A catalogue of Western manuscripts at the Bodleian Libraries and selected Oxford colleges

MS. Holkham Gr. 15

Summary Catalogue no.: Not in SC (late accession)

Diktyon no.: 48083

Menologion for the month of September; Crete (?), 11th century, second half (with additions 14th-15th century)

Contents

Language(s): Greek

Menologion for September
1. (fols 1r-6r)
Life of St Theodora of Alexandria,

1 September; BHG 1727; tit. Βίος καὶ πολιτ⟨ε⟩ία τῆς ὁσ(ίας) μ(ητ)ρ(ὸ)ς ἡμῶν Θεοδώρας, fol. 1r: image of St Theodora and above Σεπτέμβριος.

2. (fols 7r-25r)
Life of St Symeon the Stylite,

1 September; BHG 1686–1687; tit. Βίος καὶ πολιτεία τοῦ ὁσίου καὶ θεοφόρου πατρὸς ἡμῶν Συμεὼν τοῦ στηλίτου.

3. (fols 25r-32r)
Passio of St Mamas,

2 September; BHG 1019a; tit. Μαρτύριον τοῦ ἁγίου μ(ά)ρ(τυρος) Μάμαντος.

4. (fols 32r-36v)
Passio of St Anthimos,

3 September; BHG 135; tit. Μαρτύριον τοῦ ἁγίου μ(ά)ρ(τυρος) Ἀνθήμου.

5. (fols 37r-42v)
Passio of St Babylas, bishop of Antiocheia, and of the three children,

4 September; BHG 206; tit. Μαρτύριον τοῦ ἁγίου ἱερομάρτυρος Βαβύλα ἐπισκόπου Ἀντιοχείας καὶ τῶν τριῶν παίδων.

6. (fols 42v-47v)
Narration of the Miracle of the Archangel Michael at Chonae (in Colossae),

6 September; BHG 1284; tit. Διήγησις περὶ τοῦ γενομένου θαύματος παρὰ τοῦ ἀρχιστρατήγου Μιχαὴλ ἐν Χώναις.

7. (fols 47v-52v)
Passio of Sts Eudoxios, Romulos, Zenon and Makarios,

6, 7 September; BHG 1604; tit. Μαρτύριον τῶν ἁγίων μαρτύρων Εὐδοξίου, Ῥωμύλου, Ζήνωνος καὶ Μακαρίου.

8. (fols 52v-55r)
Passio of St Sozon,

7 September; BHG 1644; tit. Μαρτύριον τοῦ ἁγίου μάρτυρος Σώζοντος.

9. (fols 55–60v)
Passio of St Severianos,

9 September; BHG 1627; tit. Μαρτύριον τοῦ ἁγίου μάρτυρος Σευηριανοῦ.

10. (fols 60v-66r)
Passio of Sts Menodora, Metrodora and Nymphodora,

10 September; BHG 1273; tit. Μαρτύριον τῶν ἁγίων μαρτύρων γυναικῶν Μηνοδώρας, Μητροδώρας καὶ Νυμφοδώρας.

11. (fols 66r-76v)
Life of St Theodora in Alexandria,

11 September; BHG 1730; tit. Βίος καὶ πολιτεία τῆς ὁσίας Θεοδώρας τῆς ἐν Ἀλεξανδρείᾳ.

12. (fols 76v-79v)
Passio of St Autonomus,

12 September; BHG 198; tit. Μαρτύριον τοῦ ἁγίου ἱερομάρτυρος Αὐτονόμου.

13. (fols 79v-87r)
Passio of St Cornelius the centurion

September 13; BHG 371; tit. Μαρτύριον τοῦ ἁγίου καὶ ἐνδόξου μεγαλομάρτυρος Κορνηλίου τοῦ ἐκατοντάρχου.

14. (fols 87r-90r)
Passio of St Nicetas,

15 September; BHG 1340; tit. Μαρτύριον τοῦ ἁγίου μ(ε)γ(αλο)μ(ά)ρ(τυ)ρ(ος) Νικήτα.

15. (fols 90r-98v)
Passio of St Euphemia,

16 September; BHG 620; tit. Μαρτύριον τῆς ἁγίας μάρτυρος Εὐφημίας.

16. (fols 98v-106r)
Passio of Sts Sophia, Piste, Elpis and Agape,

17 September; BHG 1638; tit. Μαρτύριον τῶν ἁγίων γυναικῶν Σοφίας, Πίστεως, Ἐλπίδος καὶ Ἀγάπης.

17. (fols 106r-113r)
Passio of Sts Trophimus, Sabbatius and Dorymedon,

19 September; BHG 1854; tit. Μαρτύριον τῶν ἁγίων μαρτύρων Τροφήμου, Σαββατίου καὶ Δορυμέδοντος.

18. (fols 113–130v)
Passio of St Eustathius and his companion,

20 September; BHG 642; tit. Μαρτύριον τοῦ ἁγίου μ(ε)γ(αλο)μ(ά)ρ(τυ)ρ(ος) Εὐσταθίου καὶ τῆς συνοδίας αὐτοῦ.

19. (fols 130v-134r)
⟨Asterios of Amaseia⟩, Passio of St Phokas,

22 September; BHG 1539–1540; CPG 3260.hom. ix; tit. Μαρτύριον τοῦ ἁγίου μάρτυρος Φωκᾶ.

20. (fols 134r-144v)
Passio of St Thecla,

24 September; BHG 1719; tit. Μαρτύριον τῆς ἁγίας καὶ ἐνδόξου πρωτομάρτυρος καὶ ἀρχιδιακόνου Θέκλης.

21. (fols 145r–152r)
Life of St Euphrosyne who has been renamed Smaragdos,

25 September; BHG 626; tit. Βίος καὶ πολιτεία τῆς ὁσίας Εὐφροσύνης τῆς μετονομασθείσης Σμαράγδου.

22. (fols 152r-161r)
⟨Symeon Metaphrastes⟩, Hypomnema on St John the Evangelist,

26 September; BHG 919; tit. Ὑπόμνημα εἰς τὸν ἅγιον Ἰω(άννην) τὸν Εὐαγγελιστὴν καὶ Θεολόγον.

23. (fols 161r-168r)
Passio of St Kallistratos and his companion,

27 September; BHG 291; tit. Μαρτύριον τοῦ ἁγίου Καλλιστράτου καὶ τῆς συνοδίας αὐτοῦ.

24. (fols 168v-176r)
Life and Passio of St Chariton,

28 September; BHG 301; tit. Βίος καὶ μαρτύριον τοῦ ὁσίου π(ατ)ρ(ὸ)ς ἡμῶν Χαρίτωνος τοῦ ὁμολογητοῦ καὶ καθηγητοῦ τῆς ἐρήμου.

25. (fols 176r-184v)
Life of St Cyriacus,

29 September; BHG 464; tit. Βίος τοῦ ἐν ἁγίοις π(ατ)ρ(ὸ)ς ἡμῶν Κυριακοῦ τοῦ ἀναχωρητοῦ.

26. (fols 184v-202v)
Life of St Gregory of Armenia,

30 September; BHG 713; tit. ⟨Βίος καὶ πολιτεία καὶ μαρτύριον⟩ τοῦ ἁγίου Γρηγορίου τῆς μεγάλης Ἀρμενίας. Inc. ⟨Τ⟩ῆς τῶν Περσῶν ἀρχῆς.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Parchment (fols 8r-180v) and paper (fols 1r-7r, 181r-202v)
Extent: ii + 204
Dimensions (leaf): 350 × 250 mm.

Layout

Lake II, 34c; written in two columns, 33 lines per column.

Decoration

fol. 1, Sketch with an image of St Theodora. Various decorated headpieces preceding each Vita. See Hutter III.1, pp. 59–60.

Additions: fol. 55r: ζήτει εἰς τὰς ὀκτὼ τοῦ μηνὸς εἰς τὴν ἀρχὴν τοῦ βιβλήου ἀναγνώσματα δ(ύ)ο/ εἰς τὸ σωσίκοσμ(ον) γενέθλον τῆς ὑπερ(αγίας) ἀμώμου δεσποίνης/ ἡμῶν Θεοτόκου· Ἀνδρέου κρίτης τοῦ ἱεροσολυμίτου : -

Binding

Holkham binding of black leather, with Coke family ostrich crest in gilt in the centre of the upper cover; Date: early nineteenth century. Rebound by John Jones of Liverpool (worked for Holkham 1816–1823). SPINE: lettered in gilt: SYMEONIS| METAPHRASTAE|VITAE| S.S. MARTYRUM| G.R.| M.S.| SAEC. XII|–| SEP.|

History

Origin: 11th century, second half (except for fols 1r-7r, 181r-end, added 14th-15th century) ; Crete (?)

Provenance and Acquisition

Ownership Notes: fol. 1, a note written in Montfaucon’s hand: 1698. Codex 8, mensis September Metaphrastae annorum plus quam 600.

fol. 113r: ἐκ τῶν Ἰω(άν)νου ἱερέως τοῦ Μορεζήνου βίβ(λων).

Old Catalogue Nrs: Morezenos fol. 1r. ΚΗον, 28 . Giustiniani 8. Olim Holkham Hall, Libr. of the Earl of Leicester, 89. II.

Record Sources

Description by Dimitrios Skrekas (2017–18), with the support of the Leventis Foundation, the Oxford Centre for Byzantine Research, the Yerolemou Trust and the Michael Marks Charitable Trust.

Bibliography

Last Substantive Revision

2018-08-02: Record fully revised according to new description by Dimitris Skrekas