University of Chicago Library, Goodspeed Manuscript Collection Ms. 938, Menologion (Menologion for September). Constantinople, 11th or 12th century.

Contents

Menologion for September in Greek. Contains stories of saints' lives and martyrdoms arranged in the order of days the church devotes to their memories. The table of contents (pinax) includes titles and incipits of the daily readings. Formerly Goodspeed Ms. Grk. 43.

  1. Pastedown (front) Bible Leaf in Latin. Text of John 14:25-15:4 (from vos manens to semet ipso) written on parchment in two columns (340 x 235 mm).
  2. fols. 1r-2r Table of Contents (Pinax).
  3. fols. 3r-26v September 1: Life of Simeon Stylites.
  4. fols. 26v-34v September 2: Passion of the holy megalomartyr Mamas.
  5. fols. 34v-40r September 3: Passion of the holy hosiomartyr Anthimus, Bishop of Nicomedia.
  6. fols. 40v-46v September 4: Passion of the holy hieromartyr Babylas, Bishop of Antioch.
  7. fols. 46v-51v September 6: Account of the miracle at Chonae by the Archangel Michael.
  8. fols. 51v-57r September 6: Passion of the holy martyrs Eudocius, Romulus, Zeno, and Macarius.
  9. fols. 57r-59v September 7: Passion of the holy martyr Sozon.
  10. fols. 59v-68r September 8: Account of the birth of the Mother of God from the Protevangelium of James the Brother of God.
  11. fols. 68v-74r September 9: Passion of the holy megalomartyr Severianus.
  12. fols. 74r-79v September 10: Passion of the holy women Menodora, Nymphodora, and Metrodora.
  13. fols. 79v-91r September 11: Life and conduct of Theodora of Alexandria.
  14. fols. 91r-94r September 12: Passion of the holy hieromartyr Autonomous.
  15. fols. 94v-102r September 13: Example and conduct of holy Cornelius the Centurion.
  16. fols. 102r-111v September 14: Oration of Andrew the Jerusalemite, Bishop of Crete, concerning the elevation of the precious and life-giving cross.
  17. fols. 112r-115r September 15: Passion of the holy megalomartyr Nicetas.
  18. fols. 115r-124r September 16: Passion of the holy martyr Euphemia.
  19. fols. 124r-131v September 17: Passion of the holy women Sophia and her daughters Pistis, Elpis, and Agape.
  20. fols. 132r-139r September 19: Passion of the holy martyrs Trophimus, Sabbatius, and Dorymedon.
  21. fols. 139v-158v September 20: Passion of the holy megalomartyr Eustace, his wife Theopistis, and his sons Agapius and Theopistus.
  22. fols. 158v-162r September 22: On Phocas the holy martyr of Christ, a panegyric of Asterius, Bishop of Amasea.
  23. fols. 162r-173v September 24: Passion of the holy protomartyr and apostle Thecla.
  24. fols. 173v-181r September 25: Life and conduct of holy Euphrosyne of Alexandria.
  25. fols. 181v-191v September 26: Memorial to the holy apostle and evangelist John the Theologion.
  26. fols. 191v-199v September 27: Passion of the holy megalomartyr Callistratus.
  27. fols. 199v-208v September 28: Life and conduct of the holy father and confessor Chariton.
  28. fols. 208v-217v September 29: Life and conduct of the holy father Cyriacus the Anchorite.
  29. fols. 217v-225v September: 30: Life, conduct, and passion of the holy hieromartyr Gregory of Armenia.
  30. Pastedown (back) Bible Leaf in Latin. Text of John 11:1-11:13 (from marie et marthe to dormitione sompni) written on parchment in two columns (344 x 240 mm). Index of a register recorded in the outer margin.

Decoration

Headpieces

Headpieces of multi-colored floral, foliate, and geometric designs at the beginning of each reading, and on the table of contents.

Initials

Major initials (15-60 mm) of abstract floral and bead motifs in blue, red and yellow, set off from the text.

Physical Description

Support

Parchment. 341 x 245 mm.

Number of Leaves

225 leaves.

Foliation

1-225. Modern foliation in Arabic numerals in pencil.

Collation

Originally 31 quires, each of 8 leaves, with the exception of quires 14 and 31 of 5 leaves. Estimate of content lost: quire 30; 3 leaves of quire 28; 6 leaves of quire 29; 2 leaves of quire 31.

The Menologion was composed in two parts. Part one, of 14 readings, ends at September 15 on leaf 5 of quire 14 (fol. 111v). Part two contains 13 readings, and begins at September 15, on leaf 1 of quire 15 (fol. 112r). During the writing process, each part was numbered separately. After binding, the manuscript's quires were sequentially numbered in the lower margin on the first leaf (recto) and last leaf (verso). Quire numbers 1-29, 31 (α-κθ, λα) are extant. Of the initial scheme, all but numbers 12 and 13 of the second section are lost (ιβ fol. 200r, ιΓ fol. 208r).

The pinax or table of contents (fols. 1r-2v) does not correspond fully with headings and incipits, and may have been a later addition to the manuscript.

Dimensions

Written space 220 x 160 mm (fol. 35r). Each column is 220 x 70 mm with a space of 20 mm between.

Layout

2 columns, 33 lines. Ruling with hard point.

Writing

Written in minuscule script in dark brown ink (some flaking).

Punctuation includes high, middle, and low points, marks of interrogation and elision, and quotation marks.

Corrections to the text were made in brown ink, and inaccuracies eliminated by erasure, washing, and strike through. Some marginal text was excised (fols. 74, 154, 157, 159); and, holes were cut in two leaves (fols. 57, 91) with corrected copy supplied in the upper margin of the versos.

Text Divisions

Titles and capitals in red.

Condition

Outer and lower margins of several leaves cut away or broken off along ruling lines. Some faded letters traced over and omitted letters added in black ink. Creases, tears, insect damage, random holes, and taped repairs. Stained with dirt, water, grease, wax, and ink.

Binding Description

Bound in grey-green leather over boards. Leaves cut from a Latin bible serve as pastedowns.

History

Origin

The manuscript is judged to have been written in Constantinople, the present-day Istanbul, Turkey, in either the 11th or 12th century.

Provenance

Medieval to 20th century provenance unknown.

Inscriptions dated 1303 and 23 November 1309 (fol. 2r). Other additions include a supplied title μεταφρσης σαιπτεβρηος (September Metaphrastes), and the numbering of leaves allotted each reading.

Acquisition

Acquired by the University of Chicago from Jacques Furst of New York, April 1939.

Bibliography

  1. Merrill Mead Parvis, The Story of the Goodspeed Collection ([Chicago]: s.n., 1952), p. 24.
  2. C. U. Faye and W. H. Bond, Supplement to the Census of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the United States and Canada (New York: Bibliographical Society of America, 1962), p. 162.