Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries: Cambridge, University Library, MS Nn.2.39

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 12239

Introduction: The manuscript Nn.2.39 contains a humanistic copy of the Table-Talks by the Greek essayist Plutarch of Chaeronea (ca. 46 - ca. 120 AD), known as Συμποσιακὰ προβλήματα or Quaestiones Convivales (Moralia 46 = Plan. 78). The manuscript was copied at the end of 15th century or at the beginning of the 16th century by Petros Hypselas from Aegina, who was an associate of the scholar Demetrios Chalkondyles (ca. 1424-ca. 1511) in Florence, and after 1507 he taught Aristotle in Bologna as successor of Paolo Bombasios. The script is simple and clear, probably to meet the needs of Western readers. The copyist also shows that he is aware of the textual problems, and leaves some empty spaces in correspondence with the lacunae in the tradition. The manuscript was owned by the humanist Antonio Seripando (1476-1531), who inherited the library of Aulus Janus Parrhasius (1470-1522), and later entered into the collection of the English physician and book collector Anthony Askew (1722-1774). After his death, it was acquired by Cambridge University Library. Dr Matteo Di Franco

Language(s): Greek with notes in Latin

Plutarch, Quaestiones Convivales (Moralia 46 = Plan. 78) (defective at the end and with lacunae)

Rubric: f. ii recto Συμποσιακῶν βιβλίον πρῶτον περιέχον κεφάλαια ι

Incipit: f. ii recto Τὸ μισέω μνάμονα συμπόταν ὦ Σόσσιε Σενεκίων ἔνιοι πρὸς τοὺς ἐπιστάθμους εἰρῆσθαι λέγουσιν

Explicit: f. 89r τἀναντία τοὺς κακῶς εἱμαρμένης ἀνάγκη συνάπτων (740c) ||

Table of contents of Book 1: f. ii recto
Book 1: ff. ii recto - 4v
Table of contents of Book 2: f. 4v
Book 2: ff. 4v-15r
Table of contents of Book 3: f. 4v
Book 3: ff. 4v-23v (f. 16r is blank and there is a lacuna: f. 15v ends at 645c τὸ περὶ τῶν στεφάνων πρῶτον ἔχουσαν, f. 16v stars at 646a ἐγὼ δ’ εἰδὼς ὅτι γυμνασίας ἕνεκα)
Table of contents of Book 4: f. 24r
Book 4: ff. 24r-37v (f. 33v is blank and there is a lacuna: f. 33r ends at 666c ἀλλ’ ὑπὸ φόβου τῆς ψυχῆς ὡς ἔοικεν, f. 34r stars at 667e τῆς ἀρχαϊκῆς καρπούμενον θαλάττης)
Table of contents of Book 5: f. 38r
Book 5: ff. 38r-47v
Table of contents of Book 6: f. 47v-48r
Book 6: ff. 48r-56v
Table of contents of Book 7: f. 57r
Book 7: ff. 57r-70v
Table of contents of Book 8: f. 71r
Book 8: ff. 71r-85v
Table of contents of Book 9: f. 85v
Book 9: ff. 85v-89r (ends at 740c τἀναντία τοὺς κακῶς εἱμαρμένης ἀνάγκη συνάπτων)

TLG 0007.112

Physical Description

Form: codex

Support: ff. i recto - 90v Western paper, folded in folio. Watermark: Bull's head ( 90 × 60 mm. ) in the middle of the folio comparable to Sosower Tête de boeuf 2 , dated the beginning of the 16th century.

Extent: Codex: iii + 98 + iii leaves., 280 × 197 mm.

Foliation: [a-c] + i-ix, 1-53, 55-89, [90] + [d-f]. Early foliation in red ink in Arabic numerals, recto, top right from the second quire; number 54 is skipped. A modern foliation is added in pencil in Roman numerals, recto, top right to not-foliated folios of first quire.

Collation

The manuscript consists of 12 quires, 11 quaternions and a quinion:

Quires 1-11⁸ ff. i recto - 80v
Quire 12¹⁰ ff. 81r-[90]v

Vertical catchwords in the hand of the scribe placed along the inner bounding line, reading from top to bottom on quires 5-8, ff. 31v, 39v, 47v, on quires 10-11, ff. 64v, 72v, 80v. Quire signatures in Arabic numeral in pencil from 4 to 11 on lower margin of first rectos of quires 5-12.

Condition

In fair condition. Leaves are lightly yellow with age, mould deposits on endleaves. coloured staining (red) on f. 23v and (yellow) on f. i verso.

Layout

One column of 27 lines; written space 190 × 11 mm.

Hand(s)

Petros Hypselas : the manuscript was copied by the Greek scholar and scribe Petros Hypselas (RGK I 349) (active between the end of 15th and the beginning of 16th century) in a scholarly-calligraphical minuscule script in black ink.

Slanting slightly to the right, Hypselas' hand shows cursive-like ductus without variation in letter size. Ligatures and abbreviations are rare, common and very clear.

Beta is present in the bilobate and modern forms; tau and gamma are high, lambda is capitalized but small in size. The sigma telikon is present, the letters are often separated and easily recognizable, probably to facilitate reading by Western readers.

Breathings are curved; accents do not join to letters or breathings, but the circumflex is traced in a single gesture together with the ypsilon or omega.

Decoration

Headpieces in red ink on ff. ii recto,

Sample initials of the paragraphs are outlined in red ink.

Binding

Couched-laminate board binding covered in quarter mid-brown tanned calfskin with stamped ornamentation and marbled paper on the sides. The title is tooled in gold on the spine. 296 × 218 × 30 mm.

History

Origin:

The codex was copied by Petros Hypselas in Italy in the late 15th century or early 16th century.

Provenance and Acquisition

The manuscript was owned by the Neapolitan humanist Antonio Seripando (1476-1531) , as stated in the note on f. i verso: ‘Plutarchi quaestiones convivales, Graece, Antonij Seripandi ex Jani Parrhasii testamento’. Seripando inherited the library of the humanist Aulus Janus Parrhasius (b. 1470, d. 1522).

At Seripando’s death, his books passed on to his brother, Cardinal Girolamo Seripando (1493-1563) .

Bequeathed by Cardinal Seripando to the Augustinian convent of San Giovanni a Carbonara in Naples . Before being declared 'Royal Library' by the King Ferdinand IV of Naples in 1792, the convent library was predated on several occasions and in some instances manuscripts and books were sold by the monks themselves.

The manuscript entered into the collection of the London lawyer Walter Clavell and later into the library of Anthony Askew (b. 1722, d. 1774) , physician and book collector. After his death, the manuscript was sold by G. Leigh and J. Sotheby in the auction of his library in 1785 (lot 592).

The manuscript came to Cambridge University Library after the Askew's sale, and the University of Cambridge general bookplate (engraved by William Jackson in 1706-1707) was added on inside front board.

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, p. 706.

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

Plutarchus: Moralia. Volume IV, (Berlin/Boston, De Gruyter, 1971)

Oeuvres morales / Plutarque. t. 9, Propos de table. 1ère ptie, Livres I-III, (Paris, Belles lettres, 1972)

Specimen eines Repertoriums der griechischen Kopisten Jahrbuch der österreichischen Byzantinistik, Gamillscheg, ErnstHarlfinger, Dieter (27, 293-322, 1978)

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

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 Nn.2.39

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