Western Medieval Manuscripts : Nicomachus of Gerasa

Western Medieval Manuscripts

<p style='text-align: justify;'>This manuscript contains two texts by the Greek Neopythagorean <i>Nicomachus of Gerasa</i> (ca. 100 CE), a mathematical manual, <i>Introduction to Arithmetic</i>, and a work on music, <i>Manual of Harmonics</i>. </p><p style='text-align: justify;'>The codex is formed of two parts. Both were copied by the Greek scribe Angelos Bergikios (c. first quarter of the 16th century-1569). Born in Crete, from 1539 he worked in Paris, where he was appointed by Francis I (1494-1547) <i>scriptor </i> of the Royal Library, which then was in Fontainebleau. Bergikios' script was used as model for the <i>grecs du roi</i> typeface designed by Claude Gramond. Although the texts were all copied by the same scribe, it is possible to distinguish two distinct parts in the manuscript: they have a different kind of paper, the scribe used a different ink, and the quires of each have been numbered by the scribe with a distinct series of signatures. Possibly Angelos Bergikios copied them at a different time. </p><p style='text-align: justify;'>The first part of the manuscript contains the <i>Introduction to Arithmetic</i> (<i>Introductio arithmetica</i>). A later western hand added in the margins notes, scholia, and corrections. The same hand intervened also in MSS Kk.5.31 and Ff.6.32, both written by Bergikios and owned, before John Moore, by J.B. Hautin.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>The second part contains the <i> Manual of Harmonics</i>; Bergikios copied this text also in MSS Bern, Burgerbibliothek, 639 and <a target='_blank' class='externalLink' href='https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b10076527r'> Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, gr. 2457</a>, which was completed, according to its colophon, in 1537 in Venice. Another hand added annotations and diagrams in the margins, and a pagination.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Dr Erika Elia</p>