Medieval and Early Modern Greek Manuscripts : Elias, metropolitan of Crete

Medieval and Early Modern Greek Manuscripts

<p style='text-align: justify;'> This manuscript contains the second oration of Gregory of Nazianzus (ca. 330-ca. 390) with the commentary of <i> Elias, metropolitan of Crete</i> (12th c.). Information is scarce about this author, who is known for his commentaries on the orations of Gregory of Nazianzus, and also for a commentary on John Climacus' <i> Heavenly Ladder</i>. </p><p style='text-align: justify;'> The text was copied by Manuel Glynzounios (or Manolis Glyzounis), a Greek from the island of Chios, who was active in Venice (mainly), Rome and Spain in the second half of the 16th century, in various fields (on his life and activities, see I. Papadaki, 'Manolis Glyzounis, Greek Publisher and Copyist in Venice in the Second Half of the Sixteenth Century', in <i>Greeks, Books, and Libraries in Renaissance Venice</i>, ed. by R.M. Piccione (Berlin/Boston, 2021), pp. 115-146, and M. Sicherl, 'Manuel Glynzunios als Schreiber griechischer Handschriften', <i>Byzantinische Zeitschrift</i>, 49 (1956), pp. 34-54). A scribe and dealer of manuscripts, Glynzounios worked in particular for the Spanish court in acquiring books for the library of El Escorial, and was moreover acquainted with prominent personalities of the Western courts (see Papadaki (2021)). In Venice he was involved in the printing trade, in particular the production of liturgical texts of the Greek rite.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Dr Erika Elia</p>