Georgius Acropolites, Annales

Constantinople, 14th cent.

paper

i, 100, i' leaves

180 × 125 mm

Greek

1 (ff. 1r–100v) Georgios Akropolites, Chronicle

Rubric: Τοῦ φιλοσοφωτάτου μεγάλου λογοθέτου Γεωργίου τοῦ Ἀκροπολίτου χρονικὴ διήγησις

Incipit: [mut.] ⟨Τὸ⟩ τῆς ἱστορίας χρήσιμον καὶ πρὸ ἡμῶν

Explicit: καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἀποστάτην δὲ μιχαὴλ ἐστείλατο [mut.]

Note:

According to Rudberg’s notes, the order of leaves should be the following: 1, lacuna (1 fol.), 4-7, 3, lacuna (1 fol.), 8-39, lacuna (8 ff.), 48-57, 40-44, 58, 59, 45-47, 87, 88, lacuna (1 fol.), 2, lacuna (12 ff.), 89-93, 60-65, lacuna (1 f.), 66-70, 94-100, 79-86, 71-78 (des. mut. 185, 16 ἐπέσπευδεν).

Lacunas are of the following passages ed. Heisenberg (see p. XI):

p. 4, l. 22 (οἶδε)-6,6 (ἀέκον[τί);

14,18 (ἐσταλμένος)-16,10 (Ἀντιοχείας);

72,19 (τὸ μέσον)-84,1 (μενόδοις);

118,14 (ἐκεῖθεν)-119,26 (προσκοπήσας);

121,11 (καὶ τὸ)-137,11 (ληϊσάμενοι);

148,23 (ἀφί[κοντο)-149,21 (ἀπι[στίαν).

Physical Description

Support

Textblock

Locus: ff. 1r–100v

Support: Arabic paper

Note: Unwatermarked paper, perhaps of Eastern type (bombycin).

Leaf dimensions: 180 × 125 mm

Foliation

In pencil in Arabic numerals on top right corner (first folio is written within the ornamental frame). An earlier numbering in ink is also visible beginning at f. 50r. Another set of small numbers in ink is written usually some lines below the beginning of the text in the external margin, as no. 9 at f. 8, no. 11 at f. 10, 13 at f. 12, 14 at f. 13, 15 at f. 14, 16 at f. 15, 17 at f. 16, 48 at f. 50, etc. and may refer to a comparison with another (printed?) text: at f. 59r it says 59.B, at f. 59v it says 60.B.

Collation

Textblock

Note: 1-8 IV; 9-16 IV; 17-22 III; 23-32 V; 33-38 III; [8 ff. missing]; 39-46 IV? (part of thread visible between ff. 43 and 44 and also between 44 and 45; I can’t really explain why); 47-54 IV (47v: ριε); 55-59 III; 60-64 II; 65-70 III; 71-78 IV; 79-86 IV; 87-92 III; 93-100 IV

Signatures: Signature ζ roughly written in the lower left corner of f. 59v; signature [.?]ε roughly written in the lower left corner of f. 61v; signature κστ roughly written in the lower left corner of f. 62v; signature κη roughly written in the lower left corner of f. 64v.

Condition

Textblock

Fragile. The first leaf is attached and repaired at the edges with an older restoration of recycled paper, as are the next two, but is torn in the middle and in a very precarious state. Heavily trimmed and restored with paper in the outer and inner margins. There is a lose strip of restoration paper between f. 3 and f. 4 with writing on it. From f. 30 onwards, worming has eroded the inner corner at the top. The literature stresses that the traces of fire and water confirm the provenance of this ms from the Escorial catastrophe, the fire of 1671. Considerable brown staining is visible at ff. 1–4, ff. 40–59, the latter pages in a V-pattern extending from the top margins down the central opening of the book. In fact, most of the book is sound in this respect.

Layout

Layout 1

Columns: 1

Ruled lines: 25

Written area: 155 × 105 mm

Note: Part 1

Layout 2

Columns: 1

Ruled lines: 19

Written area: 145 × 95 mm

Note: Part 2

Layout 3

Columns: 1

Ruled lines: 20

Written area: 152 × 98 mm

Note: Part 3

Script

Textblock

Hand 1

(ff. 1r–50r, 51v–59v, 70v, 87r–88v, 94r–94v)Cranky script with fat open betas, smaller, more compressed to the line (but less so at (ff. 94r–94v)!), at times almost looking as if it was written by a shaky hand; Torallas Tovar suggests comparison with RGK II, 207: Joachim.

Hand 2

(ff. 50v–51r)This scribe, noted as at (ff. 51v–52r), was included by Torallas Tovar in hand 3, but despite the similarity, I think it is a different hand.

Hand 3

(ff. 71r–81v, 95r–100v)Emphasis on Fettaugen elements; some fantastic loops in the ligatures; cf. very original initial at (f. 99v); Torallas Tovar suggests comparison with RGK II, 26: Andronikos Lepentrinos, a. 1299.

Hand 4

(ff. 60r–70r, 89r–93v)This hand is larger, airier, more confident, vertically developed and slightly slanted to the right.

Additions

Textblock

(ff. 44r, 44v, 45v, 46v–46v) F. 44r, lower margin: annotation in red ink, rubric. f. 44v: ριβ; f. 45v: ριγ; f. 46v: ριδ: probably these are chapter numbers inserted by later hand, some partly cut off in trimming.

Binding

Description:

Soft parchment laced-case binding with four leather straps for fastening. Three main sewing stations visible on spine. Flyleaves contemporary with binding.

Binding dimensions: 185 × 140 × 20 mm

Edges:

The edges are gilt.

History

Origin

Constantinople, typical 14th cent. handwriting. A note in the lower margin of f. 1r says: ‘βϊβλίον λεγόμ(εν)ον ἰσαάκϊος’. A note in black in on the lower margin of f. 5r reads: ‘στ ζια´ ἀπριλλίου ιβ´’ = 6711 : This indicates the date 12 April 1202. The same hand wrote another note at f. 30v, lower marg.

Provenance

Olim Escorial A. V. 12 (De Andrés, Catalogo no. 49). Once belonged to Theophilus Ventura. A note on the recto of the first unnumbered flyleaf, in brown ink: “‘Philos: Logothetae/Georgii Acropolitae Chronicon ab imp: Alexij Comneni usque ad imp: Michaelis Comneni absque fine Don Juan Gauriel e sparvenfeldt en Valladolid nel mes de abrile 1690’”. See also Catalogus centuriae librorum rarissimorum mss. etc. I. G. Sparvenfeldius, Upsala, 1706, p. 54 no. XLVII. The shelfmark “Sparv. 47” is also written in pencil on the front pastedown. A large number “3” is written to the left of the shelfmark. The note in ink on the pastedown is offset from the writing on the front flyleaf.