Euclid — 888; Byzantine

Title

Euclid — 888; Byzantine

Shelfmark

MS. D'Orville 301

Date

888

Language

Ancient Greek (to 1453)

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment

Title

The Στοιχεῐα or Elements of Geometry of Euclid in 13 books, with the two supplementary books ('14th' and '15th') headed (fol. 371) 'Υψικλε'ους το ɛἰς Eὐκλείδην άναφερόμενον.'

Shelfmark

MS. D'Orville 301

Summary

The Colophon of the 13th book is 'Εὐκλείσου στοιχείων τἦς θέδωρός έκδόσεως.'.

The text is in finely written minuscules, but the marginal scholia, some introductory matter on fols. 2-4, and most of fols. 118r-120r are in half-uncials.

Fols. 6-14 (Eucl. El. i. 1-14 part) are in a later (14th cent. ?) hand, which wrote also on several blank leaves in the volume. The diagrams are in all cases given.

Two epigrams on Euclid ('Εὐκλείδης μέτρων ἀψευδέας εῢρε κελεύθους | Γραμμἦ καἰ κέντρῳ κάλλον [?] [I read κύκλον. Ε. W. B. Ν.] έρεισάμενος', and one of six lines beginning 'Εὐκλείδης νόον ὀξὺν άειζώοις Ύραμμαῐσι') are on fols. 5v, 387v in a 9th cent. hand.

On fol. 387v is the subscription 'έγράφη χειρὶ στεφάνου κληρικού μηνὶ σεπτεμβρίῳ ϊνδικτίωνος ἒτει κόσμου'=Sept. A.D. 888. Then έκτησάμην άρέθας πατρεὺς την παρούσαν βίβλον Ṅ Ṅ ιδ' (the ι is doubtful): i.e. for 14 (?) νοῠμμοι. Facsimiles of leaves of this celebrated codex are in the Palæographical Society's publications, series I, plates 65-6, and elsewhere. Other MSS. known to have belonged to Arethas of Patrae afterwards bishop of Caesarea (d. 931 ?) are Bodl. MS. Clarke 39 (Plato; A.D. 896), Florence MS. Laur. 60. 3 (Aristides), Venice MS. Marc. 447 (Athenaeus), Vatican MS. Urbin. 35 (Aristotle's Organon), Paris MS. Grec 451 (Clemens Alexandrinus) and Brit. Mus. MS. Harley 5694 (Lucian, A.D. 914).

Date

written in A.D. 888 by Stephanos the clerk

Language

Ancient Greek (to 1453)

Physical facet

On parchment, in parts much rubbed

Physical extent

391 Leaves