Ascetic Miscellany

Constantinople, late 10th c.

parchment

iii, 198, iii' leaves

150–155 × 125 mm

Greek

1 (ff. 1r–54v) Athanasius Alexandrinus, Vita S. Syncleticae (BHG1450c BHG1694–1694b CPG2293)

Rubric: Μηνὶ ἰαννουαρίῳ δʹ· τοῦ ἁγίου Ἀθανασίου ἀρχιεπισκόπου Ἀλεξανδρείας εἰς τὸν βίον τῆς ὁσίας καὶ καλλιπαρθένου Θέκλης

Incipit: Ἔδει πάντας ἀνθρώπους τῶν καλῶν

Explicit: ἔπαθλον τῶν ἀγώνων παρ᾽αὐτοῦ δεξαμένη τὴν τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείαν ἀμήν.

Note: The reading of ‘Thecla’ instead of Syncletica in the rubric is tentative, since most of the ink is abraded. Their confusion could easily have taken place, since, in the beginning of the vita, Syncletica is called a disciple of Thecla and is compared to her. Cf. Castelli (2004), pp. 145–146.

Sigla: U, Ampelarga (2002).

Editions: PG, vol. 28, pp. 1488–1557; Andrés (1965); Ampelarga (2002), pp. 183–264.

2 (ff. 54v–120v) Johannes Chrysostomus, Ad Theodorum Lapsum (CPG4305)

Note: The reverse order of texts, where both liber 1 and 2 are copied, is present also in ms Vat. gr. 1628, (11th cent.). Cf. Dumortier (1966), pp. 27–29.

2.1 (ff. 54v–109v) Johannes Chrysostomus, Ad Theodorum Lapsum, liber 2

Rubric: Τοῦ ἐν ἁγίοις πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἰωάννου ἀρχιεπισκόπου Κωνσταντινουπόλεως τοῦ Χρυσοστόμου· πρὸς Θεόδωρον ἀσκητὴν ἐκπεσόντα· πρὸς μετάνοιαν ἐπιστολὴ α´

Incipit: Τίς δώσει τῆ κεφαλῆ μου

Explicit: οὐκ ἔτι δεήση φαρμάκων ἑτέρων· τῶ δὲ Θεῶ ἡμῶν ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας ἀμήν

Editions: PG, vol. 47, pp. 277–308; Dumortier (1966), pp. 81–218.

2.2 (ff. 109v–120v:5) Johannes Chrysostomus, Ad Theodorum Lapsum, liber 1

Rubric: Τοῦ αὐτοῦ· πρὸς Θεόδωρον ἀσκητὴν πρὸς μετάνοιαν λόγος β´

Incipit: Εἰ καὶ δάκρυα καὶ στεναγμοὺς

Explicit: πάνυ γὰρ ἡμᾶς εὐφρανεῖς ἐν τούτοις [mut.]

Editions: PG, vol. 47, pp. 309–316; Dumortier (1966), pp. 46–78.

3 (f. 120v) Oraculum

Rubric: ψῆφος κυροῦ Λέοντος τοῦ σοφοῦ

Incipit: Ἐρώτησον ἐν ποίᾳ ἡμέρᾳ κατεκλίθη ὁ ἄρρωστος καὶ ψηφίσ⟨αι⟩

Explicit: εἰ μέν εἰσιν ἄνωθεν τοῦ σταυροῦ, ζήσεται, εἰ δὲ κάτωθεν εἰσιν τελευτήσει

Note:

A later inserted note which seems to be a prognostic device on sickness, recovery, and death. It incorporates a picture of the cross and below that an attribution to Leo VI Sapiens Emperor.

A similar text is present in Vat. gr. 915, , fol. 47v, and in Vat. gr. 952, , fol. 137v; cf. CCAG, vol. 5:4, p. 8.

4 (ff. 121r–126r) Proclus Archbishop of Constantinople, Hom. 35, Homilia consolatoria (CPG5834 TLG2040.068) (Homilia consolatoria ad aegrotum)

Rubric: Λόγος ἐν ἁγίοις πατρὸς ἡμῶν Βασιλείου

Note: The authorship of this text has been disputed, another suggestion being Basilius Caesariensis, or Pseudo-Basil.

Sigla: U, Rudberg (1959).

Editions: PG, vol. 31, cols. 1713–1722; Rudberg (1959), pp. 310–322.

5 (ff. 126r–132v) Basilius Caesariensis, Ep. 2, Ad Gregorius Nazianzenus (CPG2900.002)

Rubric: Βασίλειος Γρηγορίῳ

Editions: PG, vol. 32, col. 223; Courtonne (1957–1966), vol. 1, pp. 5–13.

6 (ff. 132v–134v) Macarius/Symeon Pseudo-, Epistula magna (excerptum) (CPG2415.2 TLG2109.005)

Rubric: Τοῦ αὐτοῦ παραίνεσις πρὸς τοὺς εἰσαγομένους ἐν κοινοβίῳ· καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἡγουμένους τῆς ἀδελφότητος

Incipit: Πρῶτον πάντων ὁ τῷ σκοπῷ τῆς εὐσεβείας

Explicit: ταπεινῶν ἑαυτὸν ὑψωθήσεται

Note:

The ‘τοῦ αὐτοῦ’ in the manuscript title refers to Basilius Caesariensis; cf. CPG 2951, where it is described from this ms as unpublished; Pinakes (Oratio Exhortatoria).

The excerpt corresponds to the following passage in Werner Jaeger’s edition: Jaeger (1954), pp. 256–260.

Our ms is mentioned in Desprez (2006), p. 263, although mistakenly as Upsaliensis graecus 3, and is described as ‘témoin contaminé entre les deux familles anciennes des 150 Képhalaia. Ceux-ci ont pour modèle un exemplaire ancien de la Collection IV, qui n’a pas la lacune du ch. 7 de la Grande Lettre’.

Pedro de Valencia used this ms for his Latin translation of the text; see Martín Rodríguez (2002)

Editions: Jaeger (1954), pp. 233–301; Staats (1984), pp. 86–181.

7 (ff. 134v–137r) Basilius Caesariensis, Sermo 12, De Ascetica disciplina (CPG2890 TLG2040.042)

Rubric: Τοῦ αὐτοῦ παραίνεσις ἀσκηταῖς

Incipit: Δεῖ τὸν νέον ἀσκεῖν τὸν ἀκτήμονα βίον

Edition: PG, vol. 31, cols. 648–652.

8 (ff. 137r–138v) Basilius Caesariensis, Ep. 173, Ad Theodoram (CPG2900.173)

Rubric: Τοῦ αὐτοῦ πρὸς κανονικήν· περὶ βίου κανονικοῦ

Edition: PG, vol. 32, cols. 648–649.

9 (ff. 138v–142r) Basilius Caesariensis, Ep. 150, Ad Amphilochium (CPG2900.150)

Rubric: Τοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἀμφιλοχίῳ ὡς παρὰ Ἡρακλίου· περὶ ἀσκήσεως καὶ βίου μοναχοῦ

Edition: PG, vol. 32, cols. 601–605.

10 (ff. 142r–143r) Basilius Caesariensis, Ep. 41, Ad Iulianum (CPG2900.041 BHG0260bll)

Rubric: Τοῦ αὐτοῦ πρὸς Ἰουλιανὸν τὸν παραβάτην

Edition: PG, vol. 32, cols. 344–348.

11 (ff. 143r–146v) Basilius Caesariensis, Confessio Fidei (CPG2952)

Rubric: Τοῦ αὐτοῦ πίστις ἐκτεθείσα

Incipit: Πιστεύω εἰς ἕνα Θεὸν πατέρα παντοκράτορα

Explicit: τῶν κατὰ τὴν προκειμένην ὁμολογίαν πιστευόντων καὶ φοβουμένων τὸν Θεὸν ἀμήν

Note: Although the incipit is similar to Basil of Caesarea, Ep. 125 (ii), CPG 2900 (=PG 32 col. 548), the text is not the same and remains so far unidentified; cf. also Eusebius, De ecclesiastica theologia, book 1, ch. 8. sect. 2, l. 11.

12 (f. 147r) Julianus Apostata Emperor of Rome, Ep. ad Basilium (Ep. 40 inter Basilii epistulas) (BHG0260bl)

Rubric: Ἐπιστολὴ Ἰουλιάνου τοῦ παραβάτου πεμφθεῖσα πρὸς τὸν Βασίλειον

Incipit: Τὸ ἐμφυτόν μου ἐκ παιδόθεν γαληνὸν

Explicit: βασιλεῖ Ῥωμαίων καὶ μὴ ὑπεραίρεσθαι [mut.]

Note:

Later addition by another scribe.

This text is written on an inserted leaf, probably as a companion piece to Basil’s letter to the Emperor on ff. 142r–143r, above. The verso page, f. 147v, is blank.

Editions: PG, vol. 32, cols. 341–344C2; Courtonne (1957–1966), vol. 1, pp. 93–96.

13 (ff. 148r–148v) Basilius Caesariensis, Ep. 115, Ad Simpliciam Haereticam (CPG2900.115)

Rubric: Τοῦ αὐτοῦ Σιμπλικίᾳ αἱρετικῇ· καὶ κατ’ εὐνούχων

Editions: PG, vol. 32, cols. 529–532; Courtonne (1957–1966), vol. 2, pp. 19–20.

14 (ff. 148v:17–148v:22) Excerptum medicum

Rubric: None

Incipit: Ὥσπερ ὑπὸ πιασμοῦ δεῖ τε ἡ ἐυεκτοῦσα σὰρξ

Explicit: θατέρου γὰρ λείποντος, δυσχερὴς ἡ τελείωσις

Note: The microtext is a secondary but contemporary addition in the blank part of the page.

15 (ff. 149r–188v) Isidorus Pelusiota, Epistulae (CPG5557–8)

Rubric: Ἐκλογὴ ἐκ τῶν ἐπιστολῶν Ἰσιδώρου τοῦ Πελουσιώτου

Note:

141 letters, for the most part in the normal order of the collection. The following letters are included: From Book I letters 1–2. 6. 9–10. 13–15. 12. 8. 27. 31. 36. 41–42. 44. 46. 108. 47. 49. 62. 77. 80. 83. 89–92. 94. 98. 104. 108 (again). 110. 115. 128–130. 132. 140. 142. 144. 146. 150. 149. 151. 153; from Book II letter 284; from Book I letters 162–164. 166. 170. 179. 188. 186–187. 189. 194–195. 197. 199. 201. 213. 220. 223. 227–228. 231. 234. 258. 260. 266. 274. 276–280. 283–286. 294. 303. 308–309. 313. 320. 364. 367–368. 372. 376. 380–381. 383–385. 391–392. 399. 408. 410–412. 423–424. 432–433. 446. 495; from Book II letters 30. 76. 86. 165. 205. 214. 293; from Book III letters 49. 66–68. 74. 124. 129. 137–138. 140. 143–146. 157. 155–156. 158. 163. 177. 179. 131. 54.

In the stemma proposed in Évieux (1997–2000), p. 175, our ms is paired with Milan, Ambros. B 67 sup., , 15th cent., siglum ω.

Sigla: δ, Évieux (1997–2000).

Edition: PG, vol. 78.

16 (ff. 189v–194v) Paulus Helladicus, Epistula (CPG7531 TLG2875.002)

Rubric: Ἴσον ἐπιστολῆς τοῦ μακαρίου ἀββᾶ Παύλου τοῦ Ἑλλαδικοῦ

Explicit: κοιμώμεθα καὶ οὐδὲν βλαπτόμεθα

Sigla: U, Lundström (1902).

Editions: Lundström (1902), pp. VII–VIII, 15–23; Begass (2015), p. 1.

17 (ff. 194v–197v) Ascetica quaedam

Rubric: Περὶ τοῦ γέροντος τοῦ πρὸς τῇ ἐξόδῳ αὐτοῦ ἀπολέσθαι κινδυνεύσαντος

Incipit: Ποτὲ τίς γέρων ἔμενεν μετὰ εὐλαβοὺς ἀδελφοῦ μοναχοῦ ἱκανὰ ἔτη προβεβηκὸς

Explicit: ἐγένετο μετὰ ψαλμῶν καὶ εὐχῶν κατὰ τὸ ἔθος ἡ τάφη τοῦ γέροντος

Note:

This text is unidentified so far. A transcription is in press and will also be included in the Lund monastic database (http://monastica.ht.lu.se/monastica.php).

On f. 198r a later inserted note on coins and their values: ‘Ἰστέον ὅτι τὰ λεπτὰ καλοῦνται ἀσσάρια, ἤγουν τὰ νουμμία ἑξήκοντα ἀσσαρίων ὑπήρχε τὸ δεινάριον· ἕκατον δειναρίων ὑπήρχε ὁ ἄργυρος καὶ πέπραται ὁ κύριος δὲ εἰς λʹ ἀργυρίων, ἅτινα συνάγονται ͵Γ δεινάρια, γινόμενα χρυσοῦ δὲ νουμμία ρʹ’. For a similar passage, cf. Nicolaus Catascepenus, Vita sancti Cyrilli Phileotae 37, 7. Above the note a name (difficult to read) μακαρίου φιλοσόφου.

Physical Description

Support

Binding/Endleaves

Locus: ff. LCI, SL1r–SL3v, SR1r–SR3v, RCI

Support: Western paper

Leaf dimensions: 155 × 125 mm

Folding: Quarto

Watermark 1

Locus: ff. SL1/SL2/SR1/RCI,

Motif: Three circles; the upper one crowned and encircling a cross; in the second circle the letters BM; in the third perhaps the letter S

Textblock

Locus: ff. 1r–198v

Support: Parchment

Leaf dimensions: 150/155 × 125 mm

Folding: Quarto

Foliation

Modern foliation in pencil in the lower right margin: 1–198. There is an older foliation in ink in the upper right margin of the rectos, which is unreliable (folios 11, 19, 45, 135, and 146 skipped; numbers 78 and 118 not used; two leaves carry the same number 108): 1–194.

Collation

Binding/Endleaves

Formula: II^f.iii

Formula: II^f.iii’

Signatures: none

Catchwords: none

Textblock

Formula: _Q1–1717.IV^f.136 + _Q18(VI-1^{ante f.137}+1^f.147)^f.148 + _Q19–234.IV^f.188 + _Q24(IV+1^f.197+1^f.198)^f.198

Note: After ff. 42r–42v there are two stubs of fine parchment. ff. 147r–147v is an independent leaf, a makeshift insertion tacked in with the help of a couple of knots. The last two leaves in the volume are pasted to the preceding quaternion.

Signatures: Generally in the upper right margin of first recto and the lower right margin of last verso, beginning with βʹ on f. 16v and ending with κδʹ on f. 189r. Some of the signatures, especially on recto pages, have been trimmed out. The signatures are marked by a short horizontal stroke above the letter, and appear to be written in the same colour as the ink of the text.

Catchwords: None

Layout

Layout 1

Locus: ff. 1r–146v, 148r–198v

Columns: 1

Ruled lines: 21

Written area: 120 × 95 mm

Ruling pattern: Identical with Sautel, no. 20D1

Layout 2

Locus: f. 147r

Columns: 1

Written lines: 24

Written area: 140 × 95 mm

Script

Textblock

Hand 1

(ff. 1r–146v, 148r–197v) This expert and consistent hand writes a Perlschrift of small modules and fast ductus, typical of the monastic production of the late tenth or early eleventh century. The oblique strokes of Kappas, Chis and Lambdas produce an angular effect and impress a movement to the right, though the letters are not themselves visibly slanted. The vertical stroke of Kappa has a small hook when the letter is enlarged in the margin. Although the writing is relaxed, no excesses are present.

Hand 2

(f. 147r) A later addition on a separately inserted leaf. The hand is, according to Stig Yngve Rudberg, datable to the fourteenth cetury.

Additions

Binding/Endleaves

(LCI) A label for Uppsala University Library and a former shelfmark. (ff. SL1r–SL3v) Blank endleaves

(ff. SR1r–SR3v, RCI–RCI) Blank endleaves

Decorations

Textblock

Description:

Rubrics are written in brown ink but written over with red ink, forming a kind of characteristic halo (similar to yellow spalmature in Southern Italian mss). Subtitles (or other division headings) are numerous. Simple dividers, such as a dot-filled line, sometimes combined with crosses, further mark the text divisions. Initials are simple enlarged majuscules, sometimes in red.

Binding

Description:

Yellowish parchment laced-case binding without boards. Sewn on three supports. Endbands oversewn with hemp cord; endband cores laced through. Gilt edges. Cover extensions and two pairs of alum-tawed ties at foredge. On the foredge one may with difficulty read the binding title ‘ΑΘΑΝΑΣ’ and a number ‘3’.

The binding is probably of late seventeenth century Spanish origin.

Binding dimensions: 165 × 130 × 50 mm

Condition: Water damage to top right corner of the first two quires, especially at ff. 5r–9v where the text is erased in that part; worming of the first and last leaf of the volume. The lower corner of ff. 42r–42v has been ripped diagonally, with loss of text.

History

Origin

Written in the late 10th c. in a monastic setting. Stig Yngve Rudberg proposes Constantinople as place of origin (Rudberg (1952), p. 65).

Provenance

It was brought from Byzantine/Turkish territory to Italy (presumably Venice?) and then, in 1570–1571 to Spain. According to an inventory preserved in the Archivo de Simancas, the Greek copyist and manuscript dealer Andreas Darmarios sold a collection of nineteen manuscripts to Philip II King of Spain in 1571. One of the items in the inventory is described as ‘El gran Athanasio de la Vida de Sancta Tecla... es libro raro, pero de letra tan antigua que en algunas partes no se dexa leer’ (Revilla (1936), p. XXXVIII). The volume thus described is in fact the same one that eventually ended up in Uppsala, as shown by Stig Yngve Rudberg (Rudberg (1952), pp. 64–69). During its stay in El Escorial it served as the protograph of Scorialensis Psi. I. 3., , a copy executed by Nicholas de la Torre and still present in El Escorial. It was also used in 1620 by David Colville for his translation of Vita St. Syncletici into Latin. Our volume remained in the Spanish Royal library up until the great fire in 1671, when it was thought lost. Nevertheless, it must have remained in Spain, since eighteen years later it was acquired by Johan Gabriel Sparwenfeldt, and brought to Sweden.