Late 13th-century manuscript in Greek, written in Constantinople in the circle of Maximus Planudes, probably by Planudes himself, containing 'Meteora' by Cleomedes, and 'Phaenomena' by Aratus.

Item

Identifier: Adv.MS.18.7.15

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The manuscript was written in Constantinople in the circle of Maximus Planudes, probably by Planudes himself (cf. ‘Dated Greek manuscripts of the 13th and 14th centuries in the libraries of Italy’, volume 1, page xvii).

(i) ‘Meteora’ by Cleomedes. (Folio 1).

(ii) `Phaenomena’ by Aratus, with preliminary material and scholia. The preliminary material comprises: προοίμιον (folio 55; Anon II 1), γένος ’Αράτου (folio 58; Anon II 5, Vita III), and ἀστροθεσίαι ξωδίων (folio 59; Anon II 8, Epitome). This is a principal manuscript of the Planudean recension, with the fourfold division of the poem, and with Planudes` substitution for verses 481-496, 501-506, and 515-524 in the margins, the Aratean text being washed out (verses 481-486) or crossed through.

A brief note on folio 105 is in the hand of Demetrius Triclinius.

A note on folio 54 verso mentions an eclipse of the moon on the night of 21-22 August A.M. 6798 (= A.D. 1290) (‘Canon der Finsternisse’, number 3867): τῶ ςψ[?]η έ̓τει τῆ ϰ̄ᾱ αὐγούστου εἰς ϰ̄β̄ γἑγον(εν) ί̓ϰλειψ[?]ς σελήν(ης) μ(ε)τ(ἀ) τὸ μεσονύϰτι(ον) μ[?]χρ’ πρωί(ας).

Headings and initials are in red. The hand is upright and squarish, with frequent ligatures and contractions.

Insertions: folio 54 verso, a note on the calendar reform of Julius Caesar; folio 72 verso lists of names of months; folio 126 verso writing almost totally washed out.

Dates

Creation: Circa 1290.

Extent

1 Volumes (ii + 126 + ii folios.)

Language of Materials

Greek, Ancient (to 1453)

Additional Description

Arrangement

Collation: 1-6⁸, 7⁶, 8-16⁸. Signatures in the form β in the left-hand upper margin of the first recto of each gathering (also 19th-century arabic numerals in pencil in the centre lower margin of the first recto, with 1-4 or A-D in the centre upper margins of the first half of each gathering). Pricking with a circular awl, in gatherings 1-4 at the corner of the text frame, thereafter in the outer margins, through the unfolded gathering with the centre uppermost. Ruling with a hard point, the outer and inner pair of sheets being ruled separately; no guide lines. 1 column in (i) and the introductory material in (ii), 2 in the text of (ii) (a smaller one on the right for the scholia). 24-27 lines in gatherings 1-2, 21-23 thereafter. Ruled area in (i) and the introductory material in (ii) 126-128 x 86 millimetres in gatherings 1-2, 120 x 86 millimetres in 3-10; in the text of (ii) 116-119 x 82-84 millimetres.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Oriental paper. Scottish binding of brown crushed morocco, tooled in gilt, circa 1825.

Custodial History

The manuscript was acquired by the Advocates’ Library before circa 1830.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Presented, 1925, by the Faculty of Advocates to the nation on the foundation of the National Library of Scotland.

Existence and Location of Copies

Microfilm available: Mf.Sec.MSS.472.

Bibliography

Turyn, Alexander. ‘Dated Greek manuscripts of the 13th and 14th centuries in the libraries of Italy’ (University of Illinois, 1972).

Cleomedes. ‘Meteora’, edited by H Ziegler (Leipzig, 1891).

Aratus. `Phaenomena’, edited by E Maass (Berlin, 1893 and 1898).

Oppolzer, T von. ‘Canon der Finsternisse’ (Vienna, 1887).