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

MS. Holkham Gr. 16

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

Diktyon no.: 48084

Menologion for (October and) November; 14th century

Contents

Language(s): Greek

Menologion for (October and) November
1. (fol. IIIr)
(in red ink): Table of contents; tit. Πίναξ τοῦ παρόντος βιβλίου.
2. (fols 1r-12v)
Passio of Sts Acepsimas, Joseph and Aeithalas,

3 November; BHG 20; tit. Μαρτύριον τῶν ἁγίων μαρτύρων Ἀκεψιμᾶ, Ἰωσὴφ καὶ Ἀειθαλᾶ.

3. (fols 13r-17r)
Life of Sts Cosmas and Damianos,

1 November; BHG 374; tit. Βίος καὶ πολιτεία τῶν ἁγίων ἀναργύρων Κοσμᾶ καὶ Δαμιανοῦ.

4. (fols 17r-41v)
Life of St Ioannikios,

4 November; BHG 937; tit. Βίος καὶ πολιτεία τοῦ ὁσ(ίου) π(α)τρ(ὸ)ς ἡμῶν Ἰωαννηκίου.

5. (fols 41v-47v)
Passio of Sts Galaktion and Episteme,

5 November; BHG 666; tit. Μαρτύριον τῶν ἁγίων μαρτύρων Γαλακτίωνος καὶ Ἐπιστήμης.

6. (fols 47v-51v)
Passio of St Hieron,

7 November; BHG 750; tit. Μαρτύριον τοῦ ἁγίου μ(ά)ρ(τυρος) Ἱέρωνος καὶ τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ μαρτυρισάντων ἐν Μελιτινῇ.

7. (fols 51v-63r)
On the Miracles of the Archangel Michael,

8 November; BHG 1285; tit. Εἰς τὰ θαύματα τοῦ ἀρχιστρατήγου Μιχαὴλ συγγραφῆς παρὰ Παντολέοντος διακόνου τῆς μεγάλης ἐκκλησίας. inc. Μεγάλαι καὶ πολλαὶ καὶ ποικίλαι τῆς ἀσωμάτου μεγαλοπρεποῦς ἀρχαγγελικῆς σου ἀρετῆς, des. ἔνθα φωνὴ ἀγαλλιάσεως καὶ ἐξομολογήσεως ἤχου ἑορταζόντων, ὅτι αὐτῷ … ἀμήν.

8. (fols 63–67v)
(Life) of St Menas,

11 November; BHG 1250; tit. Τοῦ ἁγίου μεγαλομ(ά)ρ(τυ)ρος Μηνᾶ τοῦ Αἰγυπτίου τοῦ ἐν τῷ Κ(β)οτυαείῳ μαρτυρήσαντος (μαρτυρίσαντος).

9. (fols 67v-91v)
Life of John the merciful, Patriarch of Alexandria,

12 November; BHG 888; tit. Βίος τοῦ ὁσίου π(ατ)ρ(ὸ)ς ἡμῶν Ἰωάννου πατριάρχου Ἀλεξανδρείας τοῦ ἐλεήμονος.

10. (fols 92r-99v)
Life of St Theoktiste from Lesbos,

9 November; BHG 1725–1726; tit. Βίος καὶ πολιτεία τῆς ὁσ(ίας) μ(ητ)ρ(ὸ)ς ἡμῶν Θεοκτίστης τῆς Λεσβίας.

11. (fols 99v)
Verses,

5 poems in Byzantine Dodecasyllable, functioning as book epigrams on John Chrysostom, being added by another hand, before the Life of St John Chrysostom which starts on the next recto, in the remaining space of the codex; Στίχοι τοῦ Χρυσοστόμου, ἕτερ(οι) in marg. before each poem:

i.

⟨M. Philes⟩, poem, 69 ed. Miller I, 33;

ii.

ii) ⟨M. Philes⟩, poem 70 ed. Miller I, 33, but with different ending in our MS

iii.

⟨M. Philes⟩, poem 71 ed. Miller I, 33

iv.

inc. Σὺ πνεῦμα καὶ νοῦς καὶ λόγος … des. αὐτοῦ τὸν τύπον

v.

inc. Καὶ ζῆς ἀτεχνῶς … des. ὕλαις γράφει. Cf. MS Vatopediou 326, fol. 443r, ed. Kadas.

12. (fols 100r-169v)
Life of St John Chrysostom,

13 November; BHG 875; tit. Βίος καὶ πολιτεία τοῦ ἐν ἁγίοις π(ατ)ρ(ὸ)ς ἡμῶν Ἰω(άννου) ἀρχιεπισκόπ(ου) Κωνσταντινουπόλεως τοῦ Χρυσοστόμου.

13. (fols 170r-176v)
George of Nicomedia, Sermon on the entrance of the Mother of God,

21 November; BHG 1108; tit. Τοῦ μακαρίου Γεωργ(ίου) ἐπισκόπου Νικομηδίας λόγος εἰς τὴν εἴσοδον τῆς π(ανα)γ(ίας) Θ(εοτό)κου ὅτε προσηνέχθη ἐν τῷ ναῷ.

14. (fols 176v-180r)
Germanos of Constantinople, Enkomion of the Mother of God when she entered into the Temple,

21 November; BHG 1104; tit. Τοῦ ἐν ἁγίοις π(ατ)ρ(ὸ)ς ἡμῶν Γερμανοῦ ἀρχιεπισκόπου Κωνσταντινουπόλεως ἐγκώμιον εἰς τὴν ὑπ(ερα)γ(ίαν) Θ(εοτό)κον ὅτε προσηνέχθη ἐν τῷ ναῷ τριετίζουσα. Γερμανοῦ … Κωνσταντινουπόλεως. ἐγκ is written over an erasure.

15. (fols 181r-190r)
Hypomnema to St Andrew the Apostle,

30 November; BHG 101; tit. Ὑπόμνημα εἰς τὸν ἄγιον Ἀπόστολον Ἀνδρέαν τὸν πρωτόκλητον.

16. (fols 190r-197v)
Passio of St Mercurius,

24 November; BHG 1276; tit. Μαρτύριον τοῦ ἁγίου μεγαλομάρτυρος Μερκουρίου.

17. (fols 198r-198v)
⟨Passio of Sts Zenobius and Zenobia⟩

BHG 1885; acephalous, inc. |πρόνοιαν καὶ φείσασθαι μὲν … des. καὶ μία σκηνὴ πάλιν αὐτοὺς ἐν οὐρανοῖς ὑποδέχεται, εἰς δόξαν … ἀμήν.

18. (fols 198v-201v)
Passio of St Epimachus,

31 October; BHG 594; tit. Μαρτ(ύ)ρ(ιον) τοῦ ἁγίου καὶ ἐνδόξου μεγαλομάρτυρος Ἐπιμάχου.

19. (fols 201v-230r)
Gregory of Nyssa, On the Life and Miracles of St Gregory of Neocaesarea,

17 November; BHG 715; tit. Τοῦ ἐν ἁγίοις πατρὸς ἡμῶν Γρηγορίου ἐπισκόπου Νήσης εἰς τὸν βίον καὶ τὰ θαύματα τοῦ ὁσίου π(ατ)ρ(ὸ)ς ἡμῶν Γρηγορίου ἐπισκόπου Νεοκαισαιρείας τοῦ θαυματουργοῦ.

20. (fols 230r-235r)
Passio of St Plato,

18 November; BHG 1551–1552; tit. Μαρτύριον τοῦ ἁγ(ίου) μάρτυρος Πλάτονος. Inc. Οὐ ξένα Γαλατῶν τὰ παρόντα οὐδὲ ὁμολογητοῦ τῆς ἀληθείας ἀλλότρια. des. ἡνίκα δὲ τὸν τεταγμένον κατέλαβε τόπον· εἰς χεῖράς σου τὴν ψυχὴν παρατίθημι τῷ ἀγωνοθέτῃ … καὶ ψαλμοὺς ᾄσαντες ἐν ἐπισήμῳ τόπῳ κατέθεντο … ἀμήν.

21. (fols 235r-241v)
Life of St Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium,

23 November; BHG 72; tit. Βίος καὶ πολιτεία τοῦ ὁσ(ί)ουπ(ατ)ρ(ὸ)ς ἡμῶν Ἀμφιλοχίου ἐπισκόπου Ἰκονίου.

22. (fols 241v-252r)
Passio of St Catherine,

24 November; BHG 32; tit. Μαρτ(ύριον) τῆς ἁγίας καὶ καλλινίκου μάρτυρος τοῦ Χριστοῦ Αἰκατερήνης.

23. (fols 252r-284v)
Life of St Gregory, Bishop of Agrigento,

[24] November; BHG 708; tit. Βίος καὶ πολιτεία τοῦ ἐν ἁγίοις π(ατ)ρ(ὸ)ς ἡμ(ῶν) Γρηγορίου ἐπισκόπου γενομένου Ἀκραγαντίνων.

24. (fols 284v-292v)
Passio of St Peter, Archbishop of Alexandria,

25 November; BHG 1503; tit. Μαρτύριον τοῦ ἁγίου ἱερομάρτυρος καὶ ἀρχιεπισκόπου Ἀλεξανδρείας Πέτρου.

25. (fols 293r-344v)
Clemens Bishop of Rome, Narration on his acts and St Peter’s the Apostle,

25 November; BHG 345–347; tit. Κλήμεντος ἐπισκόπου Ῥώμης καὶ μακαριωτάτου διήγησις τῶν αὐτοῦ πράξεων καὶ Πέτρου τοῦ κορυφαίου (κορυφέου MS) τ(ῶν) ἀπο(στόλων).

26. (fols 344v-349r)
Ephrem, Bishop of Chersona, On the miracle involving a child by St Clemens

BHG 351; tit. Τοῦ ἁγίου ἱερομάρτυρος Εὐφραὶμ ἐπισκόπ(ου) Χερσῶνο(ς) περὶ τοῦ θαύματος τοῦ εἰς τὸν παῖδα γενομένου παρὰ τοῦ ἱερομάρτυρο(ς) καὶ ἀποστόλου Κλήμεντος.

27. (fols 349r-356r)
Passio of St Jacob the Persian,

27 November; BHG 773; tit. Μαρτύριον τοῦ ἁγίου μεγαλομάρτυρ(ος) Ἰακώβου τοῦ Πέρσου.

28. (fols 356r-391v)
Life of St Stephen the Younger,

28 November; BHG 1667; tit. Βίος καὶ πολιτεία τοῦ ἁγ(ίου) ὁσιομάρτυρος Στεφάνου τοῦ νέου.

29. (fols 391v-393v)
Hypomnema to St Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist,

16 November; BHG 1226; tit. Ὑπόμνημα εἰς τὸν ἅγιον ἀπόστολον καὶ εὐαγγελιστὴν Ματθαῖον.

30. (fols 393v-403v)
Life of St Alypius,

26 November; BHG 64; tit. Βίος καὶ πολιτεία τοῦ ὁσίου π(ατ)ρ(ὸ)ς ἡμῶν Ἀλυπίου.

31. (fols 403v-406r)
Passio of St Jacob the Persian,

27 November; BHG 773; tit. Μαρτύρ(ιον) τοῦ ἁγίου μεγαλομάρτυρος Ἰακώβου τοῦ Πέρσου. This repeats the Passio from fols. 349r-356r, ending here imperfectly at fol. 406r; the text on fols. 403v-404r has been crossed out in red ink.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Paper.
Extent: iii + 406 (fols 187 and 193 are omitted).
Dimensions (leaf): 300 × 200 mm.

Layout

Written in two columns; ruling 32 lines per column.

Hand(s)

Several scribes.

Additions:

fol. IIIr: top margin Ὀκτωβρίω λα´.τοῦ ἁγίου μάρτυρος Ἐπιμάχου. Ζήτει εἰς φύλλ(ον) ρϟθ´.

Lower margin further notes.

Occasional notes marking point of interest in hand of Morezenos (e.g. fol.68r, 76v, 77r, passim).

fol. 91v: pen-trial copying part of the facing text.

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|–| OCT. NOV.|

History

Origin: 14th century

Provenance and Acquisition

Ownership Notes: notes in Montfaucon’s hand: fol. iiir: 1698; fol. 1r: 1698. Codex 24, annorum circiter 300, Metaphrastase mensis octobri et novembri.

Old Catalogue Nrs: fol. 1r: ΛΗον; Morezenos 38. Giustiniani 24; Olim Holkham Hall, Libr. of the Earl of Leicester, 89.III.

Record Sources

Description by Dimitrios Skrekas (November 2017), 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