scribe, on the verso of the folios; they are not present regularly on all the leaves. Later signatures in modern pencil, in Arabic numerals, in the lower margin, right hand corner, from 2 (f. 9r) to 40 (f. 313r).

Condition

The manuscript is in fair condition. The leaves however are yellowed, and show some damage: extensive humidity and water stains are visible on ff. 1r-23v; there are moreover brown stains, see e.g. f. 168v; the ink has sometimes smeared, see e.g. f. 171r; there are also some tears, see e.g. f. 288r

Layout

ff. 1r-321r A single column of 32 lines. 215 × 130 mm.

Hand(s)

ff. 1r-321 Hand A: the text has been written by Bernardinos Sandros (Βερναρδῖνος Σανδρός, 16th c., first half, RGK I, 39. See also RGK II, 59; RGK III, 75) in an informal minuscule, vertical, regular in size.

The text of the Psalms is written in two different red inks, the commentary in black.

Decoration

Initials in ekthesis in red ink decorated with a vegetal motif, see e.g. ff. 1r, 19v-20r.

Thick minor initials, written in red ink, see e.g. f. 1v.

Small friezes in red ink are traced passim in order to fill the lines, see ff. 33v and 187r.

Additions

A later hand indicated lacunae in the text by writing annotations in the lower margin of ff. 120v, 248v and 288v. The indications of psalms and verses are wrong.

On the left pastedown there is an annotation in Latin stating that the manuscript belonged to Theodore of Tarsus: ‘ Hoc commentarium in psalterium grecum[sic] quondam fuit codex Theodori Archiepiscopi Cantuariensis inter eos libros quos secum detulit e Roma. Circa annum domini 668 anno quinto Egberti Regis, qui Theodorus fuit sextus ab Augustino’ (see Summary).

On the left pastedown are also written the classmark of the codex, ‘Ff-1-26’, an annotation indicating the content, ‘ Euthymius in Psalmos gr.’, and, on the upper left corner, the previous classmark ‘#.D.ε.3’ as found in the Donors' book of the Cambridge University Library, MS CUL Oo.07.52. Beneath there is moreover the number ‘246’, attributed to the codex in T. James, Ecloga Oxonio-Cantabrigiensis, Londini 1600, p. 68. The number is written also on f. [i] recto.

On f. [i] recto there is a note by Abraham Whelock (Oates 1986, p. 245), dated July 1640, stating that the author of the text is Euthymius Zigabenus and citing James Ussher (1581-1656) as an authority for the identification: ‘ Liber hic Ms. si conferatur cum Euthymio impresso ipsius esse Euthymii videbitur, teste Reverendissimo Armachano die Iulii 1640’.

On f. 1r, in blank spaces within the Greek text, there is an annotation indicating the previous owner of the manuscript, Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury, and the date of his gift to the Library, 1574 (see History). In the lower margin, by the same hand, there is an indication of the number of pages, partially deleted: ‘Continet paginas 6… ’.

Binding

Western modern binding, paper over couched-laminate boards, leather corners. Rebacked, spine covered with cloth, tooled in gold with shelfmark and author ‘Euthymius’.

On the upper part of the fore-edge is written ‘ 4(?) Psalterium graec(um) cum comment(ario) ’

291 × 201 × 64 mm.

History

Origin:

The manuscript was written by the scribe Bernardinos Sandros from Cremona, probably in Italy in the first half of the 16th century.

Provenance and Acquisition

It belonged to Matthew Parker , (1504-1575, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1559).

Presented to the University Library in 1574 by Matthew Parker , as stated in an annotation on f. 1r: ‘ Matthaeus Cantuar(iensis) 1574’. On the left pastedown is glued the University of Cambridge bookplate.

Additional Information

Record Sources

Description (2019) draws partly on A catalogue of the Manuscripts preserved in the Library of the University of Cambridge, vol. 2, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1857, p. 318.

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, (Cambridge, 2, Cambridge University Press, 1857)

Before palaeography: notes on early descriptions and datings of Greek manuscripts Studia Codicologica, Easterling, P. E. (124, 179-88, 1977)

Repertorium der griechischen Kopisten, 800-1600. I. Grossbritannien Veröffentlichungen der Kommission für Byzantinistik, Gamillscheg, ErnstHarlfinger, Dieter (Wien, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1981)

Cambridge University Library : a history. [1], From the beginnings to the Copyright Act of Queen Anne, Oates, J. C. T. (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1986)

From Britain to Byzantium: the study of Greek manuscripts Through the looking glass: Byzantium through British eyes: papers from the twenty-ninth Spring Symposium of Byzantine Studies, London, March 1995 Society for the Promotion of Byzantine Studies publications, Easterling, P. E. (Aldershot, Ashgate, 2000)

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 Ff.1.26

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