MS. Holkham Gr. 89

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

Diktyon no.: 48157

Aristophanes, Three Comedies (Plutus, Clouds, Frogs) with marginal scholia and interlinear notes

Language(s): Greek

1. (Fols ivr–vii(v))

Miscellaneous Introductory material:

i. fol. ivr

tit. παρ’ ολυμπιοδώρῳ| + αἱ χάριτες τέµενός τι λαβεῖν, τόπερ οὔτι πεσεῖτ(αι)| ζητοῦσαι, ψυχὴν εὗρον Ἀριστοφάνους. See https://www.dbbe.ugent.be/types/5362 Also written (possibly by a non-Greek hand, of 17 th c. ?): Β/ Αριςοφανης and a circle of the zodiac cycle with names of days and zodiac (given both as signs and names). Notes related to these are to be found on fols 69v-70r. See below.

ii. fol. vr

Various short texts on metre: inc. + τὸ ἰαμβικὸν μέτρον τὸ παλαιὸν … des. δέχεται ἢ ἴαμβον ἢ πυῤῥίχιον. Presentation of the metres: inc. + δάκτυλος … des. ὁ ἐκ δύο βραχέ(ων), followed by metrical signs of two shorts and ⟨Aristophanes Plutus, 1–2⟩ being scanned

iii. fol. vii(v)

List of the Athenian months, supplemented by an explanatory note about the beginning of the year in various eras and places (Athens, Romans and Greeks as ‘γραικ(ῶν)᾽): inc. + ἰστέον ὅτι ἡ ἀρχὴ τοῦ ἔτους … des. ὁ μαιμακτηριών.

2. (fols 1r–1v)

⟨Thomas Magister⟩, Life of Aristophanes, Vita Thomana 1

Ed. W. J. W. Koster, Prolegomena de comoedia. Scholia in Acharnenses, Equites, Nubes, Scholia in Aristophanem 1.1A. Groningen, 1975, pp. 146–147.

3. (fols 1v–229v)

Aristophanes

Comedies with interlinear glosses and marginal scholia

3.i. (fol. 1v–69v)

Plutus

fols 1v-2v: Hypothesis, ed. M. Chantry, Scholia in Thesmophoriazusas, Ranas, Ecclesiazusas et Plutum, Scholia in Aristophanem 3.4b, Groningen, 1996, p. 1, cf. also ed. N. G. Wilson, Aristophanis Fabulae, vol. ii, Oxford, 2007, pp. 270–271.

fols 2r-2v: Vita Thomana 2, des. ὧν προσῆκεν, ἐργαζόμενοι. ed. Koster, Prolegomena, p. 149. 12

fol. 2v: Dramatis personae, ed. M. Chantry, Scholia in Thesmophoriazusas, Ranas, Ecclesiazusas et Plutum, Scholia in Aristophanem 3.4a, Groningen, 1994, p. 4, as ‘Index personarum’, ed. N. G. Wilson, Aristophanis Fabulae, i, p. 272

fols 3r-69v: Plutus, ed. N. G. Wilson, Aristophanis Fabulae, i, pp. 273–326

⟨Thomas Magistros⟩, marginal scholia, cf. ed. M. Chantry, Scholia 3.4b, pp. 2–292

e) fols 69v-70r: notes on planets, months and days, possibly related to the sketch of fol. ivr: tit. καρ ἀσκολίαζε ταῦτα πρὸς τὴν αἰθροίαν: inc. Ἑπτὰ μὲν οἱ πλανῆτ(αι) … des. τὸ σάββατον ὡς προείπομ(εν). Also fol. 69v (in marg.): inc. Ἕτεροι δὲ λύοντες τ(ὴν) ἀπορίαν … ἐπὶ ἀνατολάς. See also Koster, Prolegomena, p. lxxxvi.

3.ii. (fols 70r–151r)

Clouds

fols 70r-70v: ⟨Thomas Magistros⟩, Hypothesis, Argumentum 1a, ed. W. J. W. Koster, Prolegomena de comoedia. Scholia in Acharnenses, Equites, Nubes, Scholia in Aristophanem 1.3.2, Groningen, 1974, pp. 8–9

fol. 70v: Dramatis Personae, ed. W. J. W. Koster, Prolegomena … Scholia 1.3.2, p. 13, cf. ed. N. G. Wilson, Aristophanis Fabulae, i, p. 136

fols 71r-151r: Clouds, ed. N. G. Wilson, Aristophanis Fabulae, i, pp. 137–202

⟨Thomas Magistros⟩ and ⟨Demetrios Triklinios⟩ Scholia, ed. W.J.W. Koster, Prolegomena … Scholia 1.3.2, pp. 14–198.

3.iii. (fols 153r–229v)

Frogs

fols 153r-153v: ⟨Thomas Magistros⟩, Hypothesis, ed. M. Chantry, Scholia in Thesmophoriazusas, Ranas, Ecclesiazusas et Plutum, Scholia in Aristophanem 3.1b, Groningen, 2001, p. 1; ‘Hypothesis III’, ed. N. G. Wilson, Aristophanis Fabulae, vol. ii, Oxford, 2007, pp. 130–131

fol. 153v: Dramatis personae, cf. ed. M. Chantry, Scholia in Thesmophoriazusas, Ranas, Ecclesiazusas et Plutum, Scholia in Aristophanem 3.1a, Groningen, 1999, p. iv, cf. ed. N. G. Wilson, Aristophanis Fabulae, ii, p. 134

fols 154r-229v: Frogs: ed. N. G. Wilson, Aristophanis Fabulae, ii, pp. 135–204

Scholia, cf. ed. M. Chantry, Scholia 3.1b, pp. 1–251.

Physical Description

Form: codex

Support: Paper. Watermarks: cf. Briquet ‘Balance’ 2543 (d. 1514), 2569–2570 and 2576–2577 (d. 1476–1493).

Extent: vii (iii from the current binding +iv-vii from the initial) 232 leaves + iii at the end foliated as 233–235.

Dimensions (leaf): 260 × 195 mm.

Layout

20 lines per page.

Hand(s)

a) fols ivr (for the beginning with the epigram, not for the rest, on which see b), viii(v)-16v, Ἀνδρέας Δῶνος, RGK I 14, RGK II 22, RGK III 23; b) fol. ivr: possibly a non-Greek hand, of 17th c.?; c) fol. v(r); d) fols 17r-229v, the same hand as in MS. Barocci 66, fols 5r-164r: Sophocles, tragedies, with scholia and glosses in the same fashion as in Holkham Gr. 89.

Decoration

Simple decorative styles preceding some sections, fols 1r, 70r.

Additions:

fol. i(v): v G 224 (subscr. 3) 224 (subscr. 3)-236 leaves

fol. 69v: ζήτ(ει) ὅπισθεν εἰς φίλλ(α) πέντ(ε).

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: / ARISTOPHANIS/ COMOEDIAE/ GR.// SÆC. XIV./; in pasted black leather: MS. /HOLKHAM/ Gr. 89/

History

Origin: 16th century

Provenance and Acquisition

Old Catalogue Nrs: front pastedown, in pencil: Holkham Gr. 89; fol. i(r): No ~~267~~ (sup. lin. 270) D2 ^B5 Olim Holkham Hall, Libr. of the Earl of Leicester, 270

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

Online resources:

Pinakes | Πίνακες: Textes et manuscrits grecs

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Last Substantive Revision

2020-08-20: New description by D. Skrekas.

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