Neapolitanus III E 38 – Np

Previous descriptions: Formentin (2015, 208).

Reproductions: –

Family: d² / h

Siglum: Np

Shelfmark: Neapolitanus III E 38

Date: End of the 15th century (more precisely, 1491)

Format: paper, 300×205 mm, III+58 ff.

Material: good state of conservation. The initial letters of many paragraphs (mostly at the beginning) are decorated with floral, zoomorphic or abstract motifs.

Binding: not original, dated to the 20th century (see Formentin 2015, 208).

Watermarks: very difficult to identify, see Formentin (2015, 208).

Scribes: a single scribe A wrote the entire work by Pollux (ff. 1r–57r), a second, contemporary scribe, B, added the index on ff. 57v–58r.

Annotations: on f. 1r in the upper margin, later cut out, A wrote [±13] χεῖρα μου καλῶς γράφειν; on f. 57r A wrote ἐν τῷ ζ´ κδ´ ἰνδικτίωνος ἐν μηνὶ σεπτεμβρίῳ εἰς τ’ ἐς η´ ἡμέρα [[σα ς´]] ζ´ ὥρᾳ ιδ´; at the front of the rear flyleaf there is the ownership note of Domenico Cotugno Dominici Cotunii.

1 (1r‒58r). Pollux, Onomasticon. No title. The work is preceded by the Prefatory EpigramPrefatory epigram (Pollux) titled Πολυδεύκους ἔπη εἰς Κόμωδον τὸν βασιλέα. Incipit: ὦ παῖ πατρὸς ἀγαθοῦ (1.1). Explicit: κόρημα, κιβωτόν καὶ λήϊνον (10.192). Contains books 1 (ff. 1r‒12r), 2 (ff. 12r–20r), 3 (ff. 20r–23v), 4 (ff. 23v–29r), 5 (ff. 29r–32r), 6 (ff. 32r–37r), 7 (ff. 37r–40v), 8 (ff. 40v–46v), 9 (ff. 46v–51v), and 10 (ff. 51v–57r); on ff. 57v–58r hand B added an index of Book 1.

f. 58v: blank.

This manuscript was copied in the OtrantoOtranto (region) area in the year 1491 (see Arnesano 2022, 19), as can be seen from the subscription on f. 57r. Scribe A can be recognised on ff. 1r–111v in the Neap. III B 20Neap. III B 20 (see Formentin 2009, 261); he is the author of the decorations on the initial letters in many paragraphs. The codex was most likely part of Giano ParrasioAulo Giano Parrasio’s library, like Neapolitanus II D 30Neap. II D 30 (Ne), with which it shares the same origin (see Tristano 1989, 102; the volume is identified in Formentin 2009, 263) and many variant readings. However, Seripando never came into possession of this volume. It is impossible to state what happened to Np before it found a new owner in Domenico CotugnoDomenico Cotugno (1736–1822; on his life see Formentin 2009, 257–8; DBI 30.480–3), whose name appears on the flyleaf at the end.