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

MS. Holkham Gr. 20

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

Diktyon no.: 48088

Life of St Basil the Younger

Contents

Language(s): Greek

1. (fols 1r-219r)
Life of St Basil the Younger

BHG 264; Tit. Βίος καὶ πολιτεία τοῦ ὁσίου καὶ θεοφόρου πατρὸς ἡμῶν Βασιλείου τοῦ νέου καὶ ὀπτασία πάνυ ὠφέλιμος. Inc. Τῆς ἀκαταλήπτου Θεοῦ περὶ τὸ βρότειον γένος ὑπεραγάθου φιλανθρωπίας καὶ ἀγαθότητος, des. ὁ μείζων πάντων ἐκκλίνειν ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ καὶ ποιεῖν πάντως ἀγαθὸν καὶ οἰκοδομεῖν πάντας εἰς αὐτὸ … ἀμήν. ; cf. The Life of Saint Basil the Younger. Critical Edition and Annotated Translation of the Moscow Version. Edited and translated by Denis F. Sullivan, Alice-Mary Talbot, and Stamatina McGrath [Dumbarton Oaks Studies XLV.] (Washington, DC: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. 2014).

2. (fol.221r)
⟨‘Ephrem the Greek’⟩, ⟨Precationes ad sanctissimam dei Matrem⟩

CPG 4079; Precationem 6; Oratio ad Sanctissimam Dei Genitricem, inc. mut …] Παρθένος, ὑπὲρ πάσας οὖσα τὰς παρθένους … des. mut. καὶ φιλάν(θρωπ)ου Θ(εο)ῦ μ(ητέ)ρα, πρόστηθί μοι καὶ [ἐν τῇ ὥρᾳ ταύτῃ … ; eds J.S. Assemani, P. Benedictus and S.E. Assemani., Τοῦ ἐν ἁγίοις πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἐφραὶμ τοῦ Σύρου τὰ εὑρισκόμενα πάντα. Sancti patris nostri Ephraem Syri opera omnia quæ exstant, Gr., Syr., Lat., nova interpretatione, præfationibus, notis, variantibus lectionibus illustr. Rome 1746, vol. III, pp. 537C-D; The text is printed as a ‘prayer before Holy communion’ in Nikodemos the Hagiorite (ed.), Ἐπιτομὴ ἐκ τῶν Προφητοδαβιτικῶν ψαλμῶν· Ἀπάνθισμα Διαφόρων κατανυκτικῶν εὐχῶν· περιέχον καὶ τὰς Θεολογικάς, καὶ πρὸς Θεῖον Ἔρωτα θεωρητικὰς εὐχὰς τοῦ Ἱεροῦ Αὐγουστίνου Ἐπισκόπου Ἱππῶνος. Ὧν ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ Λόγος τις περὶ Mετανοίας· Καὶ ἐν τῷ τέλει Λόγος ἕτερος περὶ Ἀρχιερωσύνης. Constantinople, 1799, pp. 105–107; the same text is reproduced also in A. Simonov, Μέγα Προσευχητάριον, Thessalonike, 2001, pp. 80–81: Εὐχὴ ς´εἰς τὴν Κυρίαν Θεοτόκον ἱκετήριος. ἐν ᾧ καιρῷ μάλιστά τις βούλεται μεταλαβεῖν; inc. Ὦ Πανάμωμε Θεοῦ Μῆτερ ὑπὲρ πάντα νοῦν. καὶ λόγον. ὦ ὑπεραγία Παρθένε, πάσης παρθενίας ὑπερκειμένη, ὡς καὶ πρὸ τοῦ θείου τόκου Παρθένος, ὑπὲρ πάσας οὖσα …

3.
Gregory of Nazianzus, Carmina quae spectant ad alios

Extract: PG 37. 1518. 10- 1519.

Fols. 219v, 221v-222r blank.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Paper
Extent: iv (fols i-ii (newer); fols iii-iv (initial 14th cent. paper) + 223 leaves. (fols 36 and 15 are omitted from foliation)
Dimensions (leaf): 215 × 150 mm.

Layout

20 lines per page.

Hand(s)

Dionysios (fol. 222v; RGK 1. 110)

Decoration

fol. 1r decorative head-piece, and above it is written ΙΣ ΧΣ.

Additions:

fols iii-iv: Pen- trials

fol. iiir: a sketch of a female Saint;

Κ(ύρι)ε ὁ τὸν θάνατον σκϋλεῦ(σας)

Κ(ύρι)ε ὁ τὸν λάζαρον ἀνστίς(ας)

Ἀνάστασιν Χ(ριστο)ῦ θεασάμενοι

Προσκυνήσωμεν ἅγιον Κ(ύριο)ν Ἰ(ησοῦ)ν

Τὸν μόνον ἀναμάρτιτον

fols iiir: + ὅμως πολλὰ δϊε(?)…ονίς(ας) κα]ι συντρίψας σκϋ καὶ σϋν ἡμῖν σὺν αὐτῷ ἔστϊσας αὐτὰ ἀφέντι δέσποτα μουρζήνη χέρι ἐν κ(υρί)ῳ καὶ ἐσαυ καὶ ἠ συντροφί(α)

fol. Ivr: Ὁ βΐος ῀Ης ἀκαταλήπτου Θ(εο)ῦ περὶ τὸ βρότειον γένος ὑπεραγάθου … written three times, in the third version φιλ/ καὶ μεγάλου ἐναυ is added.

fol. 219r: scribal colophon in form of a book epigram + Θ(εο)ῦ διδόντος οὐδὲν/ ἰσχΰει φθόνος· καὶ μὴ δϊ/δόντος, οὐδὲν ἰσχύει πόνος. See DBBE http://www.dbbe.ugent.be/typ/350

Intermittent annotations in hand of Morezenos.

Binding

Typical Holkham binding of brown 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). The spine lettered in gilt: S. BASILII/JUNIORIS/VITA/ET/CANONES/GR./–/MS./SÆC. XIV. ; in pasted black leather: MS./HOLKHAM/Gr. 20

History

Origin: 15th century

Provenance and Acquisition

Ownership Notes: fol. iv(v): αον (by a later hand): ἐκ τῶν μάρκου μορ(ε)ζήνου ; fol. 1r handwritten note in black ink by B. de Montfaucon: Codex num. 36, 1698. Vita S. Basilii iunioris et canones quidam conciliorum. Annorum circiter 300. ; fol. 220r: + οὗτος ὁ βίβλος ἐστὶν ἱερέως μϊ/χαὴλ μορζῆ· καὶ ὥστις τόχεν (τολμᾷ Delehaye) κλέ/ψειν να ἔχει τὰς ἀρὰς τῶν ἁγίων/ πατέρων· καὶ τῶν ἑπτὰ συνόδων. fol. 222v: pen-trials and signatures: ὁ θέλων γράμματα μαθεῖν, καὶ/ θέλει νὰ ἐπαινεῖται· θέλει πολλὴν ὑπομονὴν. Θέλει πολλὰς ἡμέρας τιμὴν πρὸς τὸν διδάσκαλον δουκάτα πρὸς τὰς χεῖρας :- δυονίσιος ἱερωμώναχος; an illegible monokondylon

Old Catalogue Nrs: pasted paper board: 662b; fol. i: Holk. Cat. No. 88 CI B10 (below No there is another figure: 86), written in pencil; Olim Holkham Hall, Libr. of the Earl of Leicester, 86

Record Sources

Description by Dimitrios Skrekas (2018), 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

2018-10-08: Record fully revised according to new description by Dimitris Skrekas