MS. Holkham Gr. 95

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

Diktyon no.: 48163

Plutarch, Parallel Lives

Language(s): Greek

1. (fol. i(r))

Table of Contents with selective incipits. Also various notes in Italian by two different hands: Pars Plutarchi … At the very beginning: Ομεροσην μέρος

Language(s): Italian

2. (fols 1r–11v)

Cimon, ed. K. Ziegler, Plutarchi vitae parallelae, vol. 1.1, 4th edn., Leipzig, 1969, pp. 332–359.

3. (fols 11v–38v)

Lucullus, ed. K. Ziegler, Plutarchi vitae parallelae, vol. 1.1, pp. 359–419.

4. (fols 38v–53v)

⟨Themistocles⟩, ed. K. Ziegler, Plutarchi vitae parallelae, vol. 1.1, pp. 157–197.

5. (fols 53v–66v)

⟨Publicola⟩, ed. K. Ziegler, Plutarchi vitae parallelae, vol. 1.1, pp. 124–152.

6. (fols 66v–84r)

Solon, ed. K. Ziegler, Plutarchi vitae parallelae, vol. 1.1, pp. 82–123.

7. (fols 84r–108v)

⟨Camillus⟩, ed. K. Ziegler, Plutarchi vitae parallelae, vol. 1.1, pp. 197–248.

8. (fols 108v–129r)

Lycurgus, ed. B. Perrin, Plutarch's lives, vol. 1, Cambridge, Mass., 1914 (repr. 1967), pp. 204–302. fol. 108v: tit sup lin λυκοῦργος

9. (fols 129r–148v)

⟨Numa⟩, ed. B. Perrin, Plutarch's lives, vol. 1, pp. 306–382.

10. (fols 148v–166r)

⟨Phocion⟩, ed. K. Ziegler, Plutarchi vitae parallelae, vol. 2.1, 2nd edn., Leipzig, 1964, pp. 1–31.

11. (fols 166r–202r)

⟨Cato minor⟩, ed. K. Ziegler, Plutarchi vitae parallelae, vol. 2.1, pp. 32–92.

12. (fols 202v–228r)

⟨Dion⟩, ed. K. Ziegler, Plutarchi vitae parallelae, vol. 2.1, pp. 93–135.

13. (fols 228v–255v)

⟨Brutus⟩, ed. K. Ziegler, Plutarchi vitae parallelae, vol. 2.1, pp. 135–179.

14. (fols 255v–277r)

⟨Aemilius Paullus⟩, ed. K. Ziegler, Plutarchi vitae parallelae, vol. 2.1, pp. 184–222.

15. (fols 277r–298r)

⟨Timoleon⟩, ed. K. Ziegler, Plutarchi vitae parallelae, vol. 2.1, pp. 222–255.

16. (fols 298r–313r)

⟨Sertorius⟩, ed. K. Ziegler, Plutarchi vitae parallelae, vol. 2.1, pp. 257–281.

17. (fols 313r–326r)

⟨Eumenes⟩, ed. K. Ziegler, Plutarchi vitae parallelae, vol. 2.1, pp. 281–301.

18. (fols 326r–369r)

⟨Alexander⟩, ed. K. Ziegler, Plutarchi vitae parallelae, vol. 2.2, pp. 152–253.

19. (fols 369v–397v)

⟨Caesar⟩, ed. K. Ziegler, Plutarchi vitae parallelae, vol. 2.2, pp. 253–337. des mut. πρὸς δὲ τούτοις τὰ μἐν ἕλη τᾶ περί νω[μεντῖνον (Πωμεντῖνον ed.) καὶ … (58.9).

Physical Description

Form: codex

Support: Parchment (vellum)

iv + 100 leaves

Dimensions (leaf): 320 × 225 mm.

Collation

1 × 4–1 (iii), 38 × 10 (380), 1 × 8 (388), 1 × 10–2 (397), 1 × 4–1 (400).

Layout

30 lines per page.

Hand(s)

Contrary to R. Barbour’s statement that the MS is ‘written partly by an Italian had’, R. Barbour, ‘Summary Description of the Greek Manuscripts from the Library at Holkham Hall’, Bodleian Library Record6 (5) (1960) 610, , the scribe seems to be Greek. The main scribe: fols 1r-397v is to be identified with scribe B of Ayer MS 743, (Ptolemy, Geography). The same scribe is also responsible for the following MSS: Vat. gr. 1619, (fols 56r–182r, Xenophon’s Opera minora) and Reg. gr. 96, (Xenophon’s Oeconomicus and Anabasis); Paris. gr. 2012, (fols 1r–41v: Plato’s Epistles); Vindob. Suppl. gr. 51, (fols 105r–107v, Xenophon’s Cyropaedia) and Leidensis Cod. B.P.G. 48, (fols 64r–65v, Xenophon’s Cyropaedia). All the aforementioned MSS, including MS Holkham gr. 95, except for Ayer MS 743, contain marginal notes in hand of Francesco Barbaro (1390–1454). See A. Rollo, ‘Dalla biblioteca di Guarino a quella di Francesco Barbaro’, Studi medievali e umanistici 3 (2005) 25–28, and R. Burri, ‘Ayer MS 743: New Light on a Greek Manuscript of Ptolemy’s Geography in Chicago’, Manuscripta, 60 (2016) 174–175.

Decoration

Decorative headpieces and initials in red ink. (fols 1r, 11v, 66v).

Additions:

fol. iv(r): N I. or IV I

Various marginal notes have been identified as in hand of Francesco Barbaro (1390–1454). See Scribes above.

Fol. 66r: ο θ(εο)ς μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν

Binding

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). Spine: blind tooling and lettered in gilt, within a circle: / – PLUTARCHI VITÆ PARALELÆ GR.– MS. SÆC. XIII/; in pasted black leather: MS. /HOLKHAM/ Gr. 95/

History

Origin: 15th century

Provenance and Acquisition

Annotated by Francesco Barbaro (1390–1454) (see above)

Ownership Notes: front paste down (top, right in black ink): signature of Th(oma)s William Coke.

Catalogue Nrs: paste down (in pencil): MS. Holkham Gr. 95; fol. 1(r) (in pencil): No 274, D5^B3. = Olim Holkham Hall, Libr. of the Earl of Leicester, 274.

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

2020-08-21: New description by D. Skrekas.