Galen (Cambridge, Gonville and Caius College, MS 360/587)
The manuscript contains a collection of medical texts by Galen and is formed of two parts, united by their former owner, the physician John Caius (1510-1573).
Part I contains two works by Galen on physiology and anatomy, On the elements according to Hippocrates ( De elementis secundum Hippocratem), on the theory of the elements, On the natural faculties ( De naturalibus facultatibus).
Part II contains a part of another work by Galen, Method of Healing, books 7-14 ( De methodo medendi). As John Caius indicated in a note in the upper margin of p. 2:161, the portion of the text contained in MS 360/587 completes another of his manuscripts, Cambridge, Gonville and Caius College, 47/24 (part I), where the text was written by another scribe, Georgios Tzangaropoulos: these two copies did not belong together. Apparently, as indicated by notes written by John Caius in the margins of a printed edition of Galen (Eton College, Fc.2.6-8, on this see Nutton 1987, p. 65), he had for some time an imperfect copy of this text of Galen (MS Gonville and Caius 47/24), hence the need to have a complete copy of the work. Nutton (1987, p. 65) assumed that the copy of the second part of the text was commissioned by John Caius. This assumption seems to be reinforced by the fact that the text in MS 360/587 begins on the top of a leaf exactly from the point where it ends in MS 47/24, that the pagination carries on from that mauscript, and that the hand of the scribe of MS 360/587 (hand C) recurs also in the margins of MS 47/24 (hand a). The only difficulty in this reconstruction is the fact that the watermarks found in the second part of MS 360/587, although not identified in the repertoires, are comparable with examples dated between the last decade of the 15th and the first quarter of the 16th c., which would be a little early for a copy commissioned by Caius (1510-1573). The scribe could have used an "old" stock of paper; or maybe the watermarks, which are only "comparable" to the examples of the beginnig of the century, are in reality later; the question needs more research.
The manuscript was donated to Gonville and Caius College Library by John Caius (1510-1573), the English physician and second founder of the College. He travelled in Italy from 1539-1544, where he consulted various manuscripts (see S. Berlier, John Caius et le De usu partium. Contribution à l'histoire du texte de Galien, in: Revue d'Histoire des Textes n.s. 6 (2011), pp. 1-14: pp. 5-6) and probably acquired at least some of the Greek manuscripts he later bequeathed to the College.
Dr Erika Elia
Information about this document
- Physical Location: Gonville and Caius College, Lower Library
- Classmark: Cambridge, Gonville and Caius College, MS 360/587
- Alternative Identifier(s): Diktyon 11869
- Subject(s): Medicine, Greek and Roman
- Donor(s): Caius, John, 1510-1573
- Extent: Codex 1 + 312 + 1 Leaf height: 210 mm, width: 145-150 mm.
- Collation:
f. [i] | 14, 28, 316, 414-1, 518, 616, 7-1112, 1212-3 | 13-2612 | f. [ii]
- Format: Codex
- Condition: The codex is in good condition. There are stains throughout, but the text is always readable. Worm holes, in particular in the first and last leaves.
- Binding:
Western modern binding made by Gray and Sons (Cambridge). Full reverse leather cover over millboard. Two pieces from the previous leather cover are pasted on both boards. The original cover had blind tooling, a double frame, a partitioning of which is filled with arabesque decoration. On the spine are pasted two paper labels with the shelfmarks, "587" (in red) and "360" (in black).
Binding height: 218 mm, width: 158 mm, depth: 50 mm.
- Foliation:
Pagination in ink on the top right hand corner recto and on the top left hand corner verso, from 1 to 290 (the pagination jumps from 80 to 83) and from 161 to 496; two endleaves are unnumbered: f. [i] + pp. 1:1-1:80, 1:83-1:290 + 2:161-2:496 + f. [ii].
In both parts of the manuscript, in the upper margin of the leaves, centre, there are running titles indicating the book number of the work, written by the same hand (John Caius?) in black ink.
- Acquisition: The manuscript was donated to the Library by John Caius (1510-1573) (see the note on f. [i] recto). On the left pastedown and on f. [i] verso (with handwritten shelfmark in red ink, " 587" and a small paper label with the other shelfmark, " 360") is pasted the Gonville and Caius College bookplate.
- Funding: The Polonsky Foundation
- Data Source(s): Description (2021) draws partly on M. R. James, A descriptive catalogue of the Manuscripts in the Library of Gonville and Caius College, vol. 2, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1908, pp. 407-408.
- Author(s) of the Record: Erika Elia
- Bibliography:James, M. R., A descriptive catalogue of the manuscripts in the library of Gonville and Caius College (Cambridge: University Press, 1908) 2.Grierson, P., "John Caius' Library", in Biographical history of Gonville and Caius College, 1349-1897: containing a list of all known members of the college from the foundation to the present time (Cambridge: University Press, 1978) 7.Nutton, Vivian, John Caius and the manuscripts of Galen, Proceedings of the Cambridge Philological Society 13 (Cambridge: Philological Society, 1987).Touwaide, Alain, "Byzantine medical manuscripts: towards a new catalogue, with a specimen for an annotated checklist of manuscripts based on an index of Diels' catalogue", Byzantion: Revue internationale des Études Byzantines 79 453-595 (2009).Berlier, S., "John Caius et le 'De usu partium'. Contribution à l'histoire du texte de Galien", Revue d'histoire des textes 6 1-14 (2011).Touwaide, A., A census of Greek medical manuscripts: from Byzantium to the Renaissance, Medicine in the medieval Mediterranean 6 (London: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group, ©2016, 2016).
Want to know more?
Under the 'More' menu you can find metadata about the item, and information about sharing this image.
- Physical Location: Gonville and Caius College, Lower Library
- Classmark: Cambridge, Gonville and Caius College, MS 360/587
- Alternative Identifier(s): Diktyon 11869
- Subject(s): Medicine, Greek and Roman
- Donor(s): Caius, John, 1510-1573
- Extent: Codex 1 + 312 + 1 Leaf height: 210 mm, width: 145-150 mm.
- Collation:
f. [i] | 14, 28, 316, 414-1, 518, 616, 7-1112, 1212-3 | 13-2612 | f. [ii]
- Format: Codex
- Condition: The codex is in good condition. There are stains throughout, but the text is always readable. Worm holes, in particular in the first and last leaves.
- Binding:
Western modern binding made by Gray and Sons (Cambridge). Full reverse leather cover over millboard. Two pieces from the previous leather cover are pasted on both boards. The original cover had blind tooling, a double frame, a partitioning of which is filled with arabesque decoration. On the spine are pasted two paper labels with the shelfmarks, "587" (in red) and "360" (in black).
Binding height: 218 mm, width: 158 mm, depth: 50 mm.
- Foliation:
Pagination in ink on the top right hand corner recto and on the top left hand corner verso, from 1 to 290 (the pagination jumps from 80 to 83) and from 161 to 496; two endleaves are unnumbered: f. [i] + pp. 1:1-1:80, 1:83-1:290 + 2:161-2:496 + f. [ii].
In both parts of the manuscript, in the upper margin of the leaves, centre, there are running titles indicating the book number of the work, written by the same hand (John Caius?) in black ink.
- Acquisition: The manuscript was donated to the Library by John Caius (1510-1573) (see the note on f. [i] recto). On the left pastedown and on f. [i] verso (with handwritten shelfmark in red ink, " 587" and a small paper label with the other shelfmark, " 360") is pasted the Gonville and Caius College bookplate.
- Funding: The Polonsky Foundation
- Data Source(s): Description (2021) draws partly on M. R. James, A descriptive catalogue of the Manuscripts in the Library of Gonville and Caius College, vol. 2, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1908, pp. 407-408.
- Author(s) of the Record: Erika Elia
- Bibliography:James, M. R., A descriptive catalogue of the manuscripts in the library of Gonville and Caius College (Cambridge: University Press, 1908) 2.Grierson, P., "John Caius' Library", in Biographical history of Gonville and Caius College, 1349-1897: containing a list of all known members of the college from the foundation to the present time (Cambridge: University Press, 1978) 7.Nutton, Vivian, John Caius and the manuscripts of Galen, Proceedings of the Cambridge Philological Society 13 (Cambridge: Philological Society, 1987).Touwaide, Alain, "Byzantine medical manuscripts: towards a new catalogue, with a specimen for an annotated checklist of manuscripts based on an index of Diels' catalogue", Byzantion: Revue internationale des Études Byzantines 79 453-595 (2009).Berlier, S., "John Caius et le 'De usu partium'. Contribution à l'histoire du texte de Galien", Revue d'histoire des textes 6 1-14 (2011).Touwaide, A., A census of Greek medical manuscripts: from Byzantium to the Renaissance, Medicine in the medieval Mediterranean 6 (London: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group, ©2016, 2016).
- Alternative Identifier(s): Part I, pp. 1:1-1:290
- Title: Untitled Document
- Date of Creation: in the first half of the 16th c.
- Language(s): Greek
- Collation:
The collation has been reconstructed on the basis of the presence of visible sewing and of the position of the watermarks. It does not coincide with the collation identified by James in the catalogue and with the numbering of the quires in pencil which corresponds to it.
- One endleaf, f. [i]
- Quire 14 pp. 1:1-1:8
- Quire 28 pp. 1:9-1:24
- Quire 316 pp. 1:25-1:56
- Quire 414-1 pp. 1:57-1:80, 1:83-1:84(13th leaf missing, without loss of text)
- Quire 518 pp. 1:85-1:120
- Quire 616 pp. 1:121-1:152
- Quires 7-1112 pp. 1:153-1:272
- Quire 1212-3 pp. 1:273-1:290
- Material: Western paper, folded in quarto. Watermarks: pp. 1:1-1:24 Hand surmounted by a five-point star ( Watermark height: ca. 76 mm, width: ca. 20 mm. ) in the gutter, no exact parallels were found in the main repertoires, but the type is comparable to Briquet Main 11166 and 11169, which are dated to 1505 and 1514. pp. 1:25-1:120 Hand surmounted by a five-point star ( Watermark height: ca. 55 mm, width: ca. 18 mm. ) in the gutter, no exact parallels in the main repertoires. pp. 1:121-1:290 Hand with a symbol on it, surmounted by a five-point star ( Watermark height: ca. 73 mm, width: ca. 23 mm. ) in the gutter, no exact parallels in the main repertoires (the same symbol recurs in Harlfinger Main 30, which is dated to 1532 or 1533).
- Format: Codex
- Script:
pp. 1:1-1:80 Hand A: a minuscule script, irregular in forms and size, in particular on the first leaves, after which it becomes more and more regular and small. The scribe wrote also notes in the margins.
The text is written in a grey ink.
pp. 1:85-1:288 Hand B: a small, regular minuscule script, which displays features that are not distant from hand A, although the script is more regular.
The text is written in a light brown/grey ink.
- Layout: pp. 1:1-1:19 Irregular layout, a single column of 20-26 lines. Written height: ca. 155 mm, width: 100 mm. pp. 1:20-1:80, 1:85-1:288 A single column of 19 lines. Written height: ca. 155 mm, width: 100 mm.
- Additions:
On f. [i] recto there is a note by John Caius concerning the donation of the manuscript to the College: " Collegio suo de Goneville | et Caius in Canta|brigia, Joannes Caius | dono dedit".
On f. [i] verso there is a note in black ink by John Caius about the contents of the whole manuscript, saying also that the pagination of part II continues that of another manuscript containing the same text (namely MS Cambridge, Gonville and Caius College, 47/24, see Nutton 1987, p. 65): " Hoc in libro continentur | Galeni libri | περὶ στοιχεῖων(!) βιβλ. β΄ | usque ad folium 85 | περὶ φυσικῶν δυνάμεων, βιβλ. γ΄ | usque ad folium 290 [] | περὶ θεραπευτικῆς μεθοδοῦ(!), | βιβλ. η΄ μετὰ ἡμίσεως τοῦ ἕκτου | per reliquum librum cuius | foliorum numeri, numeris respondent | alterius eius argumenti voluminis".
In the upper margin of p. 1:1 were written, it seems, by John Caius, the titles of the two works of Galen contained in part I of the manuscript.
On p. 1:83 is written a Latin title for the works by Galen which follow on pp. 1:85-1:288: " Galeni de naturalibus facultatibus, libri tres".
On p. 1:290 there is a note by John Caius, describing the contents of Part II of the manuscript: " Libri Galeni 8to postremi | cum bona parte sexti, de me|dendi methodo. Cuius operis | quinque primi libri, cum bona parte | sexti continentur seorsum in | alio volumine maiori et | antiquiori. Cuius ultimae paginae numerus est 160".
- Origin:
Part I of the manuscript was copied probably in the first half of the 16th c. as the watermarks and the script suggest.
- Title: On the elements according to Hippocrates
- Alternative Title(s): De elementis secundum Hippocratem libri II
- Author(s): Galen
- Note(s):
- pp. 1:1-1:65 Book 1
- pp. 1:66-1:80 Book 2
- Title: On the Natural Faculties
- Author(s): Galen
- Note(s):
- pp. 1:85-1:156 Book 1
- pp. 1:157-1:221 Book 2
- pp. 1:222-1:288 Book 3
- Alternative Identifier(s): Part II, ff. 2:161-2:496
- Title: Method of Healing, books 7-14
- Author(s): Galen
- Date of Creation: in the first half of the 16th century.
- Note(s): In the upper margin of p. 2:161 John Caius wrote a title in Latin, indicating that this is the second part of the work (the first is in another of his manuscripts), " 6i libri Galeni de medendi methodo pars postrema"; The text starts incomplete at C.G. Kühn, Claudii Galeni opera omnia, 10, Leipzig 1825 (repr. Hildesheim 1965), p. 435 l. 5; TLG 0057.066
- Collation:
Part II is formed by 14 senions.
- Quires 13-2612 pp. 2:161-2:495(1-14)
- One endleaf, f. [ii]
- Material: Western paper, folded in quarto. Watermarks: pp. 2:161-2:208 Scale in a circle surmounted by a six-point star with letters " V V " (or "W"?) ( Watermark height: ca. 75 mm, width: ca. 33 mm. ) in the gutter, comparable to Briquet Balance 2591, which is dated in 1496, 1497, 1503. pp. 2:209-2:280 Lion, rampant, with countermark " 3 (?) P " ( Watermark height: ca. 35 mm, width: ca. 33 mm. ) in the gutter, no exact parallels in the main repertoires. pp. 2:281-2:495 Scale in a circle surmounted by a six-point star, with countermark " A" ( Watermark height: ca. 75 mm, width: ca. 33 mm. ) in the gutter, comparable to Briquet Balance 2594, which is dated to 1500 (Venice), and to Harlfinger Balance 75, which is dated to 1502.
- Format: Codex
- Script:
pp. 2:161-2:495 Hand C: a small minuscule script, slightly slanting to the right, datable to the first half of the 16th c. The scribe wrote also notes in the margins.
Iota subscript is not used
The text is written in a light brown ink.
- Layout: A single column of 24-25 lines. Written height: 160-170 mm, width: ca. 110 mm.
- Origin:
Part II of the manuscript was copied by a single scribe, probably in Italy, as the paper suggests, in the first half of the 16th century.
Information about this document
Section shown in images 5 to 290
Section shown in images 5 to 84
Section shown in images 87 to 290
Section shown in images 293 to 627
Share
You can also embed the viewer into your own website or blog using the code below:
