Linköping Diocesan Library, Kl f 17
Libanius, Letters (‘Codex Lincopiensis Meursianus’, ‘Codex Benzelianus A’)
Crete, latter half of the 15th or early 16th c.
paper
i, 99, i' leaves
285 × 205 mm
2 units
Greek
Unit 1
1
(pp.1–20)
Epistulae
Epistulae 1–37
Λιβανίου κοιαίστορος, τοῦ σοφιστοῦ. ἐπιστολαί
Εἴτε μὴ βοηθεῖς οἷς ἀξιοῦμεν
πλεῖστά με εὐφράνας ἑταίρων ἐλύπησεν ἥκιστα.
The epistles in this part of the MS are numbered αʹ–λζʹ in the margin by the main scribe. The reference numbers, below, are from Richard Foerster’s edition.
p. 1357; p. 11304; pp. 1–21154; p. 2738; pp. 2–3857; p. 3132; pp. 3–4355; p. 4237; p. 4253; pp. 4–5688; p. 51060; pp. 5–6248; p. 61039; pp. 6–71134; pp. 7–81411; p. 81397; pp. 8–9909; p. 9818; pp. 9–10150; p. 10121; pp. 10–11359; pp. 11–12796; p. 12511; pp. 12–13301; p. 131288; p. 13323; pp. 13–15578; p. 15964; p. 1520 (Ep. Bas. et Lib.); pp. 15–16327; pp. 16–17333; p. 17746; pp. 17–18331; p. 18372; p. 18809; pp. 18–20369; p. 20282Unit 2
1
(pp.21–198)
Epistulae
Another 261 letters by Libanius; in this part of the MS they are not numbered. Reference numbers, below, pertain to Richard Foerster’s edition.
pp. 21–22441; p. 22409; pp. 22–24435; p. 24411; pp. 24–25666; pp. 25–26351; p. 26355; pp. 26–27808; pp. 27–281398; p. 28440; pp. 28–29442; p. 29410; pp. 30–31399; p. 31432; p. 31320; pp. 31–32329; p. 32337; pp. 32–33356; p. 33344; p. 33323; p. 33388; p. 34393; pp. 34–3525; p. 35123; pp. 35–3633; p. 3630; pp. 36–37361; p. 37382; pp. 37–38413; p. 38387; p. 38372; pp. 38–39420; p. 39422; p. 39425; p. 40455; p. 40341; p. 40460; pp. 40–41468; pp. 41–42386; pp. 42–43319; p. 43428; pp. 43–44327; p. 441238; pp. 44–45575; pp. 45–4680; pp. 46–47226; pp. 47–4881; p. 481236; pp. 48–491395; p. 4964; pp. 49–50483; p. 50491; pp. 50–51499; pp. 51–52497; p. 52535; pp. 52–53512; pp. 53–54515; p. 541155; pp. 54–551218; p. 551304; pp. 56–571220; pp. 57–58754; p. 58424; pp. 58–59436; p. 59453; p. 59465; pp. 59–60324; p. 60347; p. 60408; pp. 60–61429; pp. 61–63390; pp. 63–6619; pp. 66–67352; pp. 67–68358; p. 68365; pp. 68–69366; pp. 69–7049; pp. 70–72636; p. 72384; p. 72389; pp. 72–73367; pp. 73–75348 Expl. mut: γῆρας· ἐκεῖνον μὲν οὖν. The note follows: quae heic desunt supplevi possunt ex Codice Rolamb. Ep. 74. Some blank lines (the model must have been faulty here).; p. 75311; pp. 75–76423; p. 76314; pp. 76–77362; pp. 78–79379; p. 79332; pp. 79–80315; pp. 80–81312; pp. 81–82316; pp. 82–83336; p. 83380; p. 83317; pp. 83–84685; pp. 84–85363; p. 8558; pp. 85–8621; pp. 86–87242; pp. 87–88269; pp. 88–89696; pp. 89–90734; pp. 90–92620; pp. 92–93819; pp. 93–9435; pp. 94–95238; pp. 95–98391; p. 9868; pp. 98–99122; p. 99143; pp. 99–10072; pp. 100–10189; pp. 101–10293; p. 102103; pp. 102–103756; pp. 103–104773; pp. 104–106741; pp. 106–107797; p. 107349; p. 107830; pp. 107–108965; pp. 108–109736; p. 10991; pp. 109–110318; p. 110606; pp. 110–1111160; pp. 111–112300; pp. 112–113673; p. 11346; pp. 113–114354; p. 114573; pp. 114–115842; p. 115768; p. 116288; pp. 116–11786; p. 117175; pp. 117–118670; p. 1181305; pp. 118–119632; pp. 119–120195; p. 120795; pp. 120–121847; p. 121732; pp. 121–122764; pp. 122–12352; p. 1231205; p. 123837; p. 123836; p. 124650; pp. 124–125651; p. 125725; pp. 125–126762; pp. 126–1271350; pp. 127–12866; pp. 128–12995; pp. 129–1301133; p. 130780; pp. 130–131737; p. 131776; pp. 131–132743; p. 1321201; p. 13274; p. 1331150; pp. 133–1341163; p. 134646; pp. 134–135839; p. 1351293; pp. 135–136518; p. 1361352; pp. 136–137738; p. 137542; pp. 137–138281; pp. 138–139664; p. 139660; pp. 139–1401200; p. 140871; pp. 140–141669; pp. 141–14262; pp. 142–143359; p. 143832; pp. 143–144789; p. 144920; p. 1441136; p. 1441138; p. 1441142; pp. 144–1451149; p. 1451152; p. 145740; p. 145690; p. 145684; pp. 145–146618; p. 1461404; p. 146525; pp. 146–1471131; p. 1471134; p. 1471137; pp. 147–1481145; p. 14820; pp. 148–14940; pp. 150–15144; p. 15147; pp. 151–15248; pp. 152–15350; p. 15351; pp. 153–15561; pp. 155–15673; p. 156101; p. 157107; pp. 157–158112; pp. 158–159815; p. 159345; p. 159431; pp. 159–160325; p. 160841; pp. 160–161404; p. 16132; p. 161807; pp. 161–162792; p. 162748; pp. 162–163326; pp. 163–164334; pp. 164–165364; p. 165368; pp. 165–167371; p. 167377; pp. 167–168378; p. 168381; pp. 168–169385; pp. 169–170400; p. 170503; pp. 170–171509; pp. 171–172510; pp. 172–173516; pp. 173–174552; pp. 174–175560; pp. 175–176561; pp. 176–177562; pp. 177–178563; pp. 178–179694; pp. 179–180695; p. 1808; p. 18060; pp. 180–182114; p. 182115; pp. 182–184119; p. 184127; pp. 184–185128; p. 185130; pp. 185–186150; p. 186164; pp. 186–187173; pp. 187–188182; p. 188184; pp. 188–190192; p. 190220; pp. 190–191256; pp. 191–192376; p. 192375; pp. 193–194374; pp. 194–195330; pp. 195–197405 p. 198 is blank.Support
Binding/Endleaves
Support 1
ff. LCI, SL1r–SL1vWestern paper
285 ×
205 mm
Watermarks: Front flyleaf watermarked with interlocking CC surmounted by crown; cf. H. Voorn, Danish and Norwegian Paper Mills and their Watermarks (Hilversum, 1959), type III. 1: 1647, ‘Royal Cipher CC addorsed and crowned upon patriarchal cross – unknown Danish paper mill’. Part of this symbol was subsumed in the more famous Orholm Fabrique watermarks, cf. Fiskaa, Letters no. 42.
Support 2
ff. SR1r–SR1v, RCIWestern paper
285 ×
205 mm
The letters contained in this watermark, L D and in the countermark (?) Hb (with b within the H) on the back flyleaf are not found in any of the repertories.
Unit 1
pp. 1–20
Western paper
Folio
285 ×
205 mm
Watermark 1
pp. 13–14/17–18,Balance
similar to
Briquet, no. 2563
Udine
1478
Sosower, no. 8
1500
Harlfinger, nos. 69–70
1507
Stamatios Gymnasios
Harlfinger, no. 71
1506
Harlfinger, no. 76
1506
Manuel Gregoropoulos
Foliation
Pagination
in ink in the upper outer corner, just above the first line of text: 1–198
Collation
Unit 1
Q1Vp.20
In the lower center margin of first recto: αʹ
none
Unit 2
Q2–1010.IVp.198 + Q11(IV+1p.191–192)p.198
none
none
Condition
Additions
Binding/Endleaves
(LCI)
Shelfmark numbers and a label for Linköping Diocesan Library.
(ff. SL1r–SL1v)
Blank endleaf, except for an owner’s signature on the recto.
Unit 1
There are marginal annotations in Greek and Latin by various hands and in various shades of brown or greyish-brown ink.
Unit 2
A recent hand has drawn crosses in ink besides the beginning of each letter, and some annotations of contents e.g. (p.85). The same or another hand has drawn pointing hands.
Decorations
Unit 1
The scribe uses a dull reddish brown ink for his elaborate penflourished initials and numbers, as well as for enlarged dots used as dividers for the insertion of the addressee’s name.
Unit 2
No rubrication. Initials missing or added secondarily.
Binding
Parchment laced-case binding over pasteboard, sewn on four supports. Tail endband oversewn with green silk; head endband missing due to spine damage. Handwritten spine title and label. Warped.
285 ×
210 ×
30 mm
In good condition except for the top of the spine, where there is rodent damage; a rectangle of modern paper has restored a portion of the top margin of pp. 1–2, cut out (presumably in order to eliminate marks of ownership). The paper is stained in various places, e.g. at pp. 8–9, and the outer margin of pp. 17–105. pp. 179–189, are markedly stained by water damage. The first few lines at pp. 106–107 are stained in light brown. Some modern paper reinforcements in the fold of the first few quires.
Origin
Unit 2
Written in the latter half of the 15th or early 16th c., possibly in Crete, considering the scribes who contributed.Provenance
The codex has, according to its previous description in Linköping Diocesan Library, belonged to the following owners: Petrus Pantinus, Dean in Brussels; Andreas Schottus, Antwerp; Johannes Meursius; further Christina Queen of Sweden or Georg Georg Konrad von Törring Seefeld
. It was brought to Sweden in 1658 .
Acquisition
Its last owner, before the volume was incorporated into the Linköping Diocesan Library collection in 1757, was Erik Benzelius the Younger.
Former shelfmarks
B 2
- Engeström (1735).
- Wolf (1738).
- Fant (1784), p. 103.
- Foerster (1877), pp. 17–18.
- Foerster (1903–1927), vol. 9, p. 113, 211, 232–233.
- Graux (1889), pp. 71–72.
Statement of Responsibility
External Identifiers
Internal Identifiers
https://www.manuscripta.se/ms/100103
