Vaticanus graecus 12 – E

Previous descriptions: Mercati, Franchi de’ Cavalieri (1923, 7–10); Guida (2018, XXX–XXXI); Sandri (2020, 225).

Reproductions: Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana

Family: φ

Siglum: E

Shelfmark: Vaticanus graecus 12

Date: third decade of 14th century.

Format: paper, 215×145 mm, ff. III+252.

Material: fair state of conservation.

Binding: not original (19th century).

Watermarks: the watermarks have been analysed in Pérez Martín (1997, 90) and allow us to date the manuscript to the third decade of the 14th century; ff. 1–2 and 252 are later additions (likely from the second quarter or the middle of the 15th century), see below.

Scribes: a single scribe wrote the entire manuscript with the exception of ff. 1v–2v and 252r, written entirely by DoukasDoukas (PLP 5685), and several additions and notes (see Kotsabassi 2019, 400).

Annotations: –

1 A florilegium compiled by Doukas, edited in Kotsabassi (2019, 401–4). Incipit: παρανέσεις· μελανούρων μὴ γεύεσθαι. Explicit: καὶ κακὴ τύχη τρέφει.

2 (ff. 2r–63v) <Andreas Lopadiotes, Lexicon Vindobonense>. Edited in Guida (2018), manuscript B. F. 2r–v is a restoration by Doukas.

3 (ff. 64r–86r) Anonymi in Hermogenem, Synopses artis rhetoricae. Edited in Walz (1832–1836 vol. 3,    463.24–464.19).

f. 86v: blank.

4 (ff. 87r–91v) Excerpts from Maximus Planudes, De verborum syntaxi. Inc. ἀγάλλω τὸ τιμῶ, αἰτιατικῇ καταγωνίζομαι. Explicit: εὔχομαι δὲ πλούσιον ἕτερον εἶναι μεταβατικῶς εἰς αἰτιατικήν. See Guida (1999, 14–5).

5 (ff. 91v–92r) Some epimerisms. No title. Incipit: ἀπομνημονεύω, ἀντὶ τοῦ εἰς μνείαν ἔχω τινός. Explicit: ἀπέγνων γενικῇ. See Di Napoli (2022).

6 (ff. 92r–95v) <Theodosius, De dialectis>. Edited in Schneider (1894).

7 (ff. 95v–107r) A collection of lexical notes drawn from different sources. No title. Incipit: ἄθλον· ὁ ἀγών, ἔπαθλον. Explicit: ἡδονὴ ἡ ἐπὶ τὰ συνήθη χαρά.    

8 (ff. 107r–119r) A collection of τεχνολογίαι. No title. Incipit: ἀγαθοῦ δαίμονες ἔθος εἶχον οἱ παλαιοί. Explicit: πάντα πρὸς τῆν γνώμην εἰσῄει.

9 (ff. 119v–156v) Miscellaneous grammatical material. No title. Incipit: δύσλυτος ἡ θεράπεια τοῦδε τοῦ πυρετοῦ. Explicit: καὶ μὴ νομίζηται τοῦ Ἡφαίστου ὅπλα παροισέμεν. On ff. 151v–155v there is a treatise on prepositional syntax (edited in Sandri 2020; this is manuscript V).

10 (ff. 157r–158r) A few excerpts from [Manuel Moschopulus], <Monokythron>. No title. Incipit: ἀποκοτταβίζειν ἐστὶ τὸ λειπόμενον πόμα. Explicit: παρέχον πρᾶγμα ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι. On this as yet unedited text, see Ucciardello (2011, 260); Mazzon (2018, 142). It is followed by a series of glosses and interpretamenta in alphabetical order (ff. 158r–159v). No title. Incipit: ἀββήναι ἀπλοῦ σκῦτος ὁ νῦν ἀβῆνα λέγεται. Explicit: φουμίζειν λέγεται.

11 (ff. 159r–173r) A syntactic lexicon. No title. Incipit: ἀσάμην· ἀβροτάζει. ἀγαθύνει· ἀγάλλω. Explicit: ὠφελεῖ ὠχριᾶ. At the end of f. 173r there are other glosses with explanations, incipit: σκοπιωροί· τὰ κοινῶς ἐκδόχια ἐν κυνηγίοις (ex [Manuel Moschopulus], <Monokythron>), explicit: οὓς οἱ μάντεις ἐκθύονται.

12 (ff. 173v–179v) A collection of sentences drawn from the Bible and Church Fathers. No title. Incipit: Σιράχ· διήγησις εὐσεβοῦς διὰ παντὸς σοφῇ. Explicit: ἡ ἡδονή, ἀνθρώπε, ἐὰν διώκῃς φεύγει, ἐὰν θρέψῃς παραμένει.

13 (ff. 180r–185r) A collection of lexicographical explanations. No title. Incipit: γένος ἀπὸ τοῦ τέκοντος Ἰσραήλ Ἰσραηλίται. Explicit: αὕτη δὲ λέγεται ψιλὴ ἐπίνοια.

14 (ff. 185r–186v) A short collection of lexicographical explanations. ἀμέλει, ἐστὶ καὶ βεβαιωτικόν· συντάσσεται δὲ καὶ προστακτικῷ ῥήματι. Explicit: ταχύτητα ἅμα ἀνέμῳ.

15 (f. 186v) Voces animalium. No title. Incipit: ἀνθρώπου τὸ φωνεῖν. Explicit: σάλων sic συριγμός. See Bancalari (1893); manuscript H.

16 (ff. 187r–193r) Excerpts from Liber Actoris. Title: ἐπιγραφαὶ παρεκβληθεῖσαι ἀπὸ λατινικοῦ βιβλίου ἄκτορος καλουμένου. Edited in Pérez Martín (1997).

17 (ff. 193r–203r) A treatise on metrics, based on <Trichas, De novem metris>, with explanation. Title: μέθοδος περὶ μερῶν στίχων σαφεστάτη καὶ σύντομος. See Consbruch (1906, 365–99). Before the treatise on f. 193r, Doukas wrote a short metrical treatise edited in Kotsabassi (2019, 405).

18 (ff. 204r–206r) Excerpts from <Georgius Pachymeres, Quadrivium>. Incipit: πᾶν κεφάλαιον κατασκευάζεται. Explicit: ἐξ οὗ δὴ ταραγμὸς ὅτι πλεῖστος γένηται. Edited in Stephanou, Tannery (1940).

19 (f. 206v) <Michael Psellus, Cet.disc. 21 Moore>. Title: Σπληνίου φιλοσόφου περὶ γενέσεως ἀνθρώπου ὅθεν τρίτα καὶ ἔννατα καὶ τεσσαρακοστά. On this text see Diels (1905, vol. 2, 94–5) and Moore (2005, 422).

20 (f. 207r) Some grammatical annotations and a diagram.

21 (ff. 207v–212r) Excerpts from a chronographia. No title. Incipit: κατὰ τὸ πρῶτον ἔτος ασαάκ ἀναδείκνυται ἡ τῶν Σικυωνίων βασιλεία. Explicit: παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις ἐν τοίχῳ κεχρισμένῳ κονιάματι. See Cramer (1839–1841 vol. 2, 165–230).

20 (ff. 212r–215v) <Paradoxographus Vaticanus, Admiranda>. No title. Edited in Giannini (1965, 332–350). Only witness.

21 (ff. 216r–222r) Collection of short texts about the Holy Ghost. No title. Incipit: ἐκ τοῦ ἐμοῦ λήψεται. τουτέστιν ἀπερ εἶπον ἐγώ. Explicit: εἰ δὲ δόξα περὶ τὰ δοξαστά.

22 (ff. 222r–225r) Excerpts from Moeris, Lexicon. Title: ἐκ τοῦ Μοίριδος τοῦ ἀττικιστοῦ. Edited in Hansen (1998).

23 (ff. 225v–227r) A collection of glosses with explanations. Incipit: πειρῶμαι τὸ ἐπιχειρῶ πειρῶμαι τὸ ὠφελεῖν σε. Explicit: ὡς τὸ μῆκος ὁδοῦ τοσόνδε ἐπέρχεται.

24 (ff. 227r–230v) Α collection of definitions, mostly philosophical. Incipit: ἐν ταῖς κατηγορίαις ἄνθρωπος λέγομεν. Explicit: διὰ τῆς εἰς ἄτοπον ἀγωγῆς διελέγχουσα.

25 (ff. 231r–236v) Excerpts from Iulius Pollux, Onomasticon (Book 1: ff. 231r–v; 2: ff. 231v–234r; 3: ff. 234r–235r; 4: f. 235r–v; 6: ff. 235v–236v).

26 (f. 236v–237v) A summary of Rufus Ephesius, De corporis humani appellationibus. Title: ἐκ τοῦ Ἐφεσίου Ῥούφου. Incipit: αἱ βλέφαρίδες καὶ ταρσοί ὀνομάζονται. Explicit: τὸ μεταξὺ τοῦ καρποῦ καὶ τῶν δακτύλων μετακάρπιον ὀνομάζεται. Edited in Daremberg, Ruelle (1879, 133–67).

27 (ff. 238r–239r) Excerpts from <Gregorius Pardus, Περὶ συντάξεως λόγου>. No title. Incipit: ὑποπτύει καὶ διαπτύει τὸν χαλινὸν. Explicit: ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό, ἐπὶ μᾶλλον. Edited in Donnet (1967).

28 (ff. 239v–250v) Excerpts from Maximus Planudes, Dialogus de grammatica. Incipit: εἰ καὶ τὸ τῆς στερήσεως ἄλφα. Des. ἡ λαβεῖν δίκην. ὄφλω δὲ γέλωτα ἀντὶ γελασθήσομαι.

f. 251r–v: blank.

23 (f. 252r) A short untitled poem by Doukas, edited in Kotsabassi (2019, 405–6).

This manuscript is a miscellany, consisting mainly of lexicographical and grammatical texts. Its presence in the Vatican Library is attested since the catalogue of 1471 (see Guida 1982, 280 n. 33; Cardinali 2015, 99; Guida 2018, XXXI). Prior to this date, the manuscript was in the hands of DoukasDoukas (PLP 5685), at least for some time. He lived in the first half of the 15th century, and died some years after 1462 (on him see Giacomelli 2024, with further bibliography). He was the author of the so-called Historia Turco-Byzantina. Doukas restored the manuscript and added his own notes and compositions (see Section B. Content), such as the florilegium at the beginning or the incomplete poem in dodecasyllables on f. 252r. This manuscript was probably later used by Guarino FavorinoGuarino Favorino (1450–1537) as a source for the Magnum ac perutile Dictionarium printed in Rome by Zacharias KalliergesZacharias Kallierges in 1523 (see Guida 1982; Ucciardello 2017).