British Library, Add. 17212
Encyclopedia
British Library, Add. 17212 is a double palimpsest
, with three successive writings: a Syriac translation of St. Chrysostom's
Homilies of the 9th/10th century covers a Latin grammatical treatise from the 6th century, written in cursive, which in turn covers the Annales of Roman historian Granius Licinianus
. It is a rare example of a double palimpsest. The manuscript has survived in incomplete condition.
The youngest text of the palimpsest contains the Homilies of John Chrysostom
. The writing is in two columns per page, 25–29 lines per page, in a good and regular hand. It contains the following homilies: On the Prodigal Son, On Lent, On the Human Nature of our Lord, Three discourses on the Contest of our Lord with Satan. All these homilies follow one another in correct original order, without any lacunae
.
The older text is of a Latin grammar treatise on folios 1-8, 10-13. It is written in minuscule letters. The writing is most legible on folios 2, 7, and 10. Probably it was written in North Italy. The text of the fragment was published by Elias Avery Lowe
in Codices Latini antiquiores (1935).
The oldest text of the palimpsest, the Annales of Granius Licinianus, is written in elegant, small-sized uncial letters
. The most visible text survives on pages 1 verso and 5 recto. These fragments were edited by Karl Pertz in 1857.
of Egypt and brought to London along with the other 550 manuscripts. The manuscript was described by William Aldis Wright
.
Currently it is housed at the British Library
(Additional Manuscripts 17212) in London.
Palimpsest
A palimpsest is a manuscript page from a scroll or book from which the text has been scraped off and which can be used again. The word "palimpsest" comes through Latin palimpsēstus from Ancient Greek παλίμψηστος originally compounded from πάλιν and ψάω literally meaning “scraped...
, with three successive writings: a Syriac translation of St. Chrysostom's
John Chrysostom
John Chrysostom , Archbishop of Constantinople, was an important Early Church Father. He is known for his eloquence in preaching and public speaking, his denunciation of abuse of authority by both ecclesiastical and political leaders, the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, and his ascetic...
Homilies of the 9th/10th century covers a Latin grammatical treatise from the 6th century, written in cursive, which in turn covers the Annales of Roman historian Granius Licinianus
Granius Licinianus
Granius Licinianus was a Roman author of historical and encyclopedic works that survive only in fragments. He most likely lived at the time of Hadrian.-History:...
. It is a rare example of a double palimpsest. The manuscript has survived in incomplete condition.
Description
The manuscript contains 13 leaves (9¼ by 6⅞ inches), most of which were torn along the outer edges. Each page of the manuscript is palimpsest, except folio 9.The youngest text of the palimpsest contains the Homilies of John Chrysostom
John Chrysostom
John Chrysostom , Archbishop of Constantinople, was an important Early Church Father. He is known for his eloquence in preaching and public speaking, his denunciation of abuse of authority by both ecclesiastical and political leaders, the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, and his ascetic...
. The writing is in two columns per page, 25–29 lines per page, in a good and regular hand. It contains the following homilies: On the Prodigal Son, On Lent, On the Human Nature of our Lord, Three discourses on the Contest of our Lord with Satan. All these homilies follow one another in correct original order, without any lacunae
Lacuna (manuscripts)
A lacunaPlural lacunae. From Latin lacūna , diminutive form of lacus . is a gap in a manuscript, inscription, text, painting, or a musical work...
.
The older text is of a Latin grammar treatise on folios 1-8, 10-13. It is written in minuscule letters. The writing is most legible on folios 2, 7, and 10. Probably it was written in North Italy. The text of the fragment was published by Elias Avery Lowe
Elias Avery Lowe
Elias Avery Lowe , original name Elias Avery Loew, was an American palaeographer. His wife was the noted translator H. T...
in Codices Latini antiquiores (1935).
The oldest text of the palimpsest, the Annales of Granius Licinianus, is written in elegant, small-sized uncial letters
Uncial
Uncial is a majuscule script commonly used from the 3rd to 8th centuries AD by Latin and Greek scribes. Uncial letters are written in either Greek, Latin, or Gothic.-Development:...
. The most visible text survives on pages 1 verso and 5 recto. These fragments were edited by Karl Pertz in 1857.
History
The manuscript was discovered in 1842 in the monastery of St. Mary Deipara in the Wadi El NatrunWadi El Natrun
Wadi El Natrun is a valley located in Beheira Governorate, Egypt, including a town with the same name. The name refers to the presence of eight different lakes in the region that produce natron salt. In Christian literature, the region is also referred to as the Nitrian Desert...
of Egypt and brought to London along with the other 550 manuscripts. The manuscript was described by William Aldis Wright
William Aldis Wright
William Aldis Wright , was an English writer and editor.William Aldis Wright was son of George Wright, a Baptist minister in Beccles. He was educated at Beccles Grammar School and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated BA in 1858...
.
Currently it is housed at the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
(Additional Manuscripts 17212) in London.
Further reading
- Karl Pertz, Gai Grani Liciniani Annalium quae supersunt ex codice ter scripto Musei Britannici Londinensis (Berlin 1857).