Western Medieval Manuscripts : Palimpsest of Homer and John Chrysostom

Western Medieval Manuscripts

<p style='text-align: justify;'>This fragment is a single folio of a palimpsest manuscript containing originally a copy of the <i>Iliad</i> of Homer in majuscule, overwritten with a text of John Chrysostom. The lower text dates to the 5th century, and the upper text, in two columns following the lines, to the second half of 10th century.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'> The lower text runs in a single column in the same direction as the upper text, starting from the same limit line. The extension of the Homeric lines, being cut off, suggests that the width of the original codex measured not less than 30 mm more. The large size of the written space may suggest that the original manuscript was a large, splendid book, although the script in this fragment looks rather careless when compared to other extant manuscripts of classical authors from the same period. This <i>Palimpsest of Homer and John Chrysostom</i> might be the only one in which Homer has been replaced by the Church Father.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Dr Matteo Di Franco</p>