MS 141
[Geography. Books 1-10.]
Strabo, Geographia (Books 1-10, in Greek). manuscript
Title in M. R. James catalogue: Strabonis Geographicorum libri X. Graece
Geographicorum libri X. Graece
Constantinople, ca. 1447.
1 volume (300 leaves) : paper ; 29.5 x 21.5 cm.
Books 1-10 of Strabo's Geography; the second volume of the MS containing books 11-16 is in the Biblioteca Laurenziana, Florence, Laur. 28.15.
The Eton MS was used in Falconer's edition of Strabo (Oxford, 1807). See T. W. Allen, 'MSS. of Strabo at Paris and Eton', The Classical Quarterly 9:1 (Jan. 1915), pp. 15-26; Aubrey Diller, 'The scholia on Strabo', Traditio 10 (1954), pp. 29-50, where this manuscript is designated 'n'.
Books 1-9 derived from a copy of the second half of the 10th century, now in Paris, gr. 1397 (see Diller, op. cit.).
Watermark: pair of scissors.
Written space not recorded in M. R. James.
Collation from M. R. James: 1¹⁰ wants 1, blank, 2-8¹⁰ 9⁴ 10-12¹⁰ 13⁸ 14⁶ + 6* 15¹⁰ 16¹⁴ 17-20¹⁰ 21¹² + 2 between 10 and 12 (end of book 7) 22-26¹⁰ 27¹⁰ (9 cancelled) 28⁸ 29-30¹⁰ 31¹⁰ (2 cancelled).
28 long lines; the first page of text written in a larger hand (10 lines).
The quires are marked on the upper right corner of the first leaf, and in the lower margin of the last leaf.
The hand changes after f. 81 for two leaves, of which the first has 39 lines to the page and the second has 29 lines on the recto and 22 on the verso, but the writing is by the original scribe and the marginal notes do not differ from elsewhere in the books. The changes of hand are described in M. R. James as cited in the references below, and in T. W. Allen (1915) as cited above.
There are cancelled leaves after ff. 122, 263 and 293; f. 300v is blank.
Secundo folio not recorded by M. R. James.
Rebound in the 18th century; at the beginning is a parchment leaf with a contents nots in Latin in a 17th-century hand.
The scribe is Theodorus Agallianus, who copied out the Eton MS for Ciriaco d'Ancona in Constantinople in 1447 according to Diller.
Unusually full marginal notes in pink, blue, green, yellow, purple and black ink, in four distinct hands: a small 15th-century hand, probably that of Agellianus, including notes on omissions in the archetype; a flowing hand mostly in yellow, sometimes restored in green, that of Ciriaco; a small somewhat shaky 15th-century hand correcting omissions; and a small stiff 16th-century hand, later than Ciriaco.
Allen (op. cit., p. 26) suggests one of the later hands may be that of Pietro [i.e. Bernardo?] Bembo based on the provenance of other MSS at Eton with a similar provenance.
Former Eton shelfmark: Bl.4.14.
This catalogue record is based on the work of M.R. James, as cited in the references below.
James, M. R. A descriptive catalogue of the manuscripts in the library of Eton College (1895), 141
Bernard, Catalogi librorum manuscriptorum Angliae et Hiberniae, 1697, 116
Eton College Library, MS 141
Reproduction available; Bodleian Library; Eton College Library should be contacted for permission to reproduce; SFW 3860
Belonged to Ciriaco d'Ancona, and probably later to Bernardo Bembo.
No doubt bequeathed to Eton in 1639 by Sir Henry Wotton.
18th century calf.
Strabo Geography
Geography, Ancient Manuscripts.
Ciriaco, 1391 - 1452 d'Ancona former owner.
Bembo, Bernardo, 1433 - 1519 former owner.
Bembo, Pietro, 1470 - 1547 associated name.
Wotton, Henry (), 1568 - 1639 Sir former owner.
Turkey Istanbul.
grc
B50103