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 Ff.3.4

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 12182

Contents

Introduction: This manuscript contains a collection of Byzantine canonical texts, comprising the works of Matthew Blastares, canonist and theologian of the 14th century. The codex is formed of two parts. The principal one (I: ff. [ii] recto-160v), containing the canonical texts, was copied by the scribe Ignatios, who signed the manuscript on 19th June 1574. The second part (II: ff. 161r-185v) was written by another contemporary hand and contains an incomplete index of subjects in the Scripture. Ff.3.4, together with another Greek manuscript, CUL Ff.3.30 , was donated on 16th July 1650 by the English merchant Edward Abbott, at the time consul at Cairo, to Nicholas Hobart (ca. 1605-1657), Fellow of King's College in Cambridge (1624-1650). Hobart donated the codices to Cambridge University Library a few years later, in 1655. Dr Erika Elia

Language(s): Greek

Physical Description

Form: codex
Extent: Codex: i + 1 + 177+ i leaves., 310 × 210 mm.
Foliation: The leaves are foliated 1-160 in brown ink, in Arabic numerals, in the upper margin, right. The number 27 has been assigned to two leaves ( f. 27r and f. 27[a]r ). Due to a missing quire, the foliation skips from 47 to 56; on f. 47r the number 55 has been added to the folio number: ‘ 47=55’. The folio number 91 is not present. Leaves 161 to 185 have a foliation in modern pencil, in Arabic numerals, on the top right hand corner recto; the numbers 161, 171 and 185 are repeated on the lower right corner recto of the leaves. [i]-[ii] + 1-27, 27[a], 28-47, 56-90, 92-185 + [iii].

Collation

f. [i] | f. [ii], 1-198 | 208, 21-226, 236-1 | f. [iii]

Condition

The manuscript is in fair condition. The leaves are yellowed and, throughout the manuscript, there are numerous humidity and brown stains, see e.g. ff. 1r-1v, 8r-8v, 113r, 120v, 185v. The black ink of the second part of the manuscript has smudged leaving black stains, see e.g. ff. 172v-173r, ff. 178v-179r. There are tears on various leaves, see e.g. f. 1v, where two tears were fixed with paper strips, ff. 3r-3v, ff. 160r-160v.

Binding

Modern western binding. Paper cover over couched-laminate boards, leather on spine. On the spine gold tooling with title on red square, ‘ Greek Church M.S.’, and leather labels with classmark.

328 × 222 × 36 mm.

History

Provenance and Acquisition

The codex was in the hands of the English merchant Edward Abbott, consul at Cairo in the 1650s (concerning him see Oates (1986), pp. 292-294 with bibliography), who donated it to Nicholas Hobart (ca. 1605-1657) , Fellow of King's College in Cambridge from 1625 to 1650. This is stated in a message from Abbott to Hobart written on f. [ii] verso, dated 16th July 1650 in Cairo: ‘ nº 2. Sir, this manuscript composed by Theodoro Ballamone of the Rites and Ceremonyes of the Greek church, hath some curiosityes in it, yet is not so perfect as I should have wished, however I desyre your acceptance of it, being the best that could heer be found, by your most affectionate servant Edw. Abbott. Grand Cayro, the 16th July 1650.’. The wrong name (and spelling) of the author derives from an annotation in Greek on f. [ii] recto citing Theodor Balsamon. The wrong name was underlined and corrected by another hand as ‘ Matthaeus Blasteres’.

The manuscript was donated to Cambridge University Library by Nicholas Hobart, as it is stated also in a note on a paper strip pasted on the lower part of f. [ii] verso, ‘ Ex dono ornatissimi viri Nicolai Hobart Collegii Regalis quondam socii et huius Academiae insignis ornamenti. 1655’. On the same folio is pasted the Cambridge University bookplate.

Part 1 [Cambridge, University Library, MS Ff.3.4, ff. [ii]-160]

Contents

Language(s): Greek

1. ff. 1r-152v
⟨ Blastares, Matthew⟩ , Collectio alphabetica canonum
Incipit: f. 1r ⟨ Τ⟩ὸ τῶν ἱερῶν καὶ θείων χρῆμα κανόνων ἤνθησε
Explicit: f. 152v l. 2 κανόνας τῆς ἐν Λαοδικείᾳ Συνόδου κβʹ. καὶ κγʹ. Τῷ θεῷ ἡμῶν εἴη δόξα

  • ff. 1r-10r l. 14 Proemium
  • ff. 10r l. 14-10v The Decalogue ( Not included in the edition of the text)
  • ff. 11r-13v Table of contents
  • ff. 14r-14v l. 23 Prologue
  • ff. 14v l. 24-31r l. 19 Α
  • ff. 31r l. 19-43r l. 4 Β
  • ff. 43r l. 5-59r Γ
  • ff. 59v-70v l. 12 Δ
  • ff. 70v l. 13-91v l. 26 Ε
  • ff. 91v l. 26-92r l. 4 Ζ
  • ff. 92r l. 5-92r l. 18 Η
  • ff. 92r l. 18-93r l. 13 Θ
  • ff. 93r l. 13-94r l. 28 Ι
  • ff. 94r l. 29-105v l. 2 Κ
  • ff. 105v l. 3-106v l. 22 Λ
  • ff. 106v l. 22-118r Μ
  • ff. 118v-119r Ν
  • ff. 119v ll. 1-4 Ξ
  • ff. 119v ll. 4-8 Ο
  • ff. 119v l. 8-132v l. 17 Π
  • ff. 132v ll. 17-18 Ρ
  • ff. 132v l. 18-135v l. 22 Σ
  • ff. 135v l. 23-143r l. 26 T
  • ff. 143r l. 26-144r l. 5 Υ
  • ff. 144r l. 5-147r l. 28 Φ
  • ff. 147r l. 28-152r l. 27 Χ
  • ff. 152r l. 28-152v l. 1 Ψ
  • ff. 152v ll. 1-2 Ω

There is a lacuna in book Γ ch. 9-17, due to the loss of a quire between ff. 47v and 56r: τῷ δὲ μεγάλῳ πατρὶ Βασιλείῳ τὸν τοιοῦτον … παράσχωσι τὴν ἀπόδειξιν, M. Potles, G.A. Rhalles, Σύνταγμα τῶν θείων καὶ ἱερῶν κανόνων τῶν τε ἁγίων καὶ πανευφήμων ἀποστόλων, καὶ τῶν ἱερῶν οἰκουμενικῶν καὶ τοπικῶν συνόδων, καὶ τῶν κατὰ μέρος ἁγίων πατέρων, 6, Athens (1859), p. 166 l. 22-191 l. 10.

TLG 3237.001

ff. 125r-125v are blank (there is not a lacuna in the text)

2. f. 152v
Officia magnae ecclesiae
Rubric: f. 152v l. 2 Τὰ τῆς μεγάλης ἐκκλεσίας ὀφφίκια
Incipit: f. 152v Ὁ μέγας οἰκονόμος
Explicit: f. 152v l.10 καὶ ὁ ἄρχων τῶν κοντακίων

The officia are divided in 7 groups of five (πεντάς). The list corresponds to J. Darrouzès, Recherches sur les ΟΦΦΙΚΙΑ de l'Église Byzantine, Paris (1970), pp. 563-564, liste L, until the 6th group; afterwards there are also a 7th (ὁ πρωτοπαπᾶς ... καὶ ὁ δομέστικος τοῦ β΄ χωροῦ) and 8th group (only three officia, οἱ δύο λαοσυνάκται ... καὶ ὁ ἄρχων τῶν κοντακίων)

3. ff. 152v
Officia magnae ecclesiae
Rubric: f. 152v l. 11 Τὰ ὀφφίκια τῆς μεγάλης ἐκκλεσίας, καὶ ἐνέργειαι αὐτῶν
Incipit: f. 152v Ὁ μέγας οἰκονόμος κρατεῖ τῶν κτημάτων τῆς ἐκκλεσίας
Explicit: f. 152v l. 23 ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς ἱερᾶς καταστάσεως εἰς τὸ ποιεῖν εὐταξίαν.
4. ff. 153r-155r
⟨ Blastares, Matthew⟩ , Synopsis Nomocanonis Ioannis Nesteuti
Rubric: f. 153r Ἐκ τοῦ κανονικοῦ τοῦ ἁγίου Ἰωάννου τοῦ Νηστευτοῦ
Incipit: f. 153r Ἀλλὰ γὰρ κατὰ τὸν Νηστευτὴν θεῖον Ἰωάννην
Explicit: f. 155r l. 16 ἴδια τοῦτο πάντως παρεχώρηθη.

Ed. G.A. Rhalles, M. Potles, Σύνταγμα τῶν θείων καὶ ἱερῶν κανόνων τῶν τε ἁγίων καὶ πανευφήμων ἀποστόλων, καὶ τῶν ἱερῶν οἰκουμενικῶν καὶ τοπικῶν συνόδων, καὶ τῶν κατὰ μέρος ἁγίων πατέρων, 4, Athens (1854), pp. 432-445

CPG 7560(3)

5. ff. 155r-155v
Nicetas, Heraclaeensis, Responsa ad Constantinum Episcopum (recensio Matthaei Blastares)
Rubric: f. 155r l. 16 Νικήτα τοῦ μακαριωτάτου Ἡρακλείας, ἀποκρίσεις πρός τινα Κωνσταντῖνον ἐπίσκοπον περὶ ὧν ἠρωτήθη
Incipit: f. 155r Ἡ μὲν ἀκρίβεια τοὺς διγάμους
Explicit: f. 155v l. 12 τὸ τοῦ διακόνου ἔργον ποιῆσαι ἐξὸν οὐδενί.

See. G.A. Rhalles, M. Potles, Σύνταγμα τῶν θείων καὶ ἱερῶν κανόνων τῶν τε ἁγίων καὶ πανευφήμων ἀποστόλων, καὶ τῶν ἱερῶν οἰκουμενικῶν καὶ τοπικῶν συνόδων, καὶ τῶν κατὰ μέρος ἁγίων πατέρων, 5, Athens (1855), pp. 441-442; A. Pavlov, Vizantīĭskīĭ Vremennik 2 (1895), pp. 167-175

6. ff. 155v-156v
Nicephorus, patriarch of Constantinople, Canons Canones
Rubric: f. 155v l. 13 Τοῦ ἐν ἁγίοις Νικηφόρου Κωνσταντινουπόλεως τοῦ ὁμολογητοῦ· κανόνες ἐκ τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν αὐτοῦ συντάξεων· καὶ τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ ἁγίων πατέρων
Incipit: f. 155v Ἑὰν κατὰ ἄγνοιαν
Explicit: f. 156v l. 11 πλείονα τὴν τιμωρίαν ἀφέλκεται[sic].

Ed. Rhalles-Potles 4 (1854), pp. 427-431 l. 4

7. ff. 156v-160r
Johannes Citri Episcopus, Responsa ad Constantinum Cabasilam episcopum

The manuscript contains the recension by Matthew Blastares , which is comprised in his work Collectio alphabetica (TLG 3237.001, ed. Rhalles-Potles 6 (1856), from p. 80 l. 27), which comprises answers by Johannes of Kitros and texts by Theodore Balsamon, see J. Darrouzès, 'Les réponses canoniques de Jean de Kitros', in: Revue des études byzantines 31 (1973), pp. 319-334: esp. pp. 332-334 with the list of incipits and reference to the printed editions

Rubric: f. 156v l. 12 Ἐκ τῶν ἀποκρίσεων Ἰωάννου τοῦ ἱερωτάτου ἐπισκόπου Κίτρους· πρὸς τὸν ἱερώτατον ἐπίσκοπον Δυρραχίου τὸν Καβάσιλαν
Incipit: f. 156v Τὰ ἀντιμίνσια τῆς ἁγιαστικῆς μετασχόντα δυνάμεως
Explicit: f. 160r l. 21 οὐ τοῦ παρόντος λέγειν καιροῦ.
8. ff. 160r l. 22-160v l. 24
Notitia episcopatuum
Rubric: f. 160r l. 22 Ἡ γεγονυῖα ὑποτύποσις[sic] παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως Λέοντος τοῦ σοφοῦ· ὅπως ἔχουσι τάξεως οἱ θρόνοι τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν, τῶν ὑποκειμένων τῷ πατριάρχῃ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως
Incipit: f. 160r Αἱ μητροπόλεις· ἡ Καισάρεια
Explicit: f. 160v τὰ Φέρσαλα· τὰ Μέτραχα.

The text is attributed to the Emperor Leo VI, but the attribution has been rejected

Ed. G.A. Rhalles, M. Potles, Σύνταγμα τῶν θείων καὶ ἱερῶν κανόνων τῶν τε ἁγίων καὶ πανευφήμων ἀποστόλων, καὶ τῶν ἱερῶν οἰκουμενικῶν καὶ τοπικῶν συνόδων, καὶ τῶν κατὰ μέρος ἁγίων πατέρων, 5, Athens (1855), p. 474

9. f. 160v ll. 25-27
Colophon
Colophon: f. 160v ll. 25-27 Τῷ δὲ θεῷ ἡμῶν, τῷ δωτήρι τῶν ἀγαθῶν, πρέπει δόξα· κράτος τιμὴ καὶ προσκύνησις, κᾀμοὶ χαρὰ φθάσαντι τέρμα τῆς βίβλου. Ἐν ἔτει ἀπὸ τῆς ἐν σάρκει οἰκονομίας ͵αφοδ΄ Ἰουνίου ιθ΄· οἱ δὲ ἐντυγχάνοντες τῆς βίβλου, λέγετε· ὁ θεὸς μακαρίση[sic] καὶ ἀναπαύσῃ τὴν ψυχήν σου Ἰγνάτιε.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: ff. [ii]-160 Western paper, folded in folio. Watermarks: f. 1 Pilgrim in a circle; under the circle letters ‘ I R (?) I’ ( 60 × 48 mm. ), in the centre of the leaf, comparable, with differences, to Sosower Pèlerin 21-22, dated to 1570 and 1570-1571. ff. 2-80, 87-88, 95-136 Hand surmounted by a flower with 5 petals; on the palm letters ‘ T (?) M’ ( 115 × 35 mm. ), in the centre of the leaf, comparable to Sosower Main 6, which shows different letters, dated to ca. 1570. ff. 81-86, 89-94, 137-160 Anchor in a circle surmounted by a six-point star; countermark in the centre of the leaf ‘ S T’ with a clover ( 65 × 37 mm. ), in the centre of the leaf, comparable to Sosower Ancre 94, dated to ca. 1562.

Collation

Part I of the manuscript is formed by 19 quaternions.

  • 1 later endleaf f. [i]
  • 1 endleaf f. [ii]
  • Quires 1-198 ff. 1-27, 27[a], 28-47, 56-90, 92-160

Quire signatures in Greek numerals by the hand of the scribe, on the lower margin, right, of the first folio recto of each quire, original to the production of the manuscript: from α΄ (1, f. 1r) to κ΄ (20, f. 153r). The 7th quire (signature ζ΄) is missing.

Condition

The leaves are yellowed; many water stains and brown stains are present on them. The red ink has faded on ff. 1r-104v and ff. 113r-120v.

Layout

A single column of 30-31 lines. 215 × 130 mm.

Hand(s)

ff. 1r-160v Hand A: the text has been written by the scribe Ignatios (Ἰγνάτιος, RGK I, 151) in a minuscule script, small and fairly regular, vertical, sometimes slanting lightly to the right.

The text is written in black ink; titles and initials in red.

ff. [ii] recto-160v Hand a: a contemporary or slightly later hand wrοte numerous annotations in the margins (see e.g. ff. 46r, 112v, 151r, 159r). It is a minuscule script slanting to the right, rapid. The ink is brown.

f. [ii] recto Hand b: another contemporary or slightly later hand, nervous, vertical, rapid, has written a text on f. [ii] recto, in black ink (see Additions).

Decoration

Some friezes are traced at the beginning of the texts:

  • f. 1r plaited interlace in brown ink surmounted by a rhombus filled with a plaited motif
  • f. 11r chain motif surmounted by a knot
  • f. 14r rope motif in brown ink, partially coloured in red; over it a cross in rope motif, coloured in red.
Small friezes in red ink are present at the beginning of texts or chapters throughout this part. They show various patterns, e.g.:
  • f. 27[a]r knots and ropes
  • f. 43r ropes and plaited motifs.

Initials in ekthesis in red ink decorated with a vegetal motif on ff. 14r and f. 126r.

Red thick initials in red ink, in ekthesis, see e.g. f. 109r. The ink has faded on many leaves, see e.g. f. 39v.

Additions

On f. [ii] recto there is a long annotation by hand b, who copied there the question 4 from Theodore Balsamon (12th century) Responsa ad interrogatione Marci (PG 119, 1036 C 10-1037 B).

On f. [ii] recto, another hand wrote notes indicating subjects contained in the texts with the indication of the corresponding leaf of the manuscript.

On f. [ii] verso there is a note dated 1650 by Edward Abbot, donating the manuscript to Nicholas Hobart (see Provenance). On the lower part of the leaf is glued a paper strip with a note attesting the donation of the manuscript by Nicholas Hobart to the University Library in 1655 (see Acquisition).

History

Origin:

This part of the manuscript was copied by the scribe Ignatios on 19th June 1574, as stated in the colophon written by him on f. 160v.

Part 2 [Cambridge, University Library, MS Ff.3.4, ff. 161-185]

Contents

Language(s): Greek

10. ff. 161r-185v
Index of subjects in the Scripture
Rubric: f. 161r Πίναξ ἀκριβὴς τῶν ὑποθέσεων τῆς θείας γραφῆς
Incipit: f. 161r Ἀρχὴ τῶν ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ Γενέσεως ὑποθέσεων. Περὶ τῆς γενέσεως οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς καὶ τῶν ἐν αὐτοῖς κεφάλαιον α΄
Explicit: f. 185v Περὶ τῶν σταλέντων συμμάχων τῷ Δημητρίῳ||

The text ends with the first book of Maccabees

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: ff. 161-185 Western paper, folded in folio. Watermark: Anchor in a circle surmounted by a quatrefoil; countermark in the corner of the leaf ‘ I (?) S’ with a clover ( 65 × 37 mm. ), in the centre of the leaf, no parallels found in the main repertoires.

Collation

Part II is formed by 1 quaternion and 3 ternions. In the last quire the last leaf is missing, without loss of text.

  • Quire 208 ff. 161-168
  • Quires 21-226 ff. 169-180
  • Quire 23 6-1 ff. 181-185(6th leaf is missing, no loss of text)
  • 1 later endleaf f. [iii]

Condition

The leaves are yellowed. The ink smudged leaving black stains, see e.g. ff. 172v-173r, ff. 178v-179r.

Layout

Two columns of 39-40 lines. 240 × 145 mm.

Hand(s)

ff. 161r-185v Hand B: a minuscule script slanting to the right, nervous, characterized by a slight chiaroscuro effect, datable to the 16th c.

The text is written in black ink, initials in red.

Decoration

Small friezes before or around titles, in black ink. They show various patterns, e.g.:

  • f. 180r ropes, sometimes coloured in red, see f. 162r
  • f. 179r vegetal motifs.

Red thick initials in red ink, in ekthesis, see e.g. f. 161r.

Additions

On ff. 161v and 181r there are two marginal notes by hand a (see part I).

History

Origin:

This part of the manuscript was copied by an anonymous hand, probably contemporary to Ignatios, who wrote the first part, in the 16th c..

Additional Information

Record Sources

Description (2020) draws partly on A catalogue of the Manuscripts preserved in the Library of the University of Cambridge, vol. 2: Ee-Ff, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1857, pp. 411-412.

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: Ee-Ff, Cambridge University Press, 1857) 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, Oates, J.C.T. (Cambridge, 1: From the beginnings to the Copyright Act of Queen Anne, Cambridge University Press, 1986)

Funding of Cataloguing

The Polonsky Foundation

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