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

MS. Holkham Gr. 29

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

Diktyon no.: 48097

Patristic texts

Contents

Language(s): Greek

2. (fol. 91v)

Later addition with names of months and their meanings.

3. (fols 92r–121v)
On various distinctions (of soul, voice etc),

tit. περὶ διαιρέσεων inc. διαιρεῖται ἡ ψυχὴ εἰς τρία … des. τάδε πρὸς ὠφέλειαν εἰσὶ καλά; cf MS Plut. 10. cod. 26, fols 176r-182r.

4. (fols 121v–123v)
Gregory the wonderworker, Confessio fidei

CPG 1764, BHG 715d, PG 10, 984–988, ACO II, 3. 1–13.

5. (fols 123v–124r)
Rubric: Διαίρεσις ψυχῆς μετὰ ὁρισμοῦ

inc. Ψυχὴ διαιρεῖται εἰς δύο … des. εἰς πάντα διατρέχουσα. Cf. MS Plut. 10, cod. 26, fols 176–182.

6. (fols 124r–128v)
Niketas Choniates, Thesaurus Fidei Orthodoxae, ⟨liber XXI, de Spiritu sancto⟩,

cf. Vat. gr. 680, fols 390r-392v.

7. (fols 128v–134v)
⟨Theophylact Simocatta⟩, Treatise against the idea that the hour of death is fore-ordained

Wrongly attributed here to M. Psellos, ed. P. Joannou, ‘Aus den Unedierten Schriften des Psellos: Das Lehrgedicht zum Messopfer und der Traktat gegen die Vorbestimmung der Todesstunde’, Byzantinische Zeitschrift 51 (1958) 10–14. On the attribution, see C. Astruc, ‘Une fausse attribution pérarée (l'opuscule de «Psellos» εἰς τοὺς λέγοντας ὅρον εἶναι θανάτου restitué à Théophylacte Simokattès)’, Travaux et Mémoires 5 (1973) 357–361.

8. (fols 134v–141v)
George the Monk, Chronicle

Excerpt. ed. de Boor, 510, 13–516. tit. Παρεκβολὴ ἀπὸ τῆς συγγραφῆς τοῦ ἐκτεθέντος χρονικοῦ παρὰ Γεωργίου μοναχοῦ· ἥτις παραινεῖν, μὴ πιστεύειν ὡς ἔτυχε ταῖς διαβολαῖς· ἡ δὲ συγγραφὴ ἐξενωήθη, ὅτε ὁ ἅγιος ἀθανάσιος οὐκ ἐπέθετο τῷ ἐν ἁγίοις κωνσταντίνῳ τῷ βασιλεῖ, παραδέξασθαι τὸν ἄρειον εἰς κοινωνίαν ὡς τάχα μετανοήσαντα, δι᾽ὃ καὶ ἐξωρίσθη τοῦ θρόνου αὐτοῦ· πιστεύσαντος τοῦ βασιλέως ἀβασανίστως οὕτω καὶ ἀνεξετάστως. καὶ τὰς κατὰ τοῦ ἁγίου ἀθανασίου ἐπὶ τῇ ἐξορίᾳ γενομένας ὑπὸ τῶν ἀρειανῶν λοιδορίας· συγγνωμονεῖ οὖν ὁ συγγραφεὺς τῷ βασιλεῖ, καὶ λέγει. Inc. καὶ οὐ θαῦμα πολλάκις γὰρ καὶ θεῖοι ἄνδρες … des. τῷ δὲ ἐλέγχῳ ἡ ψῆφος ἡ πρὸς τὴν ποιότητα τοῦ ἁμαρτήματος τὴν τιμωρίαν ὁρίζουσα.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Parchment (and paper fols. i-ii; fols. 143–145)
Extent: iii + 145 leaves, actually iii + 144 leaves, as fol. 139 has been omitted.
Dimensions (leaf): 133 × 115 mm.

Collation

3 × 8 (24), 7 (8–1: 1 fol. 27: 31), 13 × 8 (135), 6 (-139/1: 142).

Layout

Lake I, 26c. Text block: 98–102 × 80 mm. , 19 lines per page.

Hand(s)

Written by Γρηγόριος Μοναχός before 1238. See RGK I, 84. Fol.141v: subscription, + ἐγράφ(η) διὰ Γρηγ(ο)ρ(ίου) μοναχοῦ μην(ὶ) ἀπριλλ(ίῳ), ἰν(δικτιῶνος) γ´/ […]. This subscription, being at the bottom, has been cut/trimmed, but another hand copied the text above.

Decoration

fols 1r, 92r: decorative headpieces. See Hutter, CBM III, p. 156.

Additions:

fol. 141v, memoire of an earthquake of 16. 9. 1237: + μηνὶ σεπτεβρίω ις´ ἰνδ. ιγ´ ἔτει/ ιςψμς´ ἐπὶ τ(ῆς) βασιλίας ἰω(άννου) κ(αὶ) εἰρήν(ης)· κ(αὶ) ἁγιωτάτου κ(αὶ) οἰκου/μενηκοῦ π(ατ)ριἄρχου τοῦ κυρ γερμανοῦ/ ἐγένετο ὁ μέγας, σισμό(ς).

+ Επαρελαβόθην ἡ πόλ(ις) ἔτει/ ιςψξθ´. See P. Ioannou, 10 (fn 1), Hutter, CBM III, 155. The entire memoire is repeated on fol. 142r.

fol. 142r: Two unidentified later texts, ca 16th c.: inc. + ἐκ λευκῆς πέτρας … des. ἀναστήσονται. inc. τῆ καλοῦνται … des. τουτ(ου) τὴν […]

fol. 142v: Beginning of an imperfect epistle to a Bishop, inc. Τολμῶν ὄλου … des. ἠ γραφή σου συμ(.)ναξ(ει) […]

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. ATHANASII/ QUÆSTIONES/ ET/ RESPONSIONES /DE/ REBUS SACRIS./ M S./ G R. in pasted black leather(?): MS. /HOLKHAM/ Gr. 29

History

Origin: 13th c. (before 1238) ;

Provenance and Acquisition

Ownership Notes: 1st pasted down in its verso: Th. William Coke.– (in pencil): Scriptus ~1 1261, 663a (on the left side, in pencil); fol. ir: Holk Cat No- 62 DIAI (written in pencil). fol. iiiv: ex-libris Seidel: ἐν τῇ μονεμβασίᾳ τῇ γ´/ τοῦ Σεπτ. ᾳχϟ/Ἀνδρέας Ἔρασμος ὁ Σεϊδέ-/λιος. fol. 1r: (with help of UV) ca. 15th c.: + τὸ παρὸν βιβλίον ἐστὶ του Κωνστ(αντίν)ου του Κοτρικου (or Κοτοριλου):- Old Catalogue Nrs: A. E. Seidel from Monemvasia in 1690, sale 1718, no. 26. Olim Holkham Hall, Libr. of the Earl of Leicester, 52

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

2018-07-31: Record fully revised: new description by Dimitris Skrekas.