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

MS. Holkham Gr. 85

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

Diktyon no.: 48153

Dionysios Periegetes, Theognis, Pindar; 16th century

Contents

Language(s): Greek

1. (fols 1r–24v)
Dionysios Periegetes, Orbis descriptio

Ed. K. Brodersen, Dionysios von Alexandria. Das Lied von der Welt, Hildesheim, 1994, pp. 42–116. Fol. 24v (in red ink): τέλος (in monokondylon); διονυσίου ἀλεξανδρέ(ως).

2. (fols 25r–49v)
Theognis, Elegiae

Book 1, ed. D. Young (post E. Diehl), Theognis, 2nd edn., Leipzig, 1971, pp. 1–74. Siglum Ho in this edition. Fol. 49v (in red ink): τέλος σὺν θεῷ τοῦ θεόγνιδος. Again τέλος (in monokondylon).

3. (fols 51r–116r)
Pindar, Olympia

With selective interlinear glosses and comments mainly in red ink.

Ed. H. Maehler (post B. Snell), Pindari carmina cum fragmentis, pt. 1, 5th ed., Leipzig, 1971, pp. 2–6, 8–15, 17–34, 36–40, 42–56, 58

i) fol. 51r-58r: Olympia I. Fol. 58r (in red ink): ὕμνου τέλος ἱέρωνος συρακουσίου

ii) fol. 58v-65r: Olympia II. Fol. 65r: (in red ink): + ὕμνου τέλος· θήρωνος ἀκραγαντίνου:-

iii) fol. 65v-68v: Olympia III

iv) fols 69r-70v: Olympia IV

v) fols 71r-73r: Olympia V

vi) fols 73r-80r: Olympia VI. Fol. 80r (in red ink): ὕμνου τέλος ἀγησίου συρακουσίου:

vii) fols 80r-87r: Olympia VII. Fol. 87r (in red ink): ὕμνου τέρμα διαγόρου τοῦ πύκτου:

viii) fols 87r-91v: Olympia VIII. Fol. 91v (in red ink): ὕμνου τέλος ἀλκιμέδοντος: ~

ix) fols 91v-98r: Olympia IX. Fol. 98r: ὕμνου τέλος ἐφαρμόστου ὀπουντίου:

x) fols 98r-103r: Olympia X. Fol. 103r (in red ink): ὕμνου τέλος ἀγησιδάμου λοκροῦ ἐπὶ ζεφυρίου:

xi) fols 103r-104r: Olympia XI. Fol. 104r (in red ink): τέλος τοῦ τόκου:

xii) fols 104r-105r: Olympia XII. Fol. 105r (in red ink): ὕμνου τέλος ἐργοτέλους ἱμεραίου

xiii) fols 105r-111v: Olympia XIII. Fol. 111v (in red ink): ὕμνου τέλος· ξενοφῶντος κορινθίου·

xiv) fols 112r-113r: Olympia XIV. Fol. 113r (in red ink): ὕμνου τέλος ἀσωπίου ὀρχομενίου·

Fol. 50r-v blank.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Paper
ii + 113 leaves + iii (foliated as 114–116).
Dimensions (leaf): 222 × 155 mm.

Collation

2 × 2–1 (ii), 3 × 8 (24), 2 × 10 (44), 1 × 6 (50), 8 × 8 (114), 2 × 2–1 (116).

Layout

various: 25 lines per page (fols 1r-49v)

13 lines per page (fols 51r-116r).

Hand(s)

A) fols 1r-49r: Ζαχαρίας Καλλιέργης, See RGK I 119, RGK II 156, RGK III 197; Álbum de copistas de manuscritos griegos en España, Vol. I: Biblioteca de El Escorial, 13, 013- Callierges, Zacharias; (accessed at 22.10.19). 16th c. Related bibliography: R. Barbour, ‘Summary Description of the Greek Manuscripts from the Library at Holkham Hall’, Bodleian Library Record 6 (5) (1960) 608; V. Chatzopoulou, ‘L'étude de la production manuscrite d'un copiste de la Renaissance au service de l'histoire des textes: le cas du Crétois Zacharie Calliergis’, Revue d'histoire des textes 7 (2012) 18; A. Diller, The Textual Tradition of Strabo's Geography : With Appendix, The Manuscripts of Eustathius' Commentary on Dionysius Periegetes, Amsterdam, 1975, p. 202, fn. 63; I. Tsavari, Histoire du Texte de la Description de la Terre de Denys le Périégète, Ioannina, 1990, and ed. I. Tsavari, Διονυσίου Ἀλεξανδρέως Οἰκουμένης Περιήγησις: Κριτικὴ ἔκδοση, Ioannina, 1990). See also K. Jensen, Printing Greek: A European Enterprise, Oxford, 1992, p. 6, no. 7, where it is stated that the MS ‘was written by Kallierges in the first years of the sixteenth century, and is probably from Kallierges’s years in Padua'. All these correct the erroneous attribution to Janus Lascaris made in D. C. C. Young, ‘A Codicological Inventory of Theognis Manuscripts’. Scriptorium 7 (1953) (1) 26 https://doi.org/10.3406/scrip.1953.2460 : ‘Ho is a carefully written and revised copy by Lascaris from q, handsomely decorated, probably about 1494’.

B) fols 51r-113r: The same hand as in Bodleian MSS D’Orville 187 and Arch. Seld. B. 17 (fols 90-end).

Decoration

Decorative headpieces in the beginning of certain sections: fols 1r, 25r, 51r. Also decorative initials employed by both the scribes. Titles written in Epigraphische Auszeichnungmajuskel (fols. 1r, 25r). Large decorative initial on fol. 25r. Between fols 51r-113r, in several cases initials and titles were omitted for later completion, which never happened (fols 69r, 71r, 73r).

Additions:

Binding

Holkham binding of green 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: /DIONYSIUS/THEOGNIS/ PINDARI/OLYMP. /; in pasted black leather: MS. /HOLKHAM/ Gr. 85/

History

Origin: 16th century (early)

Provenance and Acquisition

For date see above, Hands.

Old Catalogue Nrs: paste down: MS. Holkham Gr. 85; fol. i(r): No 265 (sup lin 7) 267 D2 B.3, Olim Holkham Hall, Libr. of the Earl of Leicester, 267.

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.