8 February; BHG 994; tit. Βίος καὶ πολιτεία καὶ μερικὴ θαυμάτων διήγησις τοῦ ὁσίου πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ θαυματουργοῦ Λουκᾶ τοῦ νέου τοῦ ἐν Ἑλλάδῃ κειμένου.

1.6. (fols 82v–92)

Passio of St Nikephoros,

9 February; BHG 1332; tit. Μαρτύριον τοῦ ἁγίου μεγαλομάρτυρος Νικηφόρου.

1.7. (fols 92–99v)

Passio of St Blasius,

11 February; BHG 277; tit. Μαρτύριον τοῦ ἁγίου ἱερομάρτυρος Βλασίου.

1.8. (fols 99v–116v)

Life of St Martinianos,

13 February; BHG 1178–1179; tit. Βίος τοῦ ὁσίου πατρὸς ἡμῶν Μαρτινιανοῦ.

1.9. (fols 117–127v)

Passio of St Theodore the Recruit,

17 February; BHG 1763; tit. Μαρτύριον τοῦ ἁγίου μεγαλομάρτυρος Θεοδώρου τοῦ τήρωνος.

⟨Menologion for the month of March⟩

2.1. (fols 127v–141v)

⟨Euodius monk⟩, Passio of the Forty-Two Martyrs in Amorium,

6 March; BHG 1214; tit. Μαρτύριον τῶν ἁγίων καὶ ἐνδόξων τοῦ Χριστοῦ τεσσαράκοντα δύο μαρτύρων.

2.2. (fols 141v–150v)

Passio of the Forty Martyrs,

9 March; BHG 1202; tit. Μαρτύριον τῶν ἁγίων τεσσαράκοντα τοῦ Χριστοῦ μαρτύρων.

2.3. (fols 150v–159)

Narration in remembrance of the salvation of the City from the Persians

March; BHG 1060; tit. Διήγησις ὠφέλιμος ἐκ παλαιῶν ἱστοριῶν συλλεγεῖσα καὶ ἀνάμνησιν δηλοῦσα τοῦ παραδόξως γενομένου θαύματος ἡνίκα Πέρσαι καὶ βάρβαροι τὴν βασιλίδα ταύτην πόλεων ἐκύκλωσαν· οἳ καὶ ἀπώλοντο θείας δίκης πειραθέντες· ἡ δὲ πόλις ἀσινὴς συντηρηθεῖσα πρεσβείαις τῆς Θεοτόκου ἐτησίως ἔκτοτε ᾄδει εὐχαριστήριον ἀκάθιστον τὴν ἡμέραν ἑορτάζουσα. In top margin: Τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς ἀκαθίστου.

⟨Menologion for the month of April⟩

3.1. (fols 159–177v)

⟨Sophronius of Jerusalem⟩, Life of St Mary of Egypt,

1 April; BHG 1042; CPG 7675; tit. Βίος τῆς ὁσίας Μαρίας τῆς Αἰγυπτίας συγγραφεὶς παρὰ Σωφρονίου ἀρχιεπισκόπου Ἱεροσολύμων.

3.2. (fols 178–192)

⟨Niketas David Paphlagon⟩, Passio of St George,

23 April; BHG 676; tit. Μαρτύριον τοῦ ἁγίου μεγαλομάρτυρος Γεωργίου.

3.3. (fols 192–201v)

⟨Asterius of Amaseia⟩, Enkomion of St Basileus, Bishop of Amaseia,

26 April; BHG 240; CPG 3265; tit. Ἐγκώμιον εἰς τὸν ἅγιον ἱερομάρτυρα Βασιλέα ἐπίσκοπον Ἀμασείας.

3.4. (fols 201v–202v)

John Chrysostom, Sermon on the Annunciation of the Mother of God,

25 March; BHG 1128 f; mutilated at the end des. mut. (PG 50, 793, lin. 15 ab imo). tit. Τοῦ ἐν ἁγίοις πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἰωάννου τοῦ Χρυσοστόμου λόγος εἰς τὸν εὐαγγελισμὸν τῆς ὑπεραγίας Θεοτόκου.

Physical Description

Form: codex

Support: Parchment.

Extent: iii+ 204

Dimensions (leaf): 345 × 265 mm.

Layout

Written in two columns; 30 lines per column.

Hand(s)

There seem to be several hands.

Decoration

Decorated headpieces before each Vita. Also with illumination on fols. 1r. See Hutter III,I, pp. 82–83.

Binding

History

Origin: 11th century

Provenance and Acquisition

Old Catalogue Nrs: Morezenos (or Morezinos ?) 27. Giustiniani 17. Olim Holkham Hall, Libr. of the Earl of Leicester, 89.I.

Fol. 1r: a note written in Montfaucon’s hand: 1698. Codex 17. Annorum circiter 600. Metaphrastae mensis februarius et quaedam vitae mensis martii et aprilis.

Fol. 159r: ἐκ τ(ῶν) ἱερε(ως) τοῦ μορεζήνου βἰβλ(ων)

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

Irmgard Hutter, Corpus der byzantinischen Miniaturenhandschriften, I-III, Oxford, Bodleian Library, 3 vols. in 4 (Stuttgart, 1977–82), iii, 55 [Internet Archive]

Online resources:

DBBE: Database of Byzantine Book Epigrams

Pinakes | Πίνακες: Textes et manuscrits grecs

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Last Substantive Revision

2018-08-14: Record fully revised according to new description by Dimitris Skrekas