Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries: Cambridge, University Library, MS Kk.6.23

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 12216

Introduction: The manuscript represents a collection of examples of Greek literary epistles of Flavius Philostratus, Theophylactus Simocatta, Ps.-Aeschines and the fragment of the Choice of Heracles of the pre-Socratic philosopher Prodicus of Ceos, preserved by Xenophon. The collection of these texts is followed by a treatise on the 'Epistolary styles', attributed to the rhetorician Libanius (4th century AD) or to the neoplatonic philosopher Proclus (5th century AD). The text of Philostratus is cited in the editions as c. The codex is written by Georgios Hermonymos (b. c. 1430, d. c. 1511), who in addition to being a copyist, was a diplomat (he was sent in England by Pope Sixtus IV) and the first lecturer in Greek at the Collège de Sorbonne in Paris. Hermonymos also copied:

Kk.6.23 is divided into two original series of signatures by Georgios Hermonymos, so that two internal classmarks were added on the left pastedown (MS Kk.6.23.1) and on f. 1r (Kk.6.23.2). Nevertheless, the content of the two parts is coherent, and the two groups of quires seem to have been produced contemporaneously, and were in all likelihood bound together from the outset or at least a very early stage. Before coming to Cambridge University Library as part of the library of John Moore, the manuscript was part of the library of J.B. Hautin.

Language(s): Greek with few annotations in Latin by the copyist

1. ff. 2r-37v

Flavius Philostratus, Epistulae (1-11, 13-47 ed. Kayser) Epistles

Rubric: f. 2r Φιλοστράτου Ἀθηναίου Ἐπιστολαί

Incipit: f. 2r Τὰ ῥόδα ὥσπερ πτεροῖς τοῖς φύλλοις ἐποχούμενα ἐλθεῖν παρὰ σὲ σπουδὴν ἐποιήσαντο

Explicit: f. 37v οὐκ ἔπιες τοῦ νυμφίου· ἡ δὲ Τυρὼ ἐν ἱππεῖ ἐπενήξατο||

Ep. 12 (inc. Πόθεν μου τὴν ψυχὴν κατέλαβες) is omitted

TLG 0638.006

Ff. 38r-38v blank.

2. ff. 39r-44v

Theophylactus Simocatta, Epistulae Epistles

Rubric: f. 39r Θέτις Ἀναξάρχῳ

Incipit: f. 39r Οὐ δύνασαι Θέτιδος καὶ Γαλατείας ἐρᾶν· οὐ τεμαχίζεται πόθος (ep. 39)

Explicit: f. 44r εἰ δὲ δυσανασχετεῖς ὑβριζόμενος, οὐδὲ ῥόδον τρυγήσεις τὴν ἄκανθαν εὐλαβούμενος (ep. 48)

The order of the letters is: 39, 42, 45, 75, 63, 25, 33, 66, 85, 48 ed. Zanetto

TLG 3130.001

3. ff. 44v-45r

Aeschines, Ps.-Aeschinis Epistula (n. 6 ed. Hercher) Epistle

Rubric: f. 44v αἰσχύνης

Incipit: f. 44v Ἀρίστων οὗτος ὁ κομίσας σοι τὴν ἐπιστολήν ὁ πρῶτος ἐστὶν ἡμᾶς ὑποδεξάμενος ἐν Ῥόδω

Explicit: ff. 44v-45r ὅτι οὐ παντελῶς ἔρημοι φίλων ἐσμὲν· ἀλλ’ ἔστι τις Ἀθήνησι Αἰσχίνου μνήμη καὶ λόγος

TLG 0026.004

4. ff. 45v-48v

Prodicus; Xenophon, The Choice of Heracles (defective at the end) Fragmentum Prodici (Diels-Krank 84 B 2) (preserved by Xenophon, Memor. II, 1, 21-28)

Incipit: f. 45v καὶ Πρόδικος δὲ ὁ σοφὸς ἐν τῶ συγγράμματι τῶ περὶ Ἡρακλέους

Explicit: ff. 48r-48v εἴτε ὑπό τινος πόλεως ἐπιθυμεῖς τιμᾶσθαι, τὴν πόλιν ὠφελητέον||

TLG 1634.002

TLG 0032.002

5. ff. 2r-21v

Libanius; Proclus, Characteres epistolici (Ps.-Libanius or Ps.-Proclus; ed. Foerster t. IX) De Forma Epistolae

Rubric: f. 2r περὶ ἐπισταλτικοῦ χαρακτῆρος

Incipit: f. 2r Ὁ μὲν ἐπισταλτικὸς χαρακτὴρ ποικίλος τε καὶ πολυσχιδὴς ὑπάρχει

Explicit: f. 21v καθὸ τοὺς φίλους κακῶς λέγεις· ὅπερ ἀποθέσθαι σε χρή, διαβολὴ γὰρ φιλοσόφοις οὐχ ἁρμόζει· ἐρρωμένος μοι καὶ πολυχρόνιος διαφυλαχθείης πάντος ἀπευκταίου ἐκλυτρούμενος· καὶ τῶν καταθυμίων ἀπολαύων

TLG 2200.008

the treatise is transmitted in two different recensions (formae), one Libanian and another attributed to Proclus (Foerster t. IX p. 2-3); according to Foerster, Kk.6.23 brings the Proclinian forma (p. 12; the explicit coincides with that of Darmstadt, Hessische Landes- und Hochschulbibliothek, Misc. gr. 2773, noted by Hermonymos)

Ff. 14r-14v, 19v, 22r-23v blank.

Physical Description

Form: codex

Support: ff. 1*r-48v, 1r-23v Western paper, folded in quarto. Watermark: Lettre M ( 25 × 10 mm. ) near the gutter comparable to Briquet 8418 . Dated between the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th century.

Extent: Codex: 73 leaves., 210 × 145 mm.

Foliation: 1*, 1**, 2-48 + 1-23. Two modern foliations in pencil in Arabic numerals in the top right-hand corner, recto, restarting after f. 48v: Kk.6.23.1: 1*r-48v; Kk.6.23.2: 1r-23v. f. 24 is pasted on the right board.

Foliation: There are few examples of a previous struck out foliation; this foliation is followed in A catalogue of the Manuscripts preserved in the Library of the University of Cambridge.

Collation

The manuscript consists of 10 quires: one bifolium, one senion and eight quaternions. Kk.6.23.1: quires 1-7; Kk.6.23.2: quires 8-10.

Quire 1² ff. 1*r-1**v
Quire 2⁶⁺¹ ff. 2r-8v
Quires 3-7⁸ ff. 9r-48v
Quires 8-10⁸ ff. 1r-24r (f. 24r is pasted on the right board)

Vertical catchwords in the hand of the scribe placed along the inner bounding line, underlined, reading from top to bottom.

Henry Bradshaw added a general note on collation on f. 1**r.

Two original quire signatures in Greek numeral in red ink, from α^ον (f. 8v) to ϛ^ον (f. 41r) in Kk.6.23.1 and from α^ον (f. 8v) to Γ^ον (f. 17r) in Kk.6.23.2, remain in the middle of the lower margin of recto of the first and the verso of the last folio of each quire, except for α^ον in both parts, ϛ^ον in Kk.6.23.1 and Γ^ον in Kk.6.23.2, only on the first recto.

Condition

In generally fair condition. Leaves have yellowed slightly with age; there are occasional stains. A rectangle of paper (120 × 95 mm) has been cut from f. 1*.

Layout

Written space 145 × 80 mm.

Hand(s)

Georgios Hermonymos : All the texts are written by the 15th-century Greek scholar and scriber (RGK I 61) in a minuscule script in pale brown ink.

Slanting slightly to the right, Hermonymos' hand shows cursive-like ductus without variation in letter size. Ligatures and abbreviations are rare. His script is characterized by the minuscules gamma, eta, xi, rho. Sigma telikon is in Z-shape and is found sometimes in the middle of the word.

Breathings are curved; accents do not join to letters or breathings.

Hermonymos wrote some interlinear or marginal notes in Latin on Kk.6.23.1 ff. 2r, 4v, 7r, 9r, 9v, 10r, 12r, 16r, 23v, 24r, 24v, 25r, 26r, 32r.

For further details on Georgios Hermonymos' script, see Kalatzi (2009), p. 111-132.

Guillaume Budé added some marginal corrections to the text throughtout: Kk.6.23.1 f. 22v, 27r; Kk.6.23.2 ff. 3r, 4r, 8r, 9r.

Decoration

Sample initials of the paragraphs are outlined in red ink.

Binding

Bound with couched-laminate boards. The title (Epist: Græcæ M.S.) is tooled in gold on the spine; the classmark was added to the spine later.

215 × 151 × 22 mm.

The binding re-uses panels probably made in France (end of 15th cent.-early 16th cent.); in all likelihood these belonged to the original binding. Both boards are stamped: a rectangle contains four rectangles decorated with vine branches of grapes and dogs, birds, dragons and monkeys or naked men, in rows facing each other. The rows are enclosed by four fleur-de-lis in the corners and the vv. 7-8 of Psalm 84: Ostende nobis Domine misericordiam tuam et salutare tuum da nobis. Between the rectangles, the figures of a deer, a dog, a dragon and a wild boar are stamped. Two royal coats of arms of France are added on the front cover. The metal claps have gone, but the holes remain on both boards.

History

Origin:

The codex was copied by Georgios Hermonymos during his stay in Paris for Guillaume Budé (see Kalatzi (2009), p. 77) between the end of 15th century and the early 16th century.

Provenance and Acquisition

The manuscript was owned by Jean-Baptiste Hautin (b. 1580?, d. 1640) , who added his ex libris on the front pastedown, and a description (‘ philostrati epistulæ ’), on the same pastedown and on f. 1**v.

John Moore (1646-1714) , bishop of Ely: no. 1015 (f. f. 1*r)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.

Additional Information

Record Sources

Description (2019) draws on A catalogue of the Manuscripts preserved in the Library of the University of Cambridge, vol. 3 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1858, pp. 721-722 and on M.P. Kalatzi, Hermonymos: a study in scribal, literary and teaching activities in the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries (Cultural Foundation of the National Bank of Greece, 2009), p. 187-189.

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, 3: Gg-Kk, Cambridge University Press, 1858)

Die griechischen Schreiber des Mittelalters und der Renaissance, Vogel, MarieGardthausen, Victor (Leipzig, O. Harrassowitz, 1909)

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

Φιλοστϱάτεια. 'Εϱευνες στη χειϱόγϱαφη παϱάδοση των φιλοστϱάτειων Επιστολών. Philostratea. Recherches sur la tradition manuscrite des Lettres de Philostrate Philostratea, Raios, Dimitris K. (Ioannina, 2, Panepistemio Ioanninon, 1997)

Georgios Hermonymos, a 15th-century scribe scholar: an examination of his life, activities and manuscripts, Kalatzi, Maria P. (1998, unpublished PhD dissertation)

The Greek Manuscripts of John Moore and Etienne Baluze Codices Manuscripti, Jackson, Donald F. (56/57, 29-42, 2006)

Hermonymos: a study in scribal, literary and teaching activities in the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries Studies in palaeography, Kalatzi, Maria P. (Athens, Cultural Foundation of the National Bank of Greece, 2009)

La France des humanistes. Hellénistes II, Maillard, Jean-FrançoisFlamand, Jean-Marie (Turnhout, Brepols, 2010)

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 Kk.6.23

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