Vaticanus graecus 2226 – G

Previous descriptions: A very accurate description in Lilla (1985, 296–305).

Reproductions: Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana

Family: d²

Siglum: G

Shelfmark: Vaticanus graecus 2226

Date: First half of the 14th century

Format: paper, 227×154 mm, I+309 ff.

Material: there is no loss of the written text. Some folios are loosely bound and others, at the end, (ff. 302‒308), are stained and difficult to read.

Binding: not original, middle of 19th century.

Watermarks: the watermarks were examined in detail by Lilla (1985, 296) and allow us to date the manuscript between 1309 and 1361.

Scribes: Lilla (1985, 303‒4) identifies 15 hands in the manuscript. Hand 6 wrote the entire section containing Phrynichus’ Ecloga and part of Pollux’s Onomasticon (ff. 11r‒v; 98‒199; 202; 216‒218; 226‒250, 295v; 298; 304 l. 8‒305v). The remaining Pollux’s folios were written by hands 8 (ff. 202v‒215r), 9 (ff. 218v‒225v), and 10 (ff. 250v‒295v). Hand 7 belongs to Demetrius TrivolisDemetrius Trivolis (RGK I 103 = II 135 = III 169; PLP 29298), who lived in the second half of the 15th century and wrote an ownership note (see Annotations). Among the other copyists, hand 1 (ff. 4–5r l.6) is IohannesIohannes, (RGK II 271 = III 328; see also Pérez Martín 1997, 80–1), an erudite scribe who worked for the circle of Manuel MoschopulusManuel Moschopulus and Nicephorus GregorasNicephorus Gregoras, while hand 2 (ff. 5v l.6–6) belongs to the so-called ‘scribe X’Scribe X (see Bianconi 2003, 548–51): for this reason, ff. 4–6 can be dated with some certainty to the first years of the 14th century.

Annotations: on f. 201v there are four notes by Demetrius Trivolis. Notes three and four prove his ownership: ‘ἡ παροῦσα βίβλος ἔστιν ἐμοῦ Δημητρίου τοῦ Τριβώλη Πελοποννησίου ἐκ Σπάρτης’ ‘The book here belongs to me, Demetrius Trivolis’. The fourth note is in verse:

κτῆμ’ ἐμόν ἐστιν τοῦ Δημητρίου ἡ βίβλος αὕτη ἕλκοντος γένος ἠέ τε φυλὴν Σπάρτης γαίης· τοὔνομα δὲ Τριβώλης καλέομαι ἐκ πατρός.

This book belongs to me, Demetrius, who descend and originate from the Spartan land; I am called Trivolis after my father.

Another later hand (n. 14) copied the third note by Trivolis after this one. On f. 306v one Iohannes wrote ‘ἠγόρασα ταύτην τὴν βίβλον ἀπὸ τὸν ἀδελφόν μου Ἰω(άννη?). ὀφείλω αὐτὸν δουκάτα ια’ ‘I have bought this book from my brother Iohannes(?), I owe him 11 ducats’ and later ‘ἀκμὴν (i.e. Modern Greek ἀκόμη, not an error as Lilla suggests) ὀφείλω καὶ εἰς τὸ λεξικὸν δουκάτα ἓξ καὶ τὴν εὐχήν μου’ ‘I still owe him six ducats for the lexicon and my prayers’. On f. 4, in the lower margin, there is an ownership note by Cardinal Giovanni de Salviati (1490‒1553).

1 (ff. 4r–6r) <Manuel Moschopulus, Libellus de vocum passionibus>. No title. Incipit: ἐν τοῖς πάθεσι τῶν λέξεων πρόσθεσις ἰδίως λέγεται (1). Explicit: ποιητικὴ δὲ ἐν τοῖς λοιποῖς κατὰ τὸν εἰρημένον ὄπισθεν λόγον (25). Edited in Schäfer (1811).

f. 6v: blank.

ff. 7–9: lost.

2 (ff. 10r–11r) <Gregorius> Chioniades, Professio fidei. Title: ὁμολογία τοῦ ἱατροσοφιστοῦ Χιονιάδου. Incipit: ἐπειδήπερ τάξιν πατρὸς κοινῇ πρὸς πάντας. Explicit: αὕτη μου ἡ ὁμολογία Χριστοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ χάριτι καὶ ζῶν καὶ τελευτῶν. Not yet edited.

3 (f. 11r–v) Basilius Caesariensis, <De legendis gentilium libris>. Title: τοῦ μεγάλου Βασιλείου. Incipit: λέγεται δὲ καὶ Μω<υ>σῆς ἐκεῖνος (3). Explicit: ἅψασθαι παιδευμάτων (3). Edited in Boulenger (1935).

4 (f. 11v) Table of contents of the book, beginning from item 5. The table gives the title of each work and its beginning. Title: τάδε ἔνεστιν ἐν τῇδε τῇ βιβλίῳ. Written by Demetrius Trivolis.

5 (f. 12r–16v) Isocrates, De iugo.

f. 17r: blank.

6 (f. 17v) The life and works of Apollonius Dyscolus, copied from Su. α 3422.

7 (f. 18r–97v) Title: Ἀπολλωνίου Ἀλεξανδρέως περὶ συντάξεως. Incipit: ἐν ταῖς προεκδοθείσαις ἡμῖν σχολαῖς (1.1). Explicit: καὶ ὡς ἔξωθεν τὸ ἄρθρον προσγενήσεται τὸν παραγινώσκοντα (478.8). Edited in GG 2.2.1.1–478.8. This work is preceded (on f. 18r) by another life of Apollonius Dyscolus (incipit Ἀπολλώνιος οὗτος Ἀλεξανδρεὺς ἦν τὸ γένος, explicit καὶ τοσαῦτα μὲν περί τε Ἀπολλωνίου καὶ Ἡρωδιανοῦ) and by an index (ff. 18r–19v).

8 (ff. 98r–147v) Harpocration, <Lexicum in decem oratores Atticos>. Title: Ἁρποκρατίων. The entire work, from α 1 to ψ 3. Edited in Keaney (1991). This is manuscript X in the textual tradition of Harpocration’s lexicum.

9 (ff. 148r–153r) Aelius Herodianus. Title: Αἰλίου Ἡρωδιανοῦ περὶ ἡμαρτημένων λέξεων. Incipit: πολλῶν σφαλλομένων κατὰ τὴν κλίσιν τῆς δοτικῆς. Explicit: κυλίνδεται ὄμβριμος Ἕκτωρ. Edited in Hermann (1801, 301–318) and Cramer (1835–1836 vol. 3, 246–62), but the text in the manuscript is quite different.

(ff. 148r–158v) Ps.-Aelius Herodianus, Philetaerus. Title: Αἰλίου Ἡρωδιανοῦ Φιλέταιρος. Incipit: εἱλόμην εἵλου εἵλετο (1). Explicit: ἐνδοτέρω δὲ οὐκέτι ἀλλὰ ἔνδον μᾶλλον (319). Edited in Dain (1954). At the end there is the scholium ‘καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρῳ τῷ κομικῷ συγγέγραπται τοιουτονὶ συγταγμάτιον (lege συντ-) ἐν ᾧ πολλὰ τούτοις συμφέρεται. δοκεῖ μέντοι μοι οὗτος παρ’ ἐκείνου λαβὼν ἔχειν, ἐπειδὴ ὅσα ἐκεῖνον εἰκὸς εὐφραδῶς εἰπεῖν, ταῦτα μάλιστα καὶ ἐνταῦθα εὑρίσκω’.

10 (ff. 158v–166v) Phrynichus, Ecloga. Title: Φρυνίχου Ἀττικιστοῦ περὶ δοκίμων λέξεων καὶ μή. Incipit: ἑκοντὴν οὐ χρὴ λέγειν (1). Explicit: τὰ συγγράμματα τοῦ σοφιστοῦ τοῦτο παρεῖδεν ἀδόκιμον ὄν (424). Edited in Fischer (1974). This is manuscript U in the textual tradition of Phrynichus’ Ecloga.

11 (f. 167r–v) Aelius Herodianus, <De numeris>. No title. Incipit: ἔτι τῶν σημείων ἄν τις φαίη καὶ ταῦτα. Explicit: τοσαῦτα περὶ ἀριθμῶν. Edited in Stephanus TGL vol. 8, 345. A table with numbers follows.

12 (ff. 168r–v) A treatise on active and passive verbs. No title. Incipit: ἔστι δέ τινα χαρακτῆρι ἐνεργητικῷ κεχρημένα ἅπερ ἤτοι εἰς παθητικὴν διάθεσιν. Explicit: ἥρως ἐστί γέλως ἐστί λόγος ἐστίν.

13 (ff. 168v–169v) <Aelius Herodianus, De enclisi>. No title. Incipit: ἐγκλινόμενόν ἐστι μόριον λέξις κατὰ τὸ τέλος ἐγκλινομένη. Explicit: καὶ ἐνεκλίθη καὶ ταῦτα μὲν οὕτως. Edited in GG 3.1.551.3–555.6. At the end there are two notes: Πλάτων· ὁ εἰδώς, τοῦ εἰδότος ἐν οὐκ εἰδόσι πιθανώτερος ὑπάρχει (Su. ε 1032); [Zonar.] 929,1–6.

14 (ff. 170r–190v) Michael Syncellus, De syntaxi. Title: Μιχαὴλ πρεσβυτέρου συγγέλλου (lege συγκ–) τοῦ ἀποστολικοῦ θρόνου τῶν Ἰεροσολύμων μέθοδος περὶ τῆς τοῦ λόγου συντάξεως σχεδιασθεῖσα ἐν Ἐδέσ<σ>ῃ τῆς Μεσοποταμίας αἰτήσει διακόνου Λαζάρου φιλοσόφου καὶ λογοθέτου. Incipit: ἡ περὶ τῆς συντάξεως τοῦ λόγου διδασκαλία πολλή τε καὶ βαθεῖα (1). Explicit: πρὸς σὲ σχέσεως, ὦ φίλων ἄριστε (1800). Edited in Donnet (1982).

15 (ff. 190v–191v) <Iohannes Charax, De encliticis>. No title. Incipit: ἰστέον ὅτι τὰ ἐγκλιτικὰ οὐκ εἰσὶν ἐν τοῖς ὀκτὼ μέρεσι. Explicit: ὡς ἔφημεν πυσματικά. Not edited.

16 (ff. 192r–193v) <[Ammonius], De adfinium vocabulorum differentia>. Title: περὶ διαφόρων. It contains – it seems – entries 1–75, in a different order. Edited in Nickau (1966).

17 (ff. 194r–197r) Excerpt from <Michael Syncellus, De syntaxi>. No title. Incipit: ἡ ἐν πρόθεσις μετὰ δοτικῆς συντάσσεται (980). Explicit: περὶ τῆς αὐτῶν συντάξεως λόγος (1129). Not edited.

18 (ff. 197r–199v) The etymologies of some words, taken from the EM. No title. Incipit: θεὸς ἀπὸ τοῦ θέω τὸ τρέχω εἰς ὃν πάντες θέομεν (EM 445.43). Explicit: ὑσμίνη – παρὰ τὸ δυσμενής τις εἶναι (EM 784.54).

ff. 199v–201r. blank.

f. 201v: notes of ownership by Demetrius Trivolis (see Annotations).

19 (ff. 202r–295v) Pollux, Onomasticon. No title. The manuscript covers the entire text of Pollux, albeit with many omissions. Incipit: ὦ παῖ πατρὸς ἀγαθοῦ (1.1). Explicit: κόρημα, κιβωτὸν καὶ χήϊον s.l. γρ. καὶ λύχννον (1.192). It contains books 1 (ff. 202r‒219v), 2 (ff. 220r‒230v), 3 (ff. 230v‒236v), 4 (ff. 236v‒243r), 5 (ff. 243r‒247r), 6 (ff. 247r‒255r), 7 (ff. 255r‒263r), 8 (ff. 263r‒274r), 9 (ff. 274r‒284v), and 10 (ff. 284v‒295v). Before the text there is the Prefatory EpigramPrefatory epigram (Pollux); at the end (f. 295v) the scribe wrote the Closing EpigramClosing epigram (Pollux).

f. 296: blank.

f. 297: lost.

20 (ff. 298r‒304r) Poems by Iohannes Pediasimus with schede and glosses. Title: τοῦ Βουλγαρίας χαρτοφύλακος Πόθου. On this text, see Vassis, Kotzabassi, Polemis (2019).

21 (ff. 304r‒305v) Lexicon on syntax. No title. Incipit: ἀχθήσομαι ἀντὶ τοῦ βαρυνθήσομαι. οἶδα μὲν σαφῶς ὅτι ἀχθήσεται. Explicit: δεῖ σ’ εὐλογεῖσθαι. Not edited.

f. 306r: blank.

f. 306v: ownership note.

f. 307: blank.

22 (f. 308r) A letter. No title. Incipit: ἦ που μεθ’ ἡδονῆς διατρίβων έν τοῖς τοῦ γάνου. Explicit: πρυτανεῦσαι τὰ ῥήματα ἐπαγγέλλω. ἔρρωσθέ μοι.    

f. 308v: blank.

f. 309r: annotations in Latin by a later (15th century) hand.

According to the ownership notes, the manuscript once belonged to a IohannesIohannes (owner of ms. G) (see f. 306v), who bought it for 12 ducats. It later came into the possession of Demetrius TrivolisDemetrius Trivolis: he was born in Sparta and lived in Corfu, Gortyna, and Rome in the second half of the 15th century. He was an erudite copyist who also worked for Bessarion. It is of great importance that in 1492 Ianus LascarisIanus Lascaris in 1492, in search of precious manuscripts for Lorenzo de’ Medici, visited Trivolis’ library in Arta. Not many years later, the manuscript must have come into the possession of Giovanni SalviatiGiovanni Salviati (1490–1553; see DBI 90.38–40), a prominent scholar, cardinal, and political figure of his age. Salviati’s manuscripts were later owned by the Colonna family in Rome from the 18th century (but the exact year is unknown) and have been part of the Vatican Library since 1902 (see Lilla 1985, XI–XVII). This manuscript belongs to the d family, but one of its most important features lies in its notes and in the scholarly activity on the Onomasticon to which they attest. The entire lexicon is provided with marginal notes, mostly drawn from the EM, but also from other lexica, when not autoschediastic (although this is very rarely the case). It was probably the model for three more recent manuscripts. As shown above, some characteristic readings of G are also shared by other, more recent witnesses: Parisinus graecus 2648Par. gr. 2648 (Pg), Parisinus graecus 2649Par. gr. 2649 (Pr), and Vaticanus Palatinus graecus 149Vat. Pal. gr. 149 (Vp). It is fascinating that Pr was written by Marcus Musurus, Arsenius Apostolis, and the Anonymus Vindobonensis and annotated (as well as owned) by Ianus Lascaris (see Speranzi 2015). As mentioned above, in 1492 Lascaris had the opportunity to visit Demetrius Trivolis’ library, in which G was kept, during his journey to Greece in 1492. It is not unrealistic, I think, to suppose that Lascaris himself was the link between G and the manuscript Pr.