Marcianus graecus Z 529 (= 847) – Xa

Previous descriptions: Mioni (1985, 415‒7).

Reproductions: –

Family: x

Siglum: Xa

Shelfmark: Marcianus graecus Z 529

Date: One codicological unit (ff. 130–490 and 497–516) dates from the second half of the 14th century; ff. 1–129 and 491–496 were added in the middle of the 15th century (on f. 517 is a 15th-century hand, but that folio was part of the 14th-century section).

Format: paper, 290×210 mm, I + 517 ff.

Material: the condition is quite good; the first and last folios are slightly damaged, but there is no loss of text; the notes by hand H are faded in some places and thus difficult to read.

Binding: not original.

Watermarks:

• in the 15th century codicological unit can be found, the following watermarks can be found: three mountains in a circle surmounted by a long cross, i.e. Briquet 11880 (Brescia 1448‒53; Vicenza 1449); anvil with a cross, i.e. Briquet 5955 (Augusta 1418, Ratisbona 1459), the same watermark as is found in Marcianus graecus Z 520Marc. gr. Z 520 (V/Xc); scissors, similar to Piccard Werkzeug & Waffen III 842 (Nürnberg, Udine 1429); a prancing unicorn, i.e. Piccard Fabeltiere III 1688 (Nürnberg 1448); lunettes surmounted by a cross, i.e. Briquet 10624 (Perpignan 1457);

• in the 14th century codicological unit: an amphora, i.e. Mošin-Traljić 6881 (1372); a cross above a circle, similar to Mošin-Traljić 1825 (1382); a bell, similar to Mošin-Traljić 2855 (1362); a horn, i.e. Mošin-Traljić 4831 (1392).

Scribes: A: ff. 1r‒38v; 46v. l.29–49r l. 2; 125r ll. 11-19. B: ff. 39r‒46v l. 29; 128r l.16–129v. C: ff. 49r l. 3–124v. D: 1f. 25r ll.1-11; ff. 125r l.19–128r l.15. E: ff. 130r–328v; 362r–475v; 478r–490r; 497r–516v. F: 3ff. 29r–361v. G: f. 476r; ff. 492r–496r. H: notes on ff. Ir, 175r, 175v, 209r, 232v, 233r, 309r, 476v, 516v, 517v. I: f. 134r, a brief poem on the conquest of Thessalonica (see below) beginning with ἡ θεία βίβλος ἡ παρόν, and one of the two notes on f. 516v.

Annotations:

(f. Ir) there are some short notes, now faded and illegible;

(f. Ir) BessarionBessarion (RGK I 41 = II 61 = III 77) wrote the index and an ownership’s note, which was then erased and written again below, in Greek and Latin, as usual. Πολυδεύκους Ὀνομαστικῶν βιβλία δέκα· Ἰωσήφ τινος ἐπιτομὴ εἰς ῥητορικήν, εἰς λογικήν, εἰς φυσικήν· καὶ τὰ ἑπόμενα φυσικά· καὶ εἰς τὸ περὶ γενέσεως ζῴων, καὶ περὶ ζῴων μορίων, περὶ ψυχῆς, περὶ αἰσθήσεως καὶ αἰσθητῶν, καὶ τὰ ἄλλων τῶν ἑπομένων, εἶτα τοῦ αὐτοῦ σύνοψις τῶν τεσσάρων μαθημάτων. καὶ Ἀκτουαρίου τινὰ ἱατρικά. καὶ ἄλλα τινὰ περὶ ἀρετῆς καὶ πίστεως. κτῆμα Βησσαρίωνος καρδινάλεως τοῦ τῶν Τούσκλων Polydeuces de elegantia et cuiusdam monachi Ioseph epitoma in rhetoricam, logicam, et totam philosophiam Aristotelis, et in quattuor scientias sive mathemata et alia quaedam. liber b. Card. Tusculani. Locus 61 (73 before correction).

(f. 476v) 1. τούτοις προστεθέον τὰ περὶ τῆς τοῦ ἀστρολάβου χρήσεως, καὶ τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν Φαινομένων Ἀράτου ἅπερ ἐν τῷ περὶ τῆς ἀστρονομίας προχείρῳ βιβλίῳ... (hand H). The note is placed after the section on astronomy.

(f. 516v): 1. ἔχει τὸ παρὸν βιβλίον ἕως ὅδε (ὦδε?) φύλλα τοζ (= 377) (hand I); 2. ὧδε εἰώθασιν οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι τὰς τῶν μηνῶν ἡμέρας μετρεῖν· μία ἱσταμέμου, δύο ἱσταμένου καὶ καθ’ ἑξῆς μέχρι τῶν ι. εἶτα ἔλεγον μία ἐπὶ δέκα, δύο ἐπὶ δέκα μέχρι τῶν ιε. εἶτα τὴν ις μία φαίνοντος, τὴν ιζ δύο φαίνοντος καὶ καθ’ἑξῆς μέχρι τῶν κθ. (hand H)

(f. 517v) τὸ μέγιστον ὧν κατὰ τὸν βίον ἥμαρτον… (hand H)

1 (ff. 1r‒121v) Pollux, Onomasticon. Title: Πολυδεύκους ὀνομαστικὸν βιβλίον πρῶτον. Incipit: ὦ παῖ πατρὸς ἀγαθοῦ (1.1). Explicit: κόρημα, κιβωτόν, λύχνον (10.192). It contains all ten books of the work (1: f. 1r–15v; 2: f. 15v–29r; 3: 29r–39r; 4: 39r–50v; 5: 50v–62v; 6: 62v–78r; 7: 78r–94r; 8: 94r–103v; 9: 103v–112v; 10: 112v–121v). Initial letters and chapter titles are rubricated. In the margins of f. 1r the manuscript contains the so-called scholium edited by Bethe (1900–1937 vol. 1, 1), ἱστέον ὅτι τὰ ἐν τοῖς πέντε βιβλίοις, rubricated; unfortunately, the ink is faded in some places and part of this scholium is lost due to material damage.

2 (ff. 122r‒124v) Suda, Onomasticon tacticon. No title. Incipit: καταλοχίσαι τὸ εἰς λόχους (1). Explicit: ὑπερέχωμεν τῶν πολεμίων (67).

3 (ff. 125r‒128r) <Aristides Quintilianus, De musica>. No title. Incipit:    <ἀ>ρχὴ μετρικῆς ὁ περὶ στοιχείων λόγος (1.20). Explicit: ὁ τεχνικὸς τῆς μουσικῆς πεπέρανται λόγος (1.29).

4 (ff. 128r‒v) A fragment of a redaction of the <Lexicon Hermanni>. No title. Incipit: ἰστέον ὅτι πλείστας λέξεις εὕροι τις ἂν σκοπῶν αἷς ἄλλως μὲν οἱ παλαοὶ ἐχρῶντο ἄνθρωποι. Explicit: προελθεῖν οὐκ ἐῶσα. Edited in Hermann (1801, 319–52). Then follows (128v–129v)    <[Theodorus], De dialectis>. No title. Incipit: <Ἰ>ὰς διάλεκτος τῶν Ἰώνων ἤγουν Ἀσιανῶν μετοίκων Πελοπονήσου (Ion. 1). Explicit: τύψαι τυψείω (Aeol. 12). It is quite different from the edited text in Schneider (1894, 3–16).

5 (ff. 130r–404v) Ioseph Pinarus Rhacendytes, Σύνοψις ῥητορική. Edited in Rhetores Graeci, vol. 3, 463–569. (ff. 130r–131v) No title. Incipit: ἐμοὶ δὲ ἄρα καὶ λίαν ἐπέραστος ἔδοξεν ὁ κατὰ θεωρίαν βίος (467.3 Walz). Explicit: εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων ἀμήν (472.27 Walz).

(ff. 132r–134r) Title: τοῦ αὐτοῦ στίχοι ἰαμβικοὶ περιέχοντες ἐν ἐπιτομῇ τὴν ἅπασαν ὑπόθεσιν καὶ τάξιν καὶ δύναμιν τῶν ἐγκειμένων τῇδε τῇ βίβλῳ εὐσυνόπτων μαθημάτων. Incipit: ὁρῶν θεατὰ βίβλον ηὐτελισμένην (473.5 Walz). Explicit: μετὰ πόνου πλείστου με συντεταχότος (477.8 Walz).

(f. 134r) a more recent hand (I) wrote a poem in dark ink. Incipit: ἡ θεία βίβλος ἡ παρὸν ἣν μετὰ χείρας φέρεις. Explicit: εἳς (lege ἧς) πρέπει δόξα καὶ τιμὴ εἰς πάντας τοὺς αἰῶνας.

(ff. 134v–166v) Title: μέλημα καὶ φρόντισμα καὶ γλυκὺς πόνος οἰκτοῦ Πινάρου Ἰωσὴφ Ῥακενδύτου σύνοψις ῥητορική. Incipit: ἀπροοιμιάστως ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν προοιμίων καὶ λόγων μητέρα ἐρχόμεθα (478.2 Walz). Explicit: ἀντίθεσις οἷον Διόνυσος διόνισος (569.18 Walz).

(ff. 167r–240v) From <Nicephorus Blemmydes, Epitome logicae>. Edited in MPG 142.709–1004. Title: περὶ πείρας ἐμπειρίας τέχνης καὶ ἐπιστήμης ἐν ᾧ καὶ περὶ τῶν δυνάμεων τῆς ψυχῆς. Incipit: σκοπὸς ἡμῖν ἐστι θεοῦ συνάρσει περὶ πάντων τῶν τῆς φιλοσοφίας εἰδῶν. Explicit: καὶ σοφιστικοὶ ἔλεγχοι δέκα καὶ τρεῖς (MPG 142.1004.9). Diagram showing the various branches of philosophy on f. 169r.

(ff. 241r–265r) Treatise on physical principles. Title: προοίμιον τῶν φυσικῶν ἀρχῶν. Incipit: σκοπὸς τοῦ παρόντος βιβλίου ἐστὶ ζητῆσαι περὶ τῶν ἀρχῶν τῶν ὄντων. Explicit: ὥσπερ ὁ χαλκὸς τοῦ χαλκοῦ ἀνδριάντος.

(ff. 265r–275r) From <Nicephorus Blemmydes, Epitome physicae>. Edited in MPG 142.1021–320. Title: περὶ οὐρανοῦ. Incipit: σκοπός ἐστιν ἐν τούτῳ τῷ βιβλίῳ τῷ φιλοσόφῳ προηγουμένως εἰπεῖν περὶ τοῦ οὐρανίου σώματος. Explicit: ὕστερον δὲ πᾶν ἀποτέλεσμα τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ποιητικῆς αἰτίας ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἐστίν, ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον (MPG 142.1228.45). On this text see Valente (2021).

(ff. 275r–284r) Treatise on generation and corruption. Title: περὶ γενέσεως καὶ φθορᾶς. Incipit: πολὺς παρὰ τοῖς φιλοσόφοις καὶ ὁ περὶ γενέσεως καὶ φθορᾶς λόγος. Explicit: καὶ παχὺ καὶ βαρὺ τῆς γῆς.

(ff. 284r–321r) From <Nicephorus Blemmydes, Epitomes isagogicae>. Edited in MPG 142, 1021–1320. Title: περὶ τῶν φαινομένων φλογῶν καιομένων περὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τῶν καλουμένων αἰγῶν καὶ δαλῶν καὶ διαθεόντων ἀστέρων. Incipit: ἄνωθεν μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρχῆς τοῦ στερεώματος μέχρι καὶ τοῦ τέρματος τῆς σελήνης. Explicit: εἰς ἄνισα τὸ τοιοῦτον ἡμερόνυκτον διαιρεῖ.

(ff. 321r–331r) <Georgius Pachymeres, In Aristoteles de partibus animalium commentarium>. Title: περὶ ζῴων μορίων. Incipit: ἐχόμενον ἂν εἴη καὶ περὶ ζῴων μορίων εἰπεῖν. Explicit: πρὸς τὸ βέλτιστον πάντα ἐμηχανήσατο. Edited in Pappa (2008).

(ff. 331r–340r) Treatise on the generation of living beings. Title: περὶ γενέσεων ζῴων. Incipit: ἤδη δὲ λοιπὸν καὶ περὶ γενέσεως ζῴων ἀκολούθως τοῖς ἄλλοις λέγομεν. Explicit: ὅλως διὰ τίνα αἰτίαν γίνεται ταῦτά ἐστιν.

(ff. 340r–353v) Treatise on soul. Title: περὶ ψυχῆς. Incipit: τούτων δὲ διωρισμένων σκεπτέον ἂν εἴη καὶ περὶ ψυχῆς. Explicit: κατὰ τὴν θαυμαστὴν καὶ ἄρρητον οἰκονομίαν τῆς φύσεως.

(ff. 353v–359v) Appendix to the previous treatise with reconsideration of Aristotle’s On Soul. Νo title. Incipit: καὶ ταῦτα μὲν δὴ τὰ τοῦ Ἀριστοτέλους ἐν συνόψει περὶ ψυχῆς, τὰ δέ γε ἡμέτερα τῶν ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ τῆς αὐτοαληθείας κεκλημένων ἔχουσιν οὕτως. Explicit: μονιμωτάτη καὶ ἀτελεύτητος.

(ff. 360r–376r) Treatise on the senses and sensibles. Title: περὶ αἰσθήσεως καὶ αἰσθητῶν. Incipit: τὸν περὶ ψυχῆς σὺν θεῷ πληρώσασι λόγον. Explicit: τοῦτο ἔχει τὸν λόγον χρῶμα πρὸς τὸ διαφανὲς τὸ ὡρισμένον. On f. 373v there is a diagram illustrating ὄψις.

(ff. 376r–380r) Treatise on memory Title: περὶ μνήμης καὶ τοῦ μνημονεύειν. Incipit: μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα περὶ μνήμης καὶ τοῦ μνημονεύευειν λεκτέον τί ἐστιν καὶ διὰ τίνα αἰτίαν γίνεται. Explicit: οὐ ῥᾳδίως ἀποκαθίστανται.

(ff. 380r–384v) From <Michael Ephesius, In libros de animalium motione commentarium>. Title: περὶ ζῴων κινήσεως. Incipit: ἐπειδὴ ἡ ὀρεκτική τε καὶ ὁρμητικὴ τῆς ψυχῆς δύναμις. Explicit: αἴτιον ἡ ὁργῶσα ὕλη ἢ μὴ ὁργῶσα. Edited in Hayduck (1904, 103–31).

(ff. 382r–384v) Treatise on the governing part of the soul. Title: περὶ τοῦ ποῦ τὸ ἡγεμονικὸν τῆς ψυχῆς ἐστι. Incipit: ποῦ δέ ἐστι τὸ ἡγεμονικῶν τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ ἔν τινι μορίῳ τοῦ σώματος. Explicit: ἡ κίνησις τε καὶ μετάβασις τὸ ζῴοις γίνεται.

(ff. 384v–385v) Treatise on sleep and waking. Title: περὶ ὕπνου καὶ ἐγρηγόρσεως. Incipit: ἐπισκεπτέον εἰ ἴδια ταῦτα ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος ἢ κοινά. Explicit: οἱ ὑπνώττοντες ἀπολυθέντες.

(ff. 385v–388r) Treatise on divination during sleeping. Title: περὶ ἐνυπνίων καὶ τῆς μαντικῆς αὐτοῦ. Incipit: καὶ περὶ τοῦ ἐνυπνίου δὲ ζητητέον πότερον τοῦ νοητικοῦ μορίου πάθος ἐστίν. Explicit: ποιοῦσι διὰ πράξεως καὶ θεωρίας.

(ff. 388r–389v) Treatise on longevity and shortness of life. Title: περὶ μακροβιότητος καὶ βραχυβιότητος. Incipit: περὶ δὲ μακροβιότητος καὶ βραχυβιότητος τῶν ζῴων νῦν ἐπισκεπτέον. Explicit: τὴν μακροβιότητα ἐμποιεῖ.

(ff. 389v–391v) Treatise on youth, old age, life, death and respiration. Title: περὶ νεότητος γήρους καὶ ζωῆς καὶ θανάτου καὶ περὶ ἀναπνοῆς καὶ ἐκπνοῆς. Incipit: περὶ δὲ νεότητος καὶ γήρους καὶ ζωῆς καὶ θανάτου ἅμα δὲ καὶ περὶ ἀναπνοῆς ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστι τὰς αἰτίας εἰπεῖν. Explicit: εἰς τὰς ἱατρικὰς ἀρχάς.

f. 392: blank.

(ff. 393r–404v) Treatise on the body. Title: περὶ σώματος. Incipit: ἐπειδὴ περὶ σώματος ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος εὔλογον ἂν εἴη περὶ τῶν σωματικῶν ἀρχῶν καὶ στοιχείων πρὸ παντὸς ἑτέρου διαλαβεῖν. Explicit: παραπλησίως διανοητέον κἀν τοῖς ἄλλοις σχηματισμοῖς.

6 (ff. 409r–421v) Iohannes Zacharias Actuarius, <De spiritu animali> Title: τοῦ Ἀκτουαρίου κυροῦ Ἰωάννου τοῦ Ζαχαρίου ἐπιστολὴ πρὸς τὸν κῦριν Ἰωσὴφ περιέχουσα ἱατρικὰ θεωρήματα. Incipit: ἐπειδή σου ταῖς ἔναγχός τε καὶ πρότριτα ἐπὶ φιλοσόφοις θεωρήμασι συνουσίαις (1.1.1). Explicit: καὶ ἐφέψεσθαί σοι χειραγωγούμενον (1.20.14). Edited in Ideler (1841, 312–86).

(ff. 421v–438r) Title: τοῦ αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸν αὐτόν. Incipit: ὁποῖόν τι ἐν ταῖς κατὰ τὸν βίον ἡμῶν χρήσεσι. Explicit: καὶ καταπείσαις μεταδιώκειν τἀμείνονα.

ff. 438v–439v: blank.

7 (ff. 440r–475v) Title: ἄθροισις εὐσύνοπτος τῶν μαθημάτων.    Edited in Heiberg (1929). (ff. 440r–449r) Title: περὶ ἀριθμητικῆς. Incipit: μέλλοντί μοι περὶ τῶν τεσσάρων μαθημάτων ἐν ἐπιτόμῳ τῷ λόγῳ διαλαβεῖν. Explicit: ὡς οὐ πεπερασμένων τὴν ἔκθεσιν παραιτούμενος; f. 449v: blank; (ff. 450r–459r) Title: περὶ μουσικῆς. Incipit: μουσικὴν οἱ παλαιοὶ συνέχειν εἶπον τὸ πᾶν. Explicit: ὡς κῦβος καὶ πυραμίς. At. 451v there is a diagram containing five letters (α–ε). (ff. 459r–469v) Title: περὶ γεωμετρίας. Incipit: σημεῖόν ἐστιν οὗ μέρος οὐθέν. γραμμὴ δε ἧς πέρατα σημεῖα. In the margins of ff. 460v–462r and 468r there are geometrical figures. (ff. 469v–475v) Title: περὶ ἀστρονομίας. Incipit: σφαῖρά ἐστι σχῆμα στερεὸν ὑπὸ μιᾶς ἐπιφανείας περιεχόμενον. Explicit: τὴν ἡγεμονίαν τοῦ λογικοῦ σφαλερῶς παραιτοίμεθα.

8 (476r) Excerpt from Strabo, but the scribe interrupted his work; the same work was begun again on f. 492r (see below); incipit: τὸ τῆς γῆς τῆς οἰκουμένης σχῆμα. Explicit: δυσμικώτατον μὲν γὰρ σημεῖον.

f. 476v: there are two short annotations by hand H.

f. 477: blank.

9 (ff. 478r–490r) <Joseph Pinarus Rhacendytes>, De virtute. Title: περὶ ἀρετῆς. Incipit: ἐπειδήπερ ἔργα πίστεως ἔρημα. Explicit: εὐχαῖς τῶν εὐαρεστησάντων αὐτῷ ἁγίων ἀμήν. Edited in Gielen (2016, 37–78); this codex has the siglum V.

ff. 490v–491v: blank.

10 (ff. 492r–494v) Excerpts from Strabo’s Geographica. Title: ἐκ τῶν τοῦ Στράβωνος Γεωγραφικῶν περὶ τοῦ τῆς γῆς οἰκουμένης σχήματος. Incipit: τὸ τῆς γῆς οἰκουμένης σχῆμα χλαμυδοειδές τι ἐστίν (2.14). Explicit: τοσαῦτα καὶ περὶ τῶν ἠπείρων (2.33). (ff. 494v–495v) <Georgius Gemistus Pletho> Title: διόρθωσις ἐνίων τῶν οὐκ ὀρθῶς ὑπὸ Στράβωνος λεγομένων. Incipit: οὔτε τὴν θάλατταν τὴν Κασπίαν. Explicit: εὖ τε καὶ καλῶς λέγεται. Edited in Diller (1983).

f. 496v: blank.

11 (ff. 497r–513r) <[Cyrillus Alexandrinus], De sancta trinitate> Title: περὶ εὐσεβείας. Incipit: ἐπειδὴ πρώτιστον ἡμῖν τοῖς χριστιανοῖς καὶ πάντων ἀναγκαιότατον εἰδέναι τὴν εὐσέβειαν. Explicit: νῦν καὶ εἰς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων ἀμήν. Edited in MPG 77.1120–1173.

12 (f. 513v) <Joseph Bryennius, De Trinitate (or. 13)> Title: τοῦ ἐν ἁγίοις πατρὸς ἡμῶν Κυρίλλου Ἀλεξανδρείας. Incipit: πιστεύομεν ἕνα θεὸν εἶναι πάσης οὐσίας καὶ φύσεως ὁρατῆς τε καὶ ἀοράτου δημιουργόν. Explicit: ἀνάγεται τὰ ἐξ αὐτοῦ. Edited in Boulgares (1768). (f. 514r) <Theodorus Dexius, Appelatio adversus Joannem Cantacuzenum>. Title: τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Incipit: παντὶ ἀνθρώπῳ ἔμφυτον παρὰ θεοῦ δεξαμένων (40.23). Explicit: ταῦτα δέ ἐστιν ὁ πατήρ, ὁ υἱὸς καὶ τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα (59.27). Edited in Polemis (2003). (ff. 514v–516r) Excerpts from <Euthymius Zigabenos, Panoplia dogmatica ad Alexium Comnenum>. Title: τοῦ αὐτοῦ· εἰ τέλειος φησὶν ἐστὶν ὁ πατὴρ ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ μεγαλειότητι. Incipit: τέλειός ἐστιν ὁ πατὴρ ἐν τῇ αὐτοῦ μεγαλειότητι (MPG 11.660.1). Explicit: τῶν φύσεων ἔστιν ὑπόστασις (16.1065.9). (f. 516r–v) Theological excerpts. Title: ἕτερον πρόβλημα τῶν αὐτῶν. Incipit: ὥσπερ ὁ Πέτρος εἷς καὶ ὁ αὐτός ἐστιν. Explicit: ἀλλ’ ἡ φύσις τῶν ὑπ’αὐτὴν ὑποστάσεων.

13 (f. 517r) <Georgius Gemistus Pletho, De magnis regibus> No title. Incipit: ὅτι τῶν παρ’ ἡμῖν μνημονευομένων μεγάλων βασιλειῶν. Explicit: ἐν τοῖς πρὸς ἥλιον ἀνίσχοντα μέρεσι. Unpublished.

f. 517v: annotation.

The older codicological unit of this manuscript dates from the second half of the 14th century and contains the Encyclopedia by Joseph Rhacendytes (1260/80–1234), a learned monk and writer on natural matters, followed by some theological works by various authors. It has not been possible to identify the copyist or the place where the codex was made, but it was certainly kept in Thessalonica before 1430, as is shown by the anonymous epigram written in demotic Greek by hand I on f. 134 (transcribed here are the most relevant verses):

ἡ θεία βίβλος ἡ παρὸν ἣν μετὰ χείρας φέρεις οὖσα ποτὲ γὰρ ἡ αὐτὴ ἐκ πόλεως μεγάλης – τῶν Θετταλῶν ἡ μέγιστος καὶ πανευδαίμων πόλις – ὁ δή γε ταύτης κύριος ὑπῆρχεν ὁ Ἰβάγκος τῶν φιλοσόφων ἄριστος καὶ ῥήτωρ τῶν ῥητόρων [...] ἑάλω γὰρ ἡ Θετταλῶν ἡ πανευδαίμων πόλις παρ’ ἀμυρᾶ Μουράτ πεϊ μεγάλου τοῦ σουλτάνου τοὺς μὲν οἰκήτορας αὐτῆς, τοὺς εὐγενεῖς Ῥωμαίους, οὓς μὲν ἀνεῖλεν μάχαιρα, τοὺς δ’ αἰχμαλώτους ἦγεν, [...]

‘The divine book you here hold in [your] hands / which was once itself from the great city / – the greatest and most blessed city of the Thessalians – / the owner of this [book] was Ibancos / the best of philosophers and rhetorician of rhetoricians [...] the most blessed city of Thessalians was conquered / by Emir Murad Bey, the great sultan / its inhabitants, the noble Romans / some he put to the sword, others he took away as captives’.

In this poem, which is not very elegant (and in fact full of orthographic errors and inconsistencies, here corrected or normalised), some elements allow us to conclude that this codicological unit was in Thessalonica at the time of Constantinus IbancosConstantinus Ibancos (see PLP 7973), a lawyer and teacher of rhetoric in the city from 1402 to 1420. It was probably moved to another location around the time of the Ottoman conquest. This, I suppose, must have happened before the middle of the 15th century, when the second codicological unit was attached to it. The author of the poem goes on to recall other destructions of great cities, mentioning that in ancient times Babylon and Troy were destroyed, and then came the third great fall – that of Thessalonica. This leads me to believe that this brief threnos was composed before 1453, the fall of Constantinople. Otherwise, it would be very strange for the author not to mention it. It is difficult to say what happened to the manuscript before it entered BessarionBessarion’s library and then the Marciana. However, it seems clear that the volume was enriched by the addition of Pollux and other grammatical texts. Particularly interesting is the insertion of some material which could be ascribed to Pletho in the final folios: some corrections to Strabo’s Geography and a short treatise on the most important empires from antiquity to his own time.