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 Kk.5.31

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 12212

Contents

Introduction: The manuscript contains two Greek military treatises, Onasander's Strategicus, on generalship, and Aelian's Tactics. The codex is composite: it is formed by two main parts written around 1569 (parts I and IV), containing the two main texts, and three quires (parts II, III, V), all made up of the same paper, which were added not much later to restore the first text, and add some brief excerpts. The main part of the manuscript (parts I and IV) was written by the Greek scribe Angelos Bergikios (16th c., first quarter-1569). Born in Crete, from 1539 he worked in Paris, where he was appointed by the king of France Francis I (1494-1547) as scriptor of the Royal Library of Fontainebleau. Bergikios' script was used as model for the grecs du roi typeface designed by Claude Garamond. The scribe, who copied these texts several times (see A. Dain, Les manuscrits d'Onésandros, Paris 1930 and A. Dain, Histoire du texte d'Élien le Tacticien, Paris 1946), wrote a colophon with the date of 1569 at f. 34v, at the end of the first text (Onasander's Strategicus, part I of the manuscript). Nevertheless, since the second text was written by Bergikios on the same kind of paper, as shown by the watermark, the same date, or a very near one, can be accepted for the copying of both texts. In any case, the second text cannot have been written after 1569: the scribe died in this year, and this manuscript is his last known dated work (see Dain 1949, p. 333). As noted, parts II, III, V seem to be later additions. The watermark and the scripts of these leaves suggest that they originate in the second half of the 16th century. Part II is a quinion inserted in Onasander's text between two quires. It can be assumed that the text written by Bergikios was missing a part, probably due to the loss of a quire, and that this insertion was intended as a restoration. The scribe who copied this part (hand B), tried to adjust the insertion in Bergikios' text, but there are differences. The paper of the added quire is different, as are layout and script. The last word copied by hand B (f. 26v) is a repetition of the first word of the subsequent quire by Bergikios (f. 27r): the word has been underlined, probably in order to point out to the repetition, but maybe also in order to serve as a catchword for the insertion of the quire. As regards parts III and V, both are single quires made up of the same paper used for the inserted part II. Therefore it is likely that they were added to the main part of the manuscript at the same time. The leaves were probably originally blank, inserted respectively, between the two main texts of the manuscripts (part III, ff. 35-38), and at the end of the manuscript (part V, ff. v-viii). On the 2nd leaf of part III (f. 36r), and on the 3rd of part V (f. vii recto) were written small excerpts, related to the theme of war of the main texts.

Language(s): Greek

Physical Description

Form: codex
Extent: Codex: iii + 80 + 3 leaves. 242 × 175 mm.
Foliation: Modern pencil foliation in Roman and Arabic numerals, in the upper right hand corner, recto: i-iv, 1-80, v-viii. The numbers i and viii have been attributed respectively to the left pastedown and to the right pastedown.

Collation

14-1 (?)| 2-38 | 410 | 58 | 6 4 | 7-11 8, 12 2 | 12 4-1 (?)

The first quire (1) is a binion formed by later endleaves; the first leaf is probably the left pastedown, f. i (reinforcing stripes have been placed in the gutter of ff. ii-iv , therefore it is now not possible to be certain of this.

Condition

In fair condition. There are some humidity stains (see e.g. ff. 30r-58r in the upper margin) and spots on the leaves (see e.g. ff. 38v-39r). A few wormholes are visible in the upper right hand corner, see (see e.g. ff. 17r-37r). Large spots on the binding.

Additions

On the upper part of f. i are written an ownership note by Hautin and a title (see Provenance), and the manuscript's shelfmark.

Onf. iv verso an unknown hand wrote the title of the first work of the manuscript: ‘Onosandri Strategica’. Below, the same title is written by Hautin (see Provenance).

Binding

Modern western binding, leather over millboard, spine with title and shelfmark tooled in gold. Blind tooling in form of a double frame on the boards. A leather label with authors' names tooled in gold is presently pasted on f. i.

Rebacked in 1969, as noted on f. ii recto: Repaired by J.P. Gray and Son, Cambridge Oct. 1969.

250 × 189 × 30 mm.

History

Provenance and Acquisition

This manuscript was owned by by a certain J.B. Hautin, probably to be identified with Jean Baptiste II Hautin, son of the French scholar and numismatist Jean-Baptiste Hautin (approximately b. 1580 d. 1640) (or possibly with his nephew Jean Baptiste III; on the problem of the identification of Hautin see Jackson 2006, pp. 38-40). : on f. i there is Hautin's ownership note, ‘ J. B. Hautin ’.

John Moore (1646-1714) , bishop of Ely: no. 995 (left pastedown) in the handwritten supplementary list of Moore's manuscripts, now MS Oo.7.50(2), compiled by Thomas Tanner (1674-1735) after the publication of Bernard, Catalogi librorum manuscriptorum Angliæ et Hiberniæ (c. 1697).

Presented to the University Library in 1715 by George I (1660-1727) : donation bookplate engraved by John Pine (1690-1756) in 1736 on the left pastedown.

Part 1 [Cambridge, University Library, MS Kk.5.31, ff. 1r-16v, 27r-34v]

Contents

Introduction: The first part of the manuscript contains Onasander's Strategicus, written by Angelos Bergikios in 1569 in Paris. A part of the text, corresponding to a quire (ff. 17r-26v), was copied by another hand on another kind of paper (see part II): probably it is a later addition in order to fill a gap in the text, caused by the loss of a quire.

Language(s): Greek

1. ff. 1r-34v
Onasander, Strategicus
Incipit: f. 1r ⟨ Ἱ⟩ππικῶν μὲν λόγων, ἢ κυνηγετικῶν
Explicit: f. 34v οὐκ ἀνόητος στρατηγός
Final rubric: f. 34v Τέλος τῶν Ὀνοσάνδρου στρατηγικῶν

ff. 17r-26v (W.A. Oldfather, A.S. Pease, and J.B. Titchener [eds.], Aeneas Tacticus, Asclepiodotus, Onasander, Cambridge, Mass. 1923 [repr. 1962], p. 444 line 3 [μεί]ζονι - p. 482 line 10 ἐπι[φαίνειν]) were copied by another hand on a different kind of paper, see part II

TLG 0648.001

Colophon: f. 34v ˏαφξθ΄, ἐν Λουτεκίᾳ τῶν Παρησίων Ἀγγέλου

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: ff. 1-16, 27-34 Western paper, folded in quarto, Watermark: Crown with three major and two minor arms surmounted by a six point star ( ca. 39 × ca. 35 mm. ) in the gutter comparable to Briquet Couronne à trois fleurons et deux demi 4835 and Harlfinger Krone 25-26 . The Briquet watermark is dated to 1561/1577 and comes from Italy. The Harlfinger watermarks Krone are dated respectively to 1561, 1562, and 1575.

Collation

Part I consists of 3 quaternions.

  • Quire 28 ff. 1-8
  • Quire 38 ff. 9-16
  • Quire 58 ff. 27-34

Modern brown ink quire signatures in Roman letters, in the bottom right corner, recto, which have been mostly trimmed; they are visible at f. 1r (a), f. 9r (b), f. 27r (d).

Condition

In good condition: the leaves are slightly yellowed near the edges, there are occasional wormholes on the upper right corner (e.g. ff. 27r-67r).

Layout

One column, 25 lines. 160 × 90 mm.

Hand(s)

ff. 1r-16v, 27r-34v Hand A: the text has been written by Angelos Bergikios (Ἄγγελος Βεργίκιος, Angelus Vergetius) , (16th c., first quarter-1569) (RGK I, 3. See also RGK II, 3; RGK III, 3) in an accurate minuscule script, slanting slightly to the right.

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

The scribe also wrote corrections and additions in the margins, in black or red ink (see e.g. f. 12v), some have been trimmed (see e.g. f. 11v).

Decoration

Initials in ekthesis in red ink are decorated with a vegetal motif with pearls, see e.g. f. 9r.

Thick minor initials in red ink, see e.g. f. 13v.

Blank space was left at the beginning of the text, f. 1r, for the insertion of a bigger decorated inital.

Additions

At f. 34v, below the colophon, a later hand added in black ink ‘ Nicolaus[sic] Bergitius scripsit’, and, in the left margin, ‘1569’

At f. 1r, in the upper margin, is written the manuscript shelfmark ‘Kk-5-31’.

History

Origin:

This part of the manuscript was written in 1569 by the Greek scribe Angelos Bergikios in Paris, as noted in the colophon.

Part 2 [Cambridge, University Library, MS Kk.5.31, ff. 17r-26v]

Contents

Introduction: Part 2 is an addition to the first text. Ff. 17r-26v form a quire, which was inserted between ff. 16 and 27, probably in order to supply a part of the text of Onasander's Strategicus, which was lost (probably a quire as well). The supplied part of the text was copied in Greek by a western European hand, which also added variants, glosses and corrections in the margins.

Language(s): Greek

3. ff. 17r-26v
Onasander, Strategicus
Incipit: || f. 17r ⟨ μεί⟩ζονι χρώμενοι μεθ' οὓς οὐκ ἐπ' ἄλλοι τεταγμένοι
Explicit: f. 26v Ὅθεν ἐπιφαίνειν μὲν||

The text fills the lacuna of part I of the manuscript (Oldfather-Pease-Titchener 1923, p. 444 line 3 - p. 482 line 10).

TLG 0648.001

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: ff. 17-26 Western paper, folded in quarto, Watermark: Shield with letter ‘ B(?) ’, not entirely visible, surmounted by a crown with a four-leaf clover; under the shield ‘ NICOLAS LE BE ’ ( ca. 42 × ca. 50 mm. ) in the gutter. It is not possible to see the whole watermark, due to its position in the gutter. It is comparable to Sosower Lettre 3-4 which are dated to ca. 1567, and to Zonghi 2877-2878, which are dated to 1574.

Collation

Part II consists of 1 quinion.

  • Quire 410 ff. 17-26

No signatures are visible in this quire.

Condition

In good condition: the leaves are slightly yellowed near the edges, there are wormholes on the upper right corner at ff. 17-26.

Layout

One column of 19-23 lines. 160-170 × 105 mm.

Hand(s)

ff. 17r-26v Hand B: informal minuscule, probably by a western European hand datable to the second half of the 16th c. The script is regular in size and forms, slanting slightly to the right, with thickenings at the ending of the strokes.

The text is written in grey ink, titles and initials in pale red.

The scribe wrote also corrections and additions in the margins, in the same ink of the text (see e.g. f. 17r) and in red (see e.g. f. 22v).

Decoration

Simple initials in ekthesis in red ink, see e.g. f. 18r.

History

Origin: The watermark and the script suggest that Part II originates in the 2nd half of the 16th century, probably not long after the completion of Part I of the manuscript and the death of its scribe, Angelos Bergikios, both of which occurred in 1569.

Part 3 [Cambridge, University Library, MS Kk.5.31, ff. 35r-38v]

Contents

Introduction: Part 3 is a binion of the same paper as Part II, and was probably added to the manuscript at the same time, apparently in order to separate the two texts written by Bergikios. The four leaves were probably blank; another western hand wrote on f. 36r two extracts on tactics from Flavius Josephus.

Language(s): Greek

4. ff. 35r-35v
Blank leaf
5. f. 36r
Josephus, Flavius, Two excerpts from Jewish Antiquities, 7, 143
Rubric: f. 36r Ἐκ τῶν Ιωσήππου[sic] Αρχαιολόγων[sic]
Incipit: f. 36r Αριστον[sic] πάντων ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ πραχθέντων
Explicit: f. 36r ὡς τὰ μὲν μιμεῖσθαι, τὰ δὲ φεύγειν

TLG 0526.001

ff. 35r and 36v-38v are blank.

6. ff. 37r-38v
Blank leaves

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: 35-38 Western paper, folded in quarto, Watermark: Shield with letter ‘ B (?) ’, not entirely visible, surmounted by a crown with a four-leaf clover; under the shield ‘ NICOLAS LE BE ’ ( ca. 42 × ca. 50 mm. ) in the gutter. It is not possible to see the whole watermark, due to its position in the gutter. It is comparable to Sosower Lettre 3-4 which are dated to ca. 1567, and to Zonghi 2877-2878, which are dated to 1574.

Collation

Part III is a binion.

  • Quire 64 ff. 35-38

No signatures are visible on this quire.

Hand(s)

36r Hand C: informal minuscule of the second half of the 16th century or the beginning of the 17th century. The script is small and regular in size. Spiritus are not regularly written (see the title).

Texts and title are written in brown ink.

The writing at f. 36r does not seem to be in the hand of Petros Bergikios as Jackson (2006, p. 33) suggested.

History

Origin: The watermark suggests that part III originates, like part II, in the 2nd half of the 16th century, after 1569.

Part 4 [Cambridge, University Library, MS Kk.5.31, ff. 39r-80v]

Contents

Introduction: As in the case of Part 1, this part of the manuscript contains a text on military tactics, Aelian's Tactica, copied by Angelos Bergikios.

Language(s): Greek

7. ff. 39r-79v
Aelianus, Tacticus, active 2nd century, ⟨Tactica⟩

ff. 71v-72r are blank, without loss of text

TLG 0546.001

7.1. ff. 39r-40r l. 12
Prooemium
Rubric: f. 39r Προοίμιον τῆς θεωρίας ταύτης, πρὸς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα Ἀδριανόν
Incipit: f. 39r ⟨ Τ⟩ὴν παρὰ τοῖς Ἕλλησι τακτικὴν θεωρίαν, ἀπὸ τῶν Ὁμήρου χρόνων τὴν ἀρχὴν λαβοῦσαν, αὐτόκρατορ Καῖσαρ υἱὲ θεοῦ Ἀδριανέ σεβαστέ
Explicit: f. 40r l. 12 τόπους ῥαδίως εὑρίσκων, τοὺς χρόνους μὴ τρίβῃς

In the manuscript the prooemium is addressed to the Emperor Hadrian

7.2. ff. 40r l. 13-79r
⟨Tactica⟩
Incipit: f. 40r l. 16 Περὶ τῶν συγγραφέων τῶν τὰ τακτικὰ καὶ στρατηγικὰ βιβλία συνταξαμένων, καὶ περὶ τῆς παρούσης βίβλου, ὅτι χρειωδέστατον τὸ μάθημα τοῦτο. Πρῶτος μὲν ὧν ἴσμεν, δοκεῖ τὴν τακτικὴν θεωρίαν Ὅμηρος
Explicit: f. 79r καὶ τοῖς ἐναντίοις ἧτταν ἐπάγουσαι.
Final rubric: f. 79r Τέλος τῶν Αἰλιανοῦ τακτικῶν

The paragraphs of the text are numbered in red ink from α΄ (1) to νγ΄ (53).

8. f. 79v
Εxplanation of a picture
Rubric: f. 79v Ἐξήγεσις τοῦ ἀντικρὺ σχήματος
Incipit: f. 79v Λέγεται δ' αὕτη καὶ παρὰ τοῖς παλαιοῖς τετράπλευρος
Explicit: f. 79v ἐξέρχεσθαι τοὺς πολεμοῦντας

The picture referred to is not present in the manuscript. It is preserved in other manuscripts after Aelianus' text (see e.g. Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Cod. Graec. 104 , f. 351r). The text of the explanation is edited by A. Köchly-W. Rüstow, Griechische Kriegsschriftsteller II: Die Taktiker, Leipzig 1855, pp. 552; see also A. Dain, Histoire du texte d'Élien le Tacticien des origines à la fin du Moyen Age, Paris 1946, pp. 156-157

9. ff. 80r-80v
Blank leaf

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: 39r-80v Western paper, folded in quarto, Watermark: Crown with three major and two minor arms surmounted by a six point star ( ca. 39 × ca. 35 mm. ) in the gutter comparable to Briquet Couronne à trois fleurons et deux demi 4835 and Harlfinger Krone 25-26 . The Briquet watermark is dated to 1561/1577 and comes from Italy. The Harlfinger Krone watermarks are dated respectively to 1561, 1562, and 1575.

Collation

Part IV consists of quaternions and a binion.

  • Quires 7-118 ff. 39-78(αʹ-εʹ)
  • Quire 122 ff. 79-80

Early quire signatures in Greek numerals by the hand of the scribe, in black ink, on the first folio of each quire, recto, lower centre, original to the production of the manuscript, from α΄ (1, f. 39r) to ε΄(5, f. 71r).

Layout

One column, 25 lines. 160 × 90 mm.

Hand(s)

39r-80v Hand A: the text is written by Angelos Bergikios (Ἄγγελος Βεργίκιος, Angelus Vergetius, 16th c., first quarter-1569) (RGK I, 3) in black ink; titles and initials are in red.

The scribe also wrote corrections and additions in the margins, in black or red ink (see e.g. f. 40v), some have been trimmed.

Decoration

Initials in ekthesis in a red ink are decorated with a vegetal motif with pearls, see e.g. f. 43r

Minor initials written in a red ink see e.g. f. 78v.

Blanck space was left at the beginning of the text, f. 39r, for the addition of a bigger decorated inital.

Aelian's text is accompanied by illustrations, which represent formations and manoeuvres by means of simple small signs (circles, arrows...) and letters. They are traced by the scribe in black and red ink; circles have been colored sometimes in blue, green, red and gold (see e.g. ff. 44v-45r). They are present at 43r, 43v, 44v, 45r, 45v, 46v, 47v, 48r, 50v, 51r, 52r, 53r, 54r, 55r, 55v, 59v, 61r, 62v, 67r.

History

Origin:

This part of the manuscript, copied by Bergikios on the same kind of paper as part I, was in all probability written around the same year, 1569.

Part 5 [Cambridge, University Library, MS Kk.5.31, ff. v recto-vii verso]

Contents

Introduction: Part 5 is a binion composed of the same kind of paper found in Parts 2 and 3, therefore these leaves were probably added to the manuscript at the same time, in the second half of the 16th century, after 1569.

Language(s): Greek

10. ff. v recto-vi verso
Blank leaves
11. f. vii recto
Philo Chronographus, Excerpt from De agricultura, 87-88
Rubric: f. vii recto l. 1 Ἐκ τῶν Φίλωνος περὶ γεωργίας
Incipit: f. vii recto l. 2 Τίνι γὰρ οὕτως λοχίσαι στρατεύματα[sic], καὶ τάξαι
Explicit: vii recto l. 7 τῆς ἐν τούτοις ἐπιστήμης περιουσίαν ἐξεγένετο
(ed. P. Wendland, Philonis Alexandrini opera quae supersunt 2, Berlin 1897 [repr. Berlin 1962], p. 112 lines 22-26)

TLG 0018.009

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: ff. v-vii Western paper, folded in quarto, Watermark: Shield with letter ‘ B (?) ’, not entirely visible, surmounted by a crown with a four-leaf clover; under the shield ‘ NICOLAS LE BE ’ ( ca. 42 × ca. 50 mm. ) in the gutter. It is not possible to see the whole watermark, due to its position in the gutter. It is comparable to Sosower Lettre 3-4 which are dated to ca. 1567, and to Zonghi 2877-2878, which are dated to 1574.

Collation

Part V consists of 1 binion; the last leaf is probably the right pastedown, f. viii recto (reinforcing stripes have been placed in the gutter of ff. ii-iv, therefore it is now not possible to ascertain this.

  • Quire 134 ff. v -viii

Hand(s)

f. vii recto Hand D: informal minuscule, rapid, characterized by a tendency to enhance the stems, of the 16th century or later.

Text and title are written in grey ink.

Additions

There is a word in Greek on f. vii verso.

History

Origin: The watermark suggests that part V originates, like parts II and III, in the 2nd half of the 16th century, after 1569.

Additional Information

Record Sources

Description (2019) draws partly on A catalogue of the Manuscripts preserved in the Library of the University of Cambridge, vol. 3, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1858, pp. 700-701.

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 (Gg-Kk), (Cambridge, 3: Gg-Kk, Cambridge University Press, 1858) Die griechischen Schreiber des Mittelalters und der Renaissance, Vogel, MarieGardthausen, Victor (Leipzig, O. Harrassowitz, 1909) Commerce et copie de manuscrits grecs Humanisme et Renaissance, Dain, A. (4.4, 395-410, 1937) Une minute d'atelier: le Scorialensis Φ-III-2 Mélanges dédiés à la mémoire de Félix Grat, Dain, A. (Paris, 2, 329-349, 1949) Repertorium der griechischen Kopisten, 800-1600. I. Grossbritannien Veröffentlichungen der Kommission für Byzantinistik, Gamillscheg, ErnstHarlfinger, Dieter (Wien, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1981) The Greek Manuscripts of John Moore and Etienne Baluze Codices Manuscripti, , (56/57, 29-42, 2006)

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The Polonsky Foundation

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