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

MS. Holkham Gr. 84

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

Diktyon no.: 48152

Homer, Odyssey; c. 1460

Contents

Language(s): Greek

Homer, Odyssey

I 263-XXIV end with hypotheses.

1. (fols 1r–6r)

inc. mut. … δῶκεν, ἐπεί ῥα θεοὺς νεμεσ(ίζετο α)ἰὲν ἐόντ(ας), Homer, Odyssey, I 263-end.

2. (fols 6r–19r)

fol. 6r: Hypothesis, tit. ὑπόθεσις τῆς β ὀδυσσεί(ας), ed. W. Dindorf, Scholia Graeca in Homeri Odysseam, 2 vols, Oxford, 1855 (repr. Amsterdam, 1962), vol. 1, p. 71. 19–22; fols 6v-19r: Book II, tit. ὀδυσσεί(ας) β ὁμήρου ῥαψωδί(ας).

3. (fols 19r–33v)

fol. 19r: Hypothesis, tit. ὑπόθεσις τῆς γ ὀδυσσεί(ας), ed. Dindorf, Scholia Graeca, vol. 1, p. 118. 9–14; fols 19r-33r: Book III, tit. ὀδυσσείας Γ ὁμήρου ῥαψωδί(ας).

4. (fols 34r–69r)

fol. 34r: Hypothesis, tit. ὑπόθεσις τῆς δ ὀδυσσεί(ας), ed. Dindorf, Scholia Graeca, vol. 1, p. 168. 5–13; fols 34r-69r: Book IV, tit. ὀδυσσείας Δ ὁμήρου ῥαψωδί(ας).

5. (fols 69r–73v)

fol. 69r: Hypothesis, tit. ὑπόθεσις τῆς ε ὀδυσσεί(ας), ed. Dindorf, Scholia Graeca, vol. 1, p. 240. 16–23; fols 69r-73v: Book V, tit. ὀδυσσείας Ε ὁμήρου ῥαψωδί(ας).

6. (fol. 73v–83v)

fol. 73v: Hypothesis, tit. ὑπόθεσις τῆς ζ ὀδυσσεί(ας), ed. Dindorf, Scholia Graeca, vol. 1, p. 293. 5–11; fols 73v-83v: Book VI, tit. ὀδυσσείας Ζ ὁμήρου ῥαψωδίας.

7. (fol. 83v–93v)

fol. 83v: Hypothesis, tit. ὑπόθεσις τῆς η ὀδυσσεί(ας), inc. Ἐκκλησία τῶν Φαιάκων γίνεται (γίνεται τῶν Φαιάκων ed.), ed. Dindorf, Scholia Graeca, vol. 1, pp. 320.24–321.3; fols 83v-93v: Book VII, tit. ὀδυσσείας η ὁμήρου ῥαψωδί(ας).

8. (fols 94r–111r)

fol. 94r: Hypothesis, tit. ὑπόθεσις τῆς θ ὀδυσσεί(ας), ed. Dindorf, Scholia Graeca, vol. 1, pp. 355. 20–28; fols 94r-111r: Book VIII, tit. ὀδυσσείας Θ ὁμήρου ῥαψωδί(ας).

9. (fols 111r–127v)

fol. 111r: Hypothesis, tit. ὑπόθεσις τῆς ι ὀδυσσεί(ας), ed. Dindorf, Scholia Graeca, vol. 2, pp. 403. 14–17; fols 111v-127v: Book IX. , tit. ὀδυσσείας ι ὁμήρου ῥαψωδίας.

10. (fols 128r–145r)

fol. 128r: Hypothesis, tit. ὑπόθεσις τῆς κ ὀδυσσεί(ας), ed. J. La Roche, ‘Ζusätze zu den scholien der Οdyssee’, Philologus 19 (1863) 705; fols 128r-145r: Book X, tit. ὀδυσσείας κ ὁμήρου ῥαψωδί(ας).

11. (fols 145r–163v)

fol. 145r: Hypothesis, tit. ὑπόθεσις τῆς λ ὀδυσσεί(ας), ed. J. La Roche, Philologus 19 (1863) 705–706; fols 145r-163v: Book XI, tit. ὀδυσσείας λ ὁμήρου ῥαψωδί(ας).

12. (fols 164r–177v)

fol. 164r: Hypothesis, tit. ὑπόθεσις τῆς μ ὀδυσσεί(ας), ed. J. La Roche, Philologus 19 (1863) 706; fols 164r-177v: Book XII, tit. ὀδυσσείας μ ὁμήρου ῥαψωδί(ας).

13. (fols 177v–190v)

fol. 177v: Hypothesis, tit. ὑπόθεσις τῆς ν ὀδυσσεί(ας), ed. J. La Roche, Philologus 19 (1863) 706–707; fols 177v-190v: Book XIII, tit. ὀδυσσείας ν ὁμήρου ῥαψωδί(ας).

14. (fols 190v–206v)

fol. 190v: Hypothesis, tit. ὑπόθεσις τῆς ξ ὀδυσσεί(ας), ed. J. La Roche, Philologus 20 (1863) 711; fols 190v-206v: Book XIV, tit. ὀδυσσείας ξ ὁμήρου ῥαψωδί(ας).

15. (fols 206v–222v)

fol. 206v: Hypothesis, tit. ὑπόθεσις τῆς ο ὀδυσσεί(ας), ed. J. La Roche, Philologus 20 (1863) 712; fols 206v-222v: Book XV, tit. ὀδυσσείας ο ὁμήρου ῥαψωδίας.

16. (fols 223r–237r)

fol. 223r: Hypothesis, tit. ὑπόθεσις τῆς π ὀδυσσεί(ας), ed. J. La Roche, Philologus 20 (1863) 712; fols 223r-237r: Book XVI, tit. ὀδυσσείας π ὁμήρου ῥαψωδίας.

17. (fols 237r–255r)

fol. 237r: Hypothesis, tit. ὑπόθεσις τῆς ρ ὀδυσσεί(ας), ed. J. La Roche, Philologus 20 (1863) 713; fols 237r-255r: Book XVII, tit. ὀδυσσείας ρ ὁμήρου ῥαψωδίας.

18. (fols 255r–267v)

fol. 255r: Hypothesis, tit. ὑπόθεσις τῆς σ ὀδυσσεί(ας), inc. Πυγμομαχίαν (Πυγμαχίαν ed.) ed. J. La Roche, Philologus 20 (1863) 714; fols 255r-267v: Book XVIII, tit. ὀδυσσείας ὁμήρου σ ῥαψωδί(ας).

19. (fols 268r–286r)

fol. 268r: Hypothesis, tit. ὑπόθεσις τῆς τ ὀδυσσεί(ας), ed. J. La Roche, Philologus 20 (1863) 714; fols 268r-286r: Book XIX, tit. ὀδυσσείας τ ὁμήρου ῥαψωδίας.

20. (fols 286r–297v)

fol. 286r: Hypothesis, tit. ὑπόθεσις τῆς υ ὀδυσσεί(ας), ed. J. La Roche, Philologus 20 (1863) 715; fols 286r-297v: Book XX, tit. ὀδυσσείας υ ὁμήρου ῥαψωδίας.

21. (fols 297v–310v)

fol. 297v: Hypothesis, tit. ὑπόθεσις τῆς φ ὀδυσσεί(ας), ed. J. La Roche, Philologus 20 (1863) 715–716; fols 297v-310v: Book XXI, tit. ὀδυσσείας φ ὁμήρου ῥαψωδίας.

22. (fols 310v–325v)

fol. 310v: Hypothesis, tit. ὑπόθεσις τῆς χ ὀδυσσεί(ας), ed. J. La Roche, Philologus 20 (1863) 716; fols 310v-325v: Book XXII, tit. ὀδυσσείας χ ὁμήρου ῥαψωδίας.

23. (fols 326r–336v)

fol. 325v: Hypothesis, tit. ὑπόθεσις τῆς ψ ὀδυσσεί(ας), ed. J. La Roche, Philologus 20 (1863) 717; fols 326r-336v: Book XXIII, tit. ὀδυσσείας ψ ὁμήρου ῥαψωδί(ας).

24. (fols 337r–353r)

fol. 336v: Hypothesis, tit. ὑπόθεσις τῆς ω ὀδυσσεί(ας), ed. J. La Roche, Philologus 20 (1863) 717; fols 337r-353r: Book XXIV, tit. ὀδυσσείας ω ὁμήρου ῥαψωδί(ας). fol. 353r: τέλος τῆς ὁμήρου ὀδυσσεί(ας): τέλος.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Paper. Watermarks: a mount with cross above and crossed arrows, cf Briquet ‘Deux flèches en sautoir’ 6269 (d. 1454), 6271 (d. 1462). See R. W. Hunt, ‘Pietro da Montagnana: a Donor of Books to san Giovanni di Verdara in Padua’, Bodleian Library Record 9 (1973) 22, fn. 1.
iii + 353 leaves + iii at the end (foliated as 354–356).
Dimensions (leaf): 280 × 195 mm.

Collation

1 × 4–1 (iii), 43 × 8 (344), 1 × 9 (353). Quire markings on the bottom of the beginning and end of each quire. E.g. fol. 97r.

Layout

17 lines per page, Derolez 31 / Leroy 20D1.

Hand(s)

The same hand copied also MSS. Holkham Gr. 90 and 103. It has been proposed that this scribe was an anonymous Cretan, responsible for many other mss. belonging to Pietro da Montagnana. Cf. Gamba, Pietro Da Montagnana: La Vita, Gli Studi, La Biblioteca Di Un Homo Trilinguis, PhD. thesis, 29 January 2016, pp. 247–255. Also, an annotation on fol. 60r of Ms. Holkham gr. 84 has been identified as belonging to Ἰμμανουὴλ Ῥουσωτᾶς, (PLP X 24443; RGK I 154, RGK II 203, RGK III 255). See Gamba, Pietro Da Montagnana: La Vita, Gli Studi, La Biblioteca Di Un Homo Trilinguis, p. 64.

Decoration

Initials in red ink before each hypothesis and book.

Additions:

fol. i(v): 353, leaves; several marginal and interlinear notes mainly in Latin and a few in Greek in hand of Pietro Floriani da Montagnana, fols 7r, 11v, 14v, 36v, 43v, 52r, 60r, 92v, 97r, 111v, 146r, 170r, 175r, 176r, 195r, 195v, 204v, 239r, 265r, 292v.

fol. 1r: (a later sign of hand, sketched in pencil (d. 19th c.?); in marg. ‘This is line 263 of Book I’; fol. 186v: the same symbol in pencil (a hand followed by ‘Ulysses’?) pointing to a formulaic expression of Book XIII, 311–315.

Binding

Holkham binding of green leather, with Coke family ostrich crest in gilt in the centre of the front cover; Date: early nineteenth century. Rebound by John Jones of Liverpool (worked for Holkham 1816–1823). The spine lettered in gilt: /HOMERI/ ODYSSEA/ GR.–//M.S./ SÆC. XII./ ; in pasted black leather: MS. /HOLKHAM/ Gr. 84/

History

Origin: 15th century (c. 1460)

Provenance and Acquisition

Ownership Notes: paste down, upper, left side (in black ink): signature of Thomas William Coke, MS. Holkham Gr. 84. Latin notes passim, in hand of Pietro Floriani da Montagnana † 1478. This MS alongside MSS Holkham Gr. 90, 103 and BL Additional MS 47674 were bequeathed to the Monastery of San Giovanni di Verdara in Padua by Pietro da Montagana. See on BL Additional MS 47674, T. C. Skeat, 'Manuscripts and Printed Books from the Holkham Hall Library, part II: The Manuscripts', British Museum Quarterly 17 (1952) 25–33 (no. 8), R. W. Hunt, ‘Pietro da Montagnana: a Donor of Books to san Giovanni di Verdara in Padua’, Bodleian Library Record 9 (1973) 17–22 and N. G. Wilson, From Byzantium to Italy. Greek Studies in the Italian Renaissance, Second edition, London, 2017, p. 130. For a discussion of Montagana’s annotations on Holkham Gr. 84 see E. Gamba, Pietro Da Montagnana: La Vita, Gli Studi, La Biblioteca Di Un Homo Trilinguis, PhD. thesis, 29 January 2016, pp. 88–89, 95, 96, 125, 138, 244, 251, 284.

Catalogue Nrs: fol. i(r): No 264 265/ MS. Saec. XV.; fol. iir: D4 A4 Olim Holkham Hall, Libr. of the Earl of Leicester, 265.

Record Sources

Description by Dimitrios Skrekas (2020), 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

2020-08-04: New description by D. Skrekas.