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

MS. Holkham Gr. 23

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

Diktyon no.: 48091

Sermons, mainly for feasts of Christ and the Virgin, by various authors

Contents

Language(s): Greek

1. (fol iii(v))

pasted leaf in Morezenos’ hand with memoires from years 1607 and 1608.

2. (fols iv(r)-vi(v))

Table of Contents

3. (fols 1r-20r)
George of Nicomedia, In S. Mariam sub cruce

BHG 1139, PG 100, 1457–1489.

4. (fols 20v-31r)
Gregory of Antioch, Homilia in mulieres unguentiferas

CPG 7384, PG 88, 1848–1866.

5. (fols 31v-37v)
⟨Basil of Seleucia⟩, Homilia in sanctum Pascha

CPG 6657, PG 28. 1073–1081. Attributed in the manuscript to Athanasios of Alexandria.

6. (fols 37v-40v)
John Chrysostom, Homilia in sanctum Pascha

CPG 4408, PG 52, 765–772.

7. (fols 41r-57v)
Hesychius of Jerusalem (?), Sermo in Pascha

PG 46, 628–652. The text is attributed elsewhere also to Severus of Antioch or to Gregory of Nyssa.

8. (fols 57v-71r)
John of Thessalonica, Homilia in mulieres ungentiferas

CPG 7922, PG 59, 633–644.

9. (fols 71v-72v)

blank.

10. (fols 73r-78r)
Proclus, Patriarch of Constantinople, Homilia i. De laudibus S. Mariae

CPG 5800, BHGa 1129, ed. Constas, 136–146.

12. (fols 84r-89v)
John Chrysostom, De occursu Domini, de Deipara et Symeone

CPG 4523, BHG 1925, Aldama 351, PG 50, 807–812.

13. (fols 90r-106r)
John of Damascus, Homilia ii in dormitionem b. u. Mariae

CPG 8062, BHG 1097, ed. Kotter, p. 501–540.

14. (fols 106v-114r)
John Chrysostom, In natalem Christi diem

CPG 4560, BHG 1905, 1905d, Aldama 260, PG 56, 385–394.

15. (fols 114v-119r)
Germanus of Constantinople, Homilia ii in praesentationem s. deiparae

CPG 8008, BHGa 1104, Aldama 193, PG 98, 309–320.

16. (fols 119v-120v)

blank.

18. (fols 137r-149v)
Andrew of Crete, In nativitatem B. Mariae IV

CPG 8173, BHGa 1092–1092b, 1902d, PG 97, 861–881.

20. (fols 158r-171v)
Gregory of Nyssa, Oratio in diem natalem Salvatoris

CPG 3194, BHG 1915, ed. Mann, pp. 235–269.

21. (fols 171v-184v)
George of Nicomedia, In Deiparae ingressum in templum

BHG 1108, PG 100, 1420–1440.

22. (fols 185r-185v)
Dialogue of a certain scholastikos with St Symeon the New Theologian
Rubric: Διάλογος σχολαστικοῦ τινος πρὸς Συμεῶνα τὸν ἅγιον καὶ θεολόγον
Incipit: Σχ. Τὶ ἦν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ προτοῦ γενέσθαι τὸν κόσμον
Explicit: καὶ ἐκ μυρίων ἑτέρων ἁγίων

See CPG 6109, where it is attributed to Diadochus of Photike as Catechesis, but indicated as ‘spurious’. The work is possibly written by Symeon the New Theologian. Cf. B. Krivochéine, The Writings of St. Symeon the New Theologian, OCP 20 (1954), pp. 315–327. Ed. E. des Places, Diadoque de Photicé, Œuvres spirituelles (SChr 5ter), Paris 1966, pp. 180–182.

23. (fols 187r-190r)
John Chrysostom, In oraculum Zachariae redditum

CPG 4517, BHG 0858h, Aldama 360, PG 50, 785–788.

24. (fols 190r-193r)
John Chrysostom, In duodecim apostolos Sermo

CPG 4573, BHG 0159–0159c, Aldama 095, PG 59, 495–498.

25. (fols 190r-212r)
John Chrysostom, Contra theatra sermo

CPG 4563, BHG 2355, PG 56, 541–554.

26. (fols 212r-215r)
⟨Pantoleon the Monk⟩, Homilia in exaltationem Crucis

CPG 7915, BHG 430, Aldama 388, PG 98, 1265–1269.

27. (fols 215r-218v)
Joseph of Thessalonica, Homilia de sancta cruce

CPG 7930, BHG 440, ed. I. Gretser, Opera Omnia de sancta cruce, II, Ratisbonae 1734, pp. 85–88.

28. (fols 219r-235r)
Andrew of Crete, Homilia de humana vita et de defunctis

CPG 8192, BHG 2103p, PG 97, 1268–1301.

30. (fols 242v-254av)
John Chrysostom, De patientia sermo 1

CPG 4620, BHG 2103x, PG 60, 723–730.

31. (fols 254br-270v)
John of Damascus, De his qui in fide dormierunt

CPG 8112, BHG 2103t, PG 95, 248–277.

32. (fols 271r-358v)
John Chrysostom, De Lazaro Conciones 1–5

CPG 4329, BHG 2103i, PG 48, 963–1026: i) fols 271r-297v: concio 1; ii) fols 298r-311v: concio 2; iii) fols 312r-333r: concio 3; iv) fols 333v-348r: concio 4; v) fols 348v-358v: concio 5.

33. (fols 359r-366r)
John Chrysostom, In Eutropium

CPG 4392, PG 52, 391–396.

35. (fols 375r-392r)
Methodios of Olympus, Sermo de Simeone et Anna

BHG 1961, CPG 1827, PG 18, 348–381.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: paper
Extent: vii + 394 leaves (134 omitted and 254 doubled as 254a, 254b)
Dimensions (leaf): 213 × 155 mm.

Hand(s)

Several hands (even within the same work there are many changes in hands; see fols 150r-158r; 158r-171v; 171v-184v; 271r-358v).

Decoration

Head-piece decorative pieces mainly in red and black ink, before each work: fols ivr, 1r, 20v, 31v, 41r, 57v, 73r, 121r, 137r, 212r, 219r, 254br, 271r, 298r, 312r, 348v, 375r.

Additions:

fol. IIIv: Εἰς ᾳχζ´τὸν Ἰανουάρι(ον).| + Τὸν παρόντ(α) χρόν(ον) ἔγιν(εν) μεγάλος χειμ(ὼν) κ(αὶ) περίσα δυνατός,| καὶ ἔκαμ(εν) τὸν μήναν τὸν δικέμβριον κ(αὶ) νοέμβριον πολλὰ νερά.| ὁποὺ ἄλλοτες δὲν ἔκαμε(ν) τόσα, κ(αὶ) τῶρα τὸν μῆν(α) Ἰανουάριον| ἐγίννηκ(εν) μιὰ χιωνιά, καὶ κριῶταις τόσα δυνατ(αῖς), | ἀποῦ δὲν θυμοῦμεσθαν ποτὲ ἔτοιαις. κ(αὶ) ὅλον τὸ νυσῆ ἐχιωνήστ(η)| εἰς πολλ(ὴν) ποσότ(η)τ(α). κ(αὶ) μέσα εἰς τὴν χώρ(αν) ἔγιν(εν) τὸ ὅμοιον κ(αὶ)| ἐστάθηκεν ὡς πήχην, κ(αὶ) ἔκρατ(εν) πολλ(αῖς) ὥραις. κ(αὶ) ὅλοι τὸ εἴχ(αν) ὀδιὰ θαυμαστ(όν).

Εἰς ᾳχη´τὸν νοεμβρίον.| Τὸν παρόντ(α) χρόν(ον) ἐφάνηκ(εν) εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἕνας ὡς ὁμοίωμ(α) ἀστέρος κ(αὶ) τοῦτον| ὑπολαμβάνωμ(εν) νὰ ἦτον ὁ αὐγερηνὸς καὶ εἶχε μί(αν) λάμψιν καὶ μί(αν) φλόγαν| εἰς τὴν καρδί(αν) καὶ εὔγεν(εν) ἔξω ὡσᾶν νὰ εἶχεν τὴν δειώχνη νὰ τὴν| φυσά ὁ ἴδιος ἀστέρας· κ(αὶ) ἄλλον ὡς ἕνα σπαθὴ τούρκικ(ον), κ(αὶ) ἦν θαυμαστ(ὸν)| καὶ ἐφάνηκεν εἰς πολλαῖς φορ(αῖς).

(See Kakoulidi, ‘ Ὁ Ἰωάννης Μορεζῆνος καὶ τὸ ἔργο του’, 53, esp. fn. 10)

Binding

Typical Holkham binding of light 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: DIVERSORUM/ PATRUM/ HOMILIÆ/ GR.– M.S./ SÆC. XV./ in pasted black leather(?):in pasted black leather(?): MS. /HOLKHAM/ Gr. 23/

Plant fragments, found in the text-block, preserved in a special transparent case at the end-leaf, d. 1994.

History

Origin: 16th cent.

Provenance and Acquisition

Ownership Notes: fol. ivr: handwritten note in black ink by B. de Montfaucon: 1698. Codex num. 60. 200 circiter annorum Homiliae/ diversorum partum.

Old Catalogue Nrs: fol. ir: Holk. Cat. – No 96 C 2 Β.10 (96 and 120 have been crossed out; all written in pencil); Morezenos 65. Giustiniani 60.

Flyleaf: 662 h.

fol. ivr: ΞΕον

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

2018-07-10: Record fully revised according to new description by Dimitris Skrekas