Dendrinos - Bibliophilos: Books and Learning in the Byzantine World

Byzantinisches Archiv

Als Ergnzung zur Byzantinischen Zeitschrift

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ISBN 9783110717099

e-ISBN (PDF) 9783110718492

e-ISBN (EPUB) 9783110718546

Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek

The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data are available on the Internet at http://dnb.dnb.de.

2021 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Analecta Bollandiana

Byzantinische Forschungen

Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies

Byzantinisch- und Neugriechische Jahrbcher

Bolletino della Badia Greca di Grottaferrata

Byzantion

Byzantinoslavica

yzantinische Zeitschrift

Corpus Christianorum, Series Graeca

Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae

Clavis Patrum Graecorum

Corpus Scriptorum Historiae Byzantinae

Dumbarton Oaks Papers

Dumbarton Oaks Studies

Dumbarton Oaks Texts

Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies

Journal for the History of Astronomy

Jahrbuch der sterreichischen Byzantinistik

Lexikon der christlichen Ikonographie

Orientalia Christiana Periodica

Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium

Patrologia Graeca

Prosopographisches Lexikon der Palaiologenzeit

Reallexikon zur byzantinischen Kunst

Revue des tudes Byzantines

Repertorium der griechischen Kopisten

Rivista di studi bizantini e neoellenici

Sources Chrtiennes

Segno e Testo

Studi e Testi

Travaux et mmoires

Vizantijskij Vremmenik

Wiener byzantinistische Studien

Over a century ago, the distinguished scholar Nikos A. Bees conducted systematic in situ research in the monastic libraries of Meteora (Thessaly). In his published Report () he recorded most of his significant findings, including manuscripts and noteworthy texts as well as imperial, patriarchal and other documents. Among other texts, Bees also copied another metrical text, in iambic verses, attributed to a certain kyr Manuel, a baptised Jew and student of the great philosopher and scholar kyr Blemmydes.

These verses were included in Meteora, Varlaamensis 167, ff.221v222r (Pls 12), Folios2r, 17r, 247r are blank.

The codex consists of a good quality thick whitish western paper with watermarks. A deep black ink was used for the text and red for the initial letters and the headings, both well preserved. The scribes employ the conventional abbreviations and write their text in a small, clear script slightly inclined to the right. The only watermark identified in the manuscript is an Ancre in a circle and letters, which is similar to Harlfinger Ancre 53 dated in 1563.

Plate 1 Cod. Meteora, Varlaamensis 167, f.221v. Holy Monastery of Varlaam, Meteora.

Plate 2 Cod. Meteora, Varlaamensis 167, f.222r. Holy Monastery of Varlaam, Meteora.

The manuscript contains mostly canons and a number of troparia with theological and literary scholia. Besides Manuels poem, the only worthwhile text of the volume appears to be a canon by Arklas the philosopher: (f. 222r). On ff.1rv, 2v3v, 247v appear probationes pennae. On the interior of the back cover (= 248r), the following note was copied twice: | | | () () () | | [or ] | .

The codex preserves its original binding, in a black stamped leather on wooden boards, 8mm thick. The front cover is badly damaged. The decorative pattern consists of a rectangle enclosed by double imprinted lines crossed by two diagonal and one horizontal line as well as by a large rhombus. Within the above-mentioned pattern there are two rhombi and twelve triangles decorated by small stamps consisting of two concentric circles. This decorative type is common in Byzantine bindings and was still in use during the 16th century. Its fastenings are also of Byzantine type, consisting of a triple four-thong braid strap with a metal ring.

Manuels poem is composed in 15 iambic dodecasyllabic verses, with the exception of verses 6, 10 and 14. Apart from the first verse, the rest have the first word incomplete as their first letter was never executed by the rubricator. So far, this poem is known only from codex Varlaamensis. It is not included in the catalogues of Vassiss Initia Carminum Byzantinorum,

Manuels poem is edited below with tacit corrections in orthography and omissions of mute iota; additions appear in pointing brackets <>; abbreviations and contracted nomina sacra are expanded; all other corrections and amendments appear in the apparatus criticus. A short apparatus fontium and an English translation of the text poem are also provided.

Cod. Meteora, Varlaamensis 167, ff.221v222r