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Christ's College : Nomocanon and other Greek texts

Christ's College

<p style='text-align: justify;'>This manuscript, copied in the mid-17th century, contains a <i>Nomocanon and other Greek texts</i>. The bulk of its content relates to canon law, penance and absolution, along with miscellaneous texts, related to varying degrees, including a summary account of the Ecumenical Councils of the Church, model letters, calendrical texts and tables, and the Farmer's Law (Νόμος γεωργικός), a Late Antique or early medieval civil law text.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>The original copying of the manuscript was the work of numerous different hands, and many notes were added later on blank folios and other spaces by several further hands. These include a number of notes by a priest named Menas, including a number dated 1768-1775.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'> This codex was owned by the English teacher and scholar William Henry Denham Rouse (1863–1950), fellow of Christ's College. He cites it as " Nomocan I" in an article he published in 1899 about " Folklore from the Southern Sporades" ( Rouse 1899), where he states that he had acquired it on the Greek island of Kalymnos.</p>

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Nomocanon and other Greek texts (Cambridge, Christ's College, MS Rouse 264)

This manuscript, copied in the mid-17th century, contains a Nomocanon and other Greek texts. The bulk of its content relates to canon law, penance and absolution, along with miscellaneous texts, related to varying degrees, including a summary account of the Ecumenical Councils of the Church, model letters, calendrical texts and tables, and the Farmer's Law (Νόμος γεωργικός), a Late Antique or early medieval civil law text.

The original copying of the manuscript was the work of numerous different hands, and many notes were added later on blank folios and other spaces by several further hands. These include a number of notes by a priest named Menas, including a number dated 1768-1775.

This codex was owned by the English teacher and scholar William Henry Denham Rouse (1863–1950), fellow of Christ's College. He cites it as " Nomocan I" in an article he published in 1899 about " Folklore from the Southern Sporades" ( Rouse 1899), where he states that he had acquired it on the Greek island of Kalymnos.

Information about this document

  • Physical Location: Christ's College Library
  • Classmark: Cambridge, Christ's College, MS Rouse 264
  • Alternative Identifier(s): Diktyon 11813
  • Date of Creation: mid-17th century
  • Language(s): Greek
  • Extent: Codex iii + 2 + 377 + iii
  • Collation: The quires have been sewn very tightly, so that, for the parts of the manuscript which do not exhibit signatures, it is not possible to reconstruct with certainty the original collation.

    Signature βον (2nd) in black ink, in Greek numerals, by hand C, in the lower margin, right, recto, of the first leaf of the quire (f. 22r) and in the lower margin, left, verso, of the last leaf of the quire (f. 29v).

    Signatures in brown ink, in Greek numerals, by hand C, in the lower margin, right, recto, of the first leaf of the quire and in the lower margin, left, verso, of the last leaf of the quire, from αον (1st, f. 38r) to λον (30th, f. 261r). The signatures γον, ηον, ιηον are not present.

    Catchwords in black ink, by hand E, in the lower margin, verso, of the last leaf of the quires, written horizontally, on ff. 306v and 314v.
  • Material: ff. 1-276, 285-314, 355-378 Western paper, folded in octavo. Watermark: Anchor ( Watermark height: c. 50 mm, width: c. 35 mm. ) at the upper end of the gutter, similar to Mošin 2008. This example is dated to 1648.ff. 277-284 Western paper, folded in octavo. Watermark: Unidentified motif ( Watermark height: c. 55 mm, width: c. 40 mm. ) at the upper end of the gutter.ff. 315-322 Western paper, folded in octavo. Watermark: Unidentified motif ( Watermark height: c. 55 mm, width: c. 40 mm. ) at the upper end of the gutter.ff. 323-346 Western paper, folded in octavo. Watermark: Anchor ( Watermark height: c. 55 mm, width: c. 40 mm. ) at the upper end of the gutter, similar to Mošin 2130-2134. These examples are dated to 1620-1647.ff. 347-354 Western paper, folded in octavo. Watermark: Axe? ( Watermark height: c. 50 mm, width: c. 40 mm. ) at the upper end of the gutter.
  • Format: Codex
  • Condition: There is pest damage to many folios and occasional tears. Some of this damage has been repaired by means of paper strips (e.g. gg. 6r, 28r-28v). Water and humidity stains are present throughout the volume, as well as brown stains (see e.g. f. 21r).
  • Binding:

    19th-century full leather green binding over millboards, by Wilson in Cambridge. Blind tooling on both covers, gold tooling on the board edges and squares. The title "Nomocanon 1560 Greek Ms. " is tooled in gold on the spine.

    Binding height: 151 mm, width: 120 mm, depth: 65 mm.

  • Accompanying Material: There are three endleaves belonging to the present binding at each end, the outermost marbled on the outer face. At the left-hand end of the manuscript these are followed by four earlier endleaves, perhaps original to the production of the manuscript, of thick western paper without visible endleaves ( ff. [iv]-2).
  • Script:

    ff. 3r-5a verso, 12r-14r, 271v-284r, line 12, ff. 284v, 317v, lines 8-19, f. 328r, line 13-f. 329r, f. 342r were copied by Hand A in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in black and brown ink. There is moderate variation in letter size.

    Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is absent. There is decorative use of the double dot. Accents are sometimes joined to letters and nomina sacra strokes.

    Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points, lower and middle commas and full stop.

    Headings are written in the same style in red or brown ink.

    ff. 6v, 21r-21v were copied by Hand B in mixed minuscule script, with variable slant, in black ink. There is moderate variation in letter size.

    Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is absent. There is decorative use of the double dot. Accents are sometimes joined to nomina sacra strokes.

    Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points and middle comma.

    A heading is written in the same style in red ink.

    ff. 7r-11v were copied by Hand C in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in black ink. There is moderate variation in letter size.

    Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript. There is decorative use of the double dot. Accents are sometimes joined to nomina sacra strokes.

    Enlarged tau is usually written with a downward-curved horizontal extending at least as low as the base of the letter.

    Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points and middle and lower commas. Points are often marked in red ink, and sometimes combined with commas, visually resembling question marks but not performing this function.

    Headings are written in the same style in red ink.

    ff. 14v-15v, 268r-271r, line 13 were copied by Hand D in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in brown ink. There is moderate variation in letter size.

    Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript. Use of the double dot is functional only. Accents are sometimes joined to letters and nomina sacra strokes.

    Minuscule pi is sometimes written in a distinctive form, with the left-hand loop replaced by a long stroke, and the horizontal doubled back (e.g f. 14v, lines 4, 17).

    Punctuation used includes the upper point and lower and middle commas.

    ff. 16r-20r, 22r-35r, 38v-47v, line 7, ff. 48r-267v were copied by Hand E in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in black ink. There is moderate variation in letter size.

    Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript. There is decorative use of the double dot. Accents are sometimes joined to abbreviations.

    Punctuation used includes the lower comma and full stop.

    Headings are written in the same style in red ink.

    f. 47v, lines 8-18 were copied by Hand F in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in brown ink. There is moderate variation in letter size.

    Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round.

    Punctuation used includes the lower and middle commas.

    A heading is written in the same style in red ink.

    f. 284r, lines 13-17 were copied by Hand G in mixed minuscule script with variable slant, in black ink. There is modest variation in letter size.

    Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript. There is decorative use of the double dot.

    Punctuation used includes the middle point, middle comma and full stop.

    ff. 285r-296v, 299r-317v, line 7 were copied by Hand H in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in black ink. There is moderate variation in letter size.

    Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript. Use of the double dot is functional only.

    Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points, lower and middle commas, question mark and full stop.

    Headings are written in the same style in red ink.

    f. 297r-297v was copied by Hand I in mixed minuscule script with variable slant, in black ink. There is modest variation in letter size.

    Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is absent. There is decorative use of the double dot.

    Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points, lower and middle commas and full stop.

    Headings are written in the same style in red ink.

    ff. 298r-298v were copied by Hand J in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in black ink. There is moderate variation in letter size.

    Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round.

    Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points.

    The heading is written in the same style in red ink.

    ff. 318r-327v were copied by Hand K in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in black ink. There is significant variation in letter size and frequent flamboyand flourishes.

    Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript. There is decorative use of the double dot. Accents are sometimes joined to letters.

    Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points, lower and middle commas, question mark and full stop.

    ff. 328r, lines 1-13 were copied by Hand L in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in black ink. There is modest variation in letter size.

    Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round. There is decorative use of the double dot. Accents are sometimes joined to nomina sacra strokes..

    Punctuation used includes the middle point and full stop. Points are usually written in red ink.

    The heading is written in the same style in red ink.

    ff. 334r-341v were copied by Hand M in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in black ink. There is moderate variation in letter size.

    Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is absent. There is decorative use of the double dot. Accents are sometimes joined to letters.

    Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points, lower and middle commas and full stop.

    ff. 348r-357v were copied by Hand N in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in brown ink. There is moderate variation in letter size.

    Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is absent. There is decorative use of the double dot. Accents are sometimes joined to letters.

    Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points and lower and middle commas.

    Headings are written in the same style in red ink.

    ff. 358r-378v were copied by Hand O in mixed minuscule script with variable slant, in black ink.

    Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is absent. There is decorative use of the double dot. Accents are sometimes joined to nomina sacra strokes.

    Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points and lower, middle and middle commas.

    Headings are written in the same style in red ink.

  • Foliation:

    Foliation in modern pencil, in Arabic numerals, in the top right hand corner, recto. The sequence skips the number 166. The leaves are thus foliated: [i-v] + 1-165 + 167-378 + [vi-viii].

  • Layout: A single column of 15-22 lines. Written height: 105-128 mm, width: 65-80 mm.
  • Decoration: Many texts, sections and significant words begin with initials in red ink, of varying sizes and degrees of elaboration.
    Some texts and sections begin with enlarged initials in brown ink.
  • Additions:

    There is a note of ownership on f. [iv] recto, which has suffered damage rendering the identity of the owner illegible: "Τὸ παρὸν ὑπάρ [..12..] καὶ ὅστις τοῦ λήθη ξενώσει".

    There are several annotations by various hands on the originally blank ff. 1r-2v, including two dated 1768 on f. 1r, two by a priest named Menas on f. 1v and another by the same hand on f. 2r, which is dated 1769 and mentions a priest named Giakoumis. There are also notes by a priest named Menas, sometimes in differnt styles, on ff. 14r, 36v-37v and 330r-332v, including notes dated 26 May 1775 on ff. 330v and 332v. The date 1775 also appears alone on f. 330r.

    Notes by other hands on f. 2r mention a hieromonachos (priest and monk) named Ioachim, one Giannis, and Georgios Sarakenopoulos. Those on f. 2v include two monocondylion signatures of a hieromonachos named Makarios.

    A series of notes by various hands on another otherwise blank folio, f. 6r, include an obituary recording the death of Laurentios, Archbishop of Sinai at the ninth hour of the day on Sunday 10 November 1516 (7125 AM), after 25 years in office: "Τῶ ͵ζρκεʹ Νοεβρί· ιʹ· ὅρα θʹ τῆς ἡμερας· ἡμέρα Κυριακὴ ἐκειμήθι ὁ ἀρχιεπίσκοπος τοῦ ἁγίου ὄρους Σινᾶ κύριος Λαυρέντιος· ἀρχιερατεῦσε χρόνους· κεʹ τα ἔλι αὐτοῦ ἀπιόντα, πλέω ἀπελα ἐνικοντα".

    Notes by various hands on f. 21v include one recording the massacre of Ottoman officials in Bucharest by Michael, Voivod of Wallachia (1558-1601) on 5 November 1593: "Εἰς τοῦ ͵αφϙγʹ Νοεῦριοῦ· εʹ ἡμέρα Τρίτης ἐκοψεν ὁ Μηχἅλ βοηβοδας· τοὺς Τοὕρκους εις το Μπουκορεστει· εἰς τὸν κερὄν τοῦ σολταν Μεχμετη· ἐπαρθη, οἱ Οὐγκροβλαχία· ἀπὸ τοὺς Τοὺρκοὺς, εἰς τοὺς· ͵ατοδʹ· ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ γενησεος".

    There are other occasional marginal notes by various hands (e.g. ff. 11v-12r, f. 110r, 298v-299r).

    The presentation of the manuscript to Christ's College by W.H.D. Rouse is recorded by a bookplate on the left pastedown. The present classmark and the former classmarks J.17 and GG.2. also appear here, along with the number Y.14, also found in other Rouse manuscripts, which also appears on ff. [i] recto-[ii] recto. Rouse's donation is also recorded by a note on f. [i] verso, with the date 10 July 1940, and a note of the manuscript's acquisition on Kalymnos in 1898.

  • Provenance:

    Possibly owned by a priest named Menas in 1768-1775, as suggested by notes on ff. 1r-2v, 330r-330v and 332r.

    Acquired by the classicist and teacher W.H.D. Rouse (1863-1950), Honorary Fellow of Christ's, on Kalymnos in 1898, as indicated by the note on f. [i] verso.

  • Origin: The manuscript was probably copied in the mid-17th century, as suggested by the watermarks. This is consistent with the style of script, and with the notional date of 1623 applied to all of the model letters on ff. 318r-327v.
  • Acquisition: Presented to Christ's College by Rouse, 10 July 1940.
  • Funding: The Polonsky Foundation
  • Author(s) of the Record: Christopher Wright
  • Bibliography:
    Rouse, W.H.D., "Folklore from the Southern Sporades", Folklore 10 2 150-186 (1899).
    Easterling, Patricia E., "Greek manuscripts in Cambridge: recent acquisitions by college libraries, the Fitzwilliam Museum and private collectors.", Transactions of the Cambridge Bibliographical Society 4 179-191 (1966).

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    Information about this document

    • Physical Location: Christ's College Library
    • Classmark: Cambridge, Christ's College, MS Rouse 264
    • Alternative Identifier(s): Diktyon 11813
    • Date of Creation: mid-17th century
    • Language(s): Greek
    • Extent: Codex iii + 2 + 377 + iii
    • Collation: The quires have been sewn very tightly, so that, for the parts of the manuscript which do not exhibit signatures, it is not possible to reconstruct with certainty the original collation.

      Signature βον (2nd) in black ink, in Greek numerals, by hand C, in the lower margin, right, recto, of the first leaf of the quire (f. 22r) and in the lower margin, left, verso, of the last leaf of the quire (f. 29v).

      Signatures in brown ink, in Greek numerals, by hand C, in the lower margin, right, recto, of the first leaf of the quire and in the lower margin, left, verso, of the last leaf of the quire, from αον (1st, f. 38r) to λον (30th, f. 261r). The signatures γον, ηον, ιηον are not present.

      Catchwords in black ink, by hand E, in the lower margin, verso, of the last leaf of the quires, written horizontally, on ff. 306v and 314v.
    • Material: ff. 1-276, 285-314, 355-378 Western paper, folded in octavo. Watermark: Anchor ( Watermark height: c. 50 mm, width: c. 35 mm. ) at the upper end of the gutter, similar to Mošin 2008. This example is dated to 1648.ff. 277-284 Western paper, folded in octavo. Watermark: Unidentified motif ( Watermark height: c. 55 mm, width: c. 40 mm. ) at the upper end of the gutter.ff. 315-322 Western paper, folded in octavo. Watermark: Unidentified motif ( Watermark height: c. 55 mm, width: c. 40 mm. ) at the upper end of the gutter.ff. 323-346 Western paper, folded in octavo. Watermark: Anchor ( Watermark height: c. 55 mm, width: c. 40 mm. ) at the upper end of the gutter, similar to Mošin 2130-2134. These examples are dated to 1620-1647.ff. 347-354 Western paper, folded in octavo. Watermark: Axe? ( Watermark height: c. 50 mm, width: c. 40 mm. ) at the upper end of the gutter.
    • Format: Codex
    • Condition: There is pest damage to many folios and occasional tears. Some of this damage has been repaired by means of paper strips (e.g. gg. 6r, 28r-28v). Water and humidity stains are present throughout the volume, as well as brown stains (see e.g. f. 21r).
    • Binding:

      19th-century full leather green binding over millboards, by Wilson in Cambridge. Blind tooling on both covers, gold tooling on the board edges and squares. The title "Nomocanon 1560 Greek Ms. " is tooled in gold on the spine.

      Binding height: 151 mm, width: 120 mm, depth: 65 mm.

    • Accompanying Material: There are three endleaves belonging to the present binding at each end, the outermost marbled on the outer face. At the left-hand end of the manuscript these are followed by four earlier endleaves, perhaps original to the production of the manuscript, of thick western paper without visible endleaves ( ff. [iv]-2).
    • Script:

      ff. 3r-5a verso, 12r-14r, 271v-284r, line 12, ff. 284v, 317v, lines 8-19, f. 328r, line 13-f. 329r, f. 342r were copied by Hand A in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in black and brown ink. There is moderate variation in letter size.

      Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is absent. There is decorative use of the double dot. Accents are sometimes joined to letters and nomina sacra strokes.

      Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points, lower and middle commas and full stop.

      Headings are written in the same style in red or brown ink.

      ff. 6v, 21r-21v were copied by Hand B in mixed minuscule script, with variable slant, in black ink. There is moderate variation in letter size.

      Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is absent. There is decorative use of the double dot. Accents are sometimes joined to nomina sacra strokes.

      Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points and middle comma.

      A heading is written in the same style in red ink.

      ff. 7r-11v were copied by Hand C in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in black ink. There is moderate variation in letter size.

      Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript. There is decorative use of the double dot. Accents are sometimes joined to nomina sacra strokes.

      Enlarged tau is usually written with a downward-curved horizontal extending at least as low as the base of the letter.

      Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points and middle and lower commas. Points are often marked in red ink, and sometimes combined with commas, visually resembling question marks but not performing this function.

      Headings are written in the same style in red ink.

      ff. 14v-15v, 268r-271r, line 13 were copied by Hand D in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in brown ink. There is moderate variation in letter size.

      Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript. Use of the double dot is functional only. Accents are sometimes joined to letters and nomina sacra strokes.

      Minuscule pi is sometimes written in a distinctive form, with the left-hand loop replaced by a long stroke, and the horizontal doubled back (e.g f. 14v, lines 4, 17).

      Punctuation used includes the upper point and lower and middle commas.

      ff. 16r-20r, 22r-35r, 38v-47v, line 7, ff. 48r-267v were copied by Hand E in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in black ink. There is moderate variation in letter size.

      Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript. There is decorative use of the double dot. Accents are sometimes joined to abbreviations.

      Punctuation used includes the lower comma and full stop.

      Headings are written in the same style in red ink.

      f. 47v, lines 8-18 were copied by Hand F in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in brown ink. There is moderate variation in letter size.

      Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round.

      Punctuation used includes the lower and middle commas.

      A heading is written in the same style in red ink.

      f. 284r, lines 13-17 were copied by Hand G in mixed minuscule script with variable slant, in black ink. There is modest variation in letter size.

      Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript. There is decorative use of the double dot.

      Punctuation used includes the middle point, middle comma and full stop.

      ff. 285r-296v, 299r-317v, line 7 were copied by Hand H in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in black ink. There is moderate variation in letter size.

      Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript. Use of the double dot is functional only.

      Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points, lower and middle commas, question mark and full stop.

      Headings are written in the same style in red ink.

      f. 297r-297v was copied by Hand I in mixed minuscule script with variable slant, in black ink. There is modest variation in letter size.

      Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is absent. There is decorative use of the double dot.

      Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points, lower and middle commas and full stop.

      Headings are written in the same style in red ink.

      ff. 298r-298v were copied by Hand J in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in black ink. There is moderate variation in letter size.

      Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round.

      Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points.

      The heading is written in the same style in red ink.

      ff. 318r-327v were copied by Hand K in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in black ink. There is significant variation in letter size and frequent flamboyand flourishes.

      Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript. There is decorative use of the double dot. Accents are sometimes joined to letters.

      Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points, lower and middle commas, question mark and full stop.

      ff. 328r, lines 1-13 were copied by Hand L in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in black ink. There is modest variation in letter size.

      Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round. There is decorative use of the double dot. Accents are sometimes joined to nomina sacra strokes..

      Punctuation used includes the middle point and full stop. Points are usually written in red ink.

      The heading is written in the same style in red ink.

      ff. 334r-341v were copied by Hand M in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in black ink. There is moderate variation in letter size.

      Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is absent. There is decorative use of the double dot. Accents are sometimes joined to letters.

      Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points, lower and middle commas and full stop.

      ff. 348r-357v were copied by Hand N in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in brown ink. There is moderate variation in letter size.

      Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is absent. There is decorative use of the double dot. Accents are sometimes joined to letters.

      Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points and lower and middle commas.

      Headings are written in the same style in red ink.

      ff. 358r-378v were copied by Hand O in mixed minuscule script with variable slant, in black ink.

      Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is absent. There is decorative use of the double dot. Accents are sometimes joined to nomina sacra strokes.

      Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points and lower, middle and middle commas.

      Headings are written in the same style in red ink.

    • Foliation:

      Foliation in modern pencil, in Arabic numerals, in the top right hand corner, recto. The sequence skips the number 166. The leaves are thus foliated: [i-v] + 1-165 + 167-378 + [vi-viii].

    • Layout: A single column of 15-22 lines. Written height: 105-128 mm, width: 65-80 mm.
    • Decoration: Many texts, sections and significant words begin with initials in red ink, of varying sizes and degrees of elaboration.
      Some texts and sections begin with enlarged initials in brown ink.
    • Additions:

      There is a note of ownership on f. [iv] recto, which has suffered damage rendering the identity of the owner illegible: "Τὸ παρὸν ὑπάρ [..12..] καὶ ὅστις τοῦ λήθη ξενώσει".

      There are several annotations by various hands on the originally blank ff. 1r-2v, including two dated 1768 on f. 1r, two by a priest named Menas on f. 1v and another by the same hand on f. 2r, which is dated 1769 and mentions a priest named Giakoumis. There are also notes by a priest named Menas, sometimes in differnt styles, on ff. 14r, 36v-37v and 330r-332v, including notes dated 26 May 1775 on ff. 330v and 332v. The date 1775 also appears alone on f. 330r.

      Notes by other hands on f. 2r mention a hieromonachos (priest and monk) named Ioachim, one Giannis, and Georgios Sarakenopoulos. Those on f. 2v include two monocondylion signatures of a hieromonachos named Makarios.

      A series of notes by various hands on another otherwise blank folio, f. 6r, include an obituary recording the death of Laurentios, Archbishop of Sinai at the ninth hour of the day on Sunday 10 November 1516 (7125 AM), after 25 years in office: "Τῶ ͵ζρκεʹ Νοεβρί· ιʹ· ὅρα θʹ τῆς ἡμερας· ἡμέρα Κυριακὴ ἐκειμήθι ὁ ἀρχιεπίσκοπος τοῦ ἁγίου ὄρους Σινᾶ κύριος Λαυρέντιος· ἀρχιερατεῦσε χρόνους· κεʹ τα ἔλι αὐτοῦ ἀπιόντα, πλέω ἀπελα ἐνικοντα".

      Notes by various hands on f. 21v include one recording the massacre of Ottoman officials in Bucharest by Michael, Voivod of Wallachia (1558-1601) on 5 November 1593: "Εἰς τοῦ ͵αφϙγʹ Νοεῦριοῦ· εʹ ἡμέρα Τρίτης ἐκοψεν ὁ Μηχἅλ βοηβοδας· τοὺς Τοὕρκους εις το Μπουκορεστει· εἰς τὸν κερὄν τοῦ σολταν Μεχμετη· ἐπαρθη, οἱ Οὐγκροβλαχία· ἀπὸ τοὺς Τοὺρκοὺς, εἰς τοὺς· ͵ατοδʹ· ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ γενησεος".

      There are other occasional marginal notes by various hands (e.g. ff. 11v-12r, f. 110r, 298v-299r).

      The presentation of the manuscript to Christ's College by W.H.D. Rouse is recorded by a bookplate on the left pastedown. The present classmark and the former classmarks J.17 and GG.2. also appear here, along with the number Y.14, also found in other Rouse manuscripts, which also appears on ff. [i] recto-[ii] recto. Rouse's donation is also recorded by a note on f. [i] verso, with the date 10 July 1940, and a note of the manuscript's acquisition on Kalymnos in 1898.

    • Provenance:

      Possibly owned by a priest named Menas in 1768-1775, as suggested by notes on ff. 1r-2v, 330r-330v and 332r.

      Acquired by the classicist and teacher W.H.D. Rouse (1863-1950), Honorary Fellow of Christ's, on Kalymnos in 1898, as indicated by the note on f. [i] verso.

    • Origin: The manuscript was probably copied in the mid-17th century, as suggested by the watermarks. This is consistent with the style of script, and with the notional date of 1623 applied to all of the model letters on ff. 318r-327v.
    • Acquisition: Presented to Christ's College by Rouse, 10 July 1940.
    • Funding: The Polonsky Foundation
    • Author(s) of the Record: Christopher Wright
    • Bibliography:
      Rouse, W.H.D., "Folklore from the Southern Sporades", Folklore 10 2 150-186 (1899).
      Easterling, Patricia E., "Greek manuscripts in Cambridge: recent acquisitions by college libraries, the Fitzwilliam Museum and private collectors.", Transactions of the Cambridge Bibliographical Society 4 179-191 (1966).

    Section shown in images 17 to 20

    • Title: Catalogue of sinful acts
    • Note(s): Defective at the beginning; ff. 1r-2v are blank apart from a variety of later notes
    • Excerpts:
      Incipit: f. 3r ἀδιάτροπα ἐκὰν να ἀπουσε θέλυ ἐροτιὰν

    Section shown in images 21 to 24

    • Title: Catalogue of penances for offences by women
    • Note(s): f. 6r is blank apart from a variety of later notes
    • Excerpts:
      Rubric: f. 5r Ἐχἠ εποιτίμιον· ὑ τὸν ανδραμόλινουσα
      Incipit: f. 5r Γυνὴ μετα βότανον· μολίνουσα τὴν μιτρὰν

    Section shown in images 26 to 34

    • Title: Prayers for the forgiveness of sins
    • Excerpts:
      Incipit: f. 6v Κύριε ὀ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ὃ τῶ πέτρο καὶ τὴν πόρνη δη ἐδακρίων

    Section shown in images 35 to 35

    • Title: Penances for particular offences
    • Note(s): Attributed here to John the Faster (Johannes Jejunator), Patriarch of Constantinople (d. 595) Johannes Ieiunator 5XX-595
    • Excerpts:
      Incipit: f. 11r Ὁ Θῖος πατρίἀρχης ὁ νηστευτῆς· οῦτος ἀπὸ φήνη· ὅτι ὄποιος κοσμηκὸς ἠβρίση ἰερέα

    Section shown in images 36 to 41

    • Title: Pronouncements of spiritual fathers
    • Excerpts:
      Incipit: f. 11v Θεῖα καὶ ἀρχιερατικὴ ἐξουσία καὶ ἐπιτροπῆ· τὰς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, δὲ εχόμενος

    Section shown in images 38 to 39

    • Title: Pronouncement of absolution
    • Excerpts:
      Incipit: f. 12v Λαυρέντιος- Ἐλέω Θεοὺ, ἀρχιεπίσκοπος τοῦ ἀγίου καὶ θεόβαδίστου ορος Σηνᾶ καὶ Ραϊθοῦ· Ἢ ταπηνώτης ἠμῶν ἐν τη δηνάμοι δωρέα

    Section shown in images 42 to 577

    • Title: On repentance and penance
    • Excerpts:
      Incipit: f. 14v Ὁ πνευματικὸς βαλε καλὰ εἰς τὸν νυν σου και κατάλαβε καλῶς

    Section shown in images 45 to 546

    • Title: Nomocanon
    • Note(s): Incomplete, with lacunas; ff. 21v, 35v-38r are blank apart from various later notes
    • Excerpts:
      Incipit: f. 16r Πίναξ σῦν Θεῶ ἀγίω τοῦ παρώντος νομοκανόνου· Περὶ κριτοῦ τοῦ εἶναι εἰς πάντας συμπαθεῖν

    Section shown in images 533 to 544

    • Title: Account of the ecumenical councils
    • Note(s): Defective at the beginning
    • Excerpts:
      Incipit: f. 261v δέκατον χρόνων τῆς βασιλείας Κωνσταντίνου τοῦ μεγάλου, καὶ ἤσαν ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ γεννήσεως χρόνοι τριακόσιοι δέκα καὶ ὁκτῶ

    Section shown in images 578 to 579

    • Title: Narrative about a priest tempted by the Devil
    • Excerpts:
      Incipit: f. 283v Πρεσβύτερος τὶς ἐν τῶ πωτινὶ διαδγοντη· ἔχον γυναῖκα οἱ καὶ νέοι ἀμφωτέροι ἐτύγχανον

    Section shown in images 579 to 580

    • Title: Penances for particular offences
    • Excerpts:
      Incipit: f. 284r Ἔἂν ἂνδρὸ γύνον τυχον ποται βαπτίσουν καὶ οἱδίο ἔνὸς ἄνθρώπου παιδίου

    Section shown in images 581 to 604

    • Title: Cautionary tales about priests
    • Excerpts:
      Rubric: f. 285r Διήγησις ὀφελειμος ἐκ τῆς βιβλου τῆς καλουμένης μέλισας φρικτῆ καὶ παρέδοξος περι ιερέων
      Incipit: f. 285r Ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις τῆς βασιλειας τῶν ὀρθοδόξων χριστανῶν βασιλέων ἦτον τὶς ἄρχοντας εὐσεβεὶς καὶ ὀρθόδοξος εἰς τὸν Μωραῖα

    Section shown in images 605 to 606

    • Title: On the appearance of the moon in different months
    • Excerpts:
      Rubric: f. 297r Περὶ τῆς σελήνης ἀποτέλματα καθέκαστον μήνα· ἐν τῆ γεννήσι αὐτοῦ
      Incipit: f. 297v Μάρτιος· ἐἂν ὁρθἠ ἡ σελήνη σίτου καὶ οἶνου

    Section shown in images 607 to 607

    • Title: Table of solar cycles

    Section shown in images 608 to 608

    • Title: Calendrical note
    • Excerpts:
      Incipit: f. 298v ἀν θέλοῖς νά ἐβρησ εἰς πίαν ἡμεραν τῆς εὐδωμάδος

    Section shown in images 609 to 613

    • Title: On communion
    • Excerpts:
      Rubric: f. 299r Περὶ τῆς ἁγίας κοινωνίας καὶ του ὅσων αγαθῶν ἡμῶν πρόξενος ἡ συνεχῶς μετα καθαροῦ τοῦ συνειδώτως ταύτης μετάληψις καὶ κοινωνία
      Incipit: f. 299r Οοδὲν δὲ ούτῶ, πρὸς τε ψυχῆς καθαρσι και φωτισμὸν νοός καὶ σώματος ἁγιασμὸν

    Section shown in images 613 to 626

    • Title: On the sacraments
    • Excerpts:
      Rubric: f. 301r Ὅτι ἀναγγαῖον μαθεῖν τὸ θαυματῶν αγιων μυστηρίων, καὶ τίποτε εστι καὶ διατί ἐδόθη καὶ τίς ἡ ὠφελεία· το μεγέλου Χρυσοστόμου
      Incipit: f. 301r Γράφει δὲ καὶ ὁ χρυσόρρήμων, ἀναγγκαῖον μαθεῖν τὸ θαυματῶν μυστηρίων τίποτε ἐστὶ

    Section shown in images 626 to 646

    • Title: Model letters
    • Excerpts:
      Incipit: f. 307v Παναγιώτατε αυθέντα δέσποτα καὶ οιμενικη πατριάρχ

    Section shown in images 647 to 666

    • Title: Model letters from spiritual fathers
    • Note(s): All these letters are dated 1623
    • Excerpts:
      Incipit: f. 318r Γράμμα διδόμενον παρὰ πνευματικοὺς καὶ ἀπὸ ετέρων ἰερωνύμων προσώπων

    Section shown in images 667 to 667

    • Title: Prayer
    • Excerpts:
      Rubric: f. 328r Εὐχὴ λεγομένη παρὰ τοῦ πνευματικοῦ εἷς τὸν εξομόλογούμενον
      Incipit: f. 328r Ἀργυρίου καὶ χρυσίου· οὐχ ὑπάρχη μοι

    Section shown in images 667 to 669

    • Title: Dialogues
    • Note(s): Excerpt: Book 4, chapter 19, from the Greek translation by Pope Zacharias (d. 752); ff. 329v-332v are blank apart from various later notes
    • Excerpts:
      Rubric: f. 328r Περὶ βλασφημίας Γριγορίου τοῦ διἀλόγου καὶ περὶ τοῦ διδάσκειν τὰ πεδία
      Incipit: f. 328r Πάντα μὲν τα βαπτιζόμε νίπια, καὶ ἐν αυτῆ τῆ νηπιώτητι

    Section shown in images 677 to 694

    • Title: The Farmer's Law
    • Alternative Title(s): Νόμος γεωργικός
    • Note(s): TLG 4461.001
    • Excerpts:
      Rubric: f. 333r όμοι γεωργικοὶ κατ'ἐκλογὴν βιβλίου του τῆς θειας λήξεως Ἰουστιινανοῦ τοῦ ἀοιδίμου βασιλέως
      Incipit: f. 333r Περὶ γεωργων. ρὴ τὸν γεωργὸν ἐργαζόμενι τὸν ίδιον ἀγρὸν εἶναι δίκεον

    Section shown in images 695 to 695

    • Title: Canon regarding penance
    • Note(s): ff. 342v-347v are blank apart from later notes
    • Excerpts:
      Incipit: f. 342r Εἂν δὲ δύο γυναῖκαις συγκῆληθῆσιν, μετὰ ἄνδρῶν ἣ μαλακιθῶσιν

    Section shown in images 707 to 768

    • Title: Canons
    • Note(s): Includes excerpts from the Apostolic Canons, decrees of councils, canonical responses and other material
    • Excerpts:
      Incipit: f. 348r Ὅρος καὶ κανῶν τῶν αγίων ἀποστόλων· καὶ μὴ ἔλαττον τῆς λαμπρὰς κυριακής
  1. Transcription
  1. Translation

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