Origine: Italy

Période: 8th-9th century

Nom alternatif: Aland majuscule 7

Support: Parchment

Volume: 313 ff.

Format: 23 x 16,2 cm

Numérotation des pages: Foliation in modern pencil: 1-125.127-159.161-206.208-213.215-220.222-318. – Pagination in black ink on every 5 leaves: 5-635.

Composition des cahiers: 12 IV95 + (IV-1)102 + 6 IV151 + (IV-1)158 + (IV-2)165 + 5 IV205 + (IV-1)213 + (IV-1)221 + IV229 + V239 + IV247 + (IV-1)254 + 8 IV318.
What was originally the first leaf of the first quire is now pasted on the back of the front board. Leaves are missing after ff. 96, 153, 159, 164, 206, 213, 220, 247; among which the missing leaf after f. 220 is preserved separately in its original state as “AN III 12, frag. 4”, whereas the ones after ff. 159, 206 and 213 are also preserved separately (as “AN III 12, frag. 1, 2, 3”), but served several times as palimpsests in the medieval period (for a description of the palimpsest leaves, see Cataldi Palau 2004, 468-469).
Presence of brown ink quire signatures dating from the time of the copy and written in a majuscule script in Greek numerals (Βʹ-Μʹ). However, the following quire signatures are missing: Αʹ (probably used to be on the 1st leaf now pasted on the front board), ΚΗʹ (lost with missing leaf after f. 213) and ΛΒʹ (lost with missing leaf after f. 247). The quire numbers in brown ink are decorated above and below with several horizontal strokes of decreasing length roughly arranged in the shape of a triangle. The quire signatures ΛΓʹ (f. 255r), ΛΣτʹ (f. 279r) and ΛΖʹ (f. 287r) are accompanied by only one long stroke above and another one below. Quire signature Ηʹ (f. 56r) is the only one to have apparently been decorated by the illuminator: the horizontal strokes above and below the quire number, along with the line of 3 s-shaped strokes added on either side of it, were all traced alternately in vermillion and green paint. In most cases the beginnings of quires are also marked with 2 large crosses (height between 9 to 19 mm) located on both sides of the top margin (the ruled justification lines were used to trace their vertical bar), less frequently with 2 circles (diameter between 8 to 11 mm), each encircling a Greek cross (ff. 3r, 56r, 64r, 96r, 103r, 111r), and three times with green and vermillion rosettes (ff. 72r, 80r and 88r).

Etat: Parchment of good quality. The 3 edges of the book block have been trimmed and are blackened by dirt. Stains appear frequently on leaves throughout the volume. The inscription ΤΕΤΡΑΒΑΓΓΕΛΟ has been written in brown ink on the bottom-edge of the book block. On the fore-edge, leather leaf markers used to indicate the beginning of each Gospel, but their protruding part was cut out during the trimming. The leaves at the two ends of the book block are crumpled and have been damaged by humidity and worm activity. The leaf pasted on the front board (now used as pastedown) and f. 1r are also blackened and heavily discoloured. The bottom corner of f. 139 and the entire outer margin of f. 317 have been cut out.
The volume presents several instances of holes which are not caused by worm activity but by the verdigris pigment (green) used in the decoration (e.g. on the leaf pasted on the front board and ff. 1r, 2v, 3r, 7v, 318r). A modern restorer stuck thin pieces of paper on ff. 1v and 2r in order to preserve the decorative elements which have been damaged by the pigment on the reverse page of those leaves (i.e. 1r and 2v).

Mise en page: Writing surface: 14,5/15,5 x 9,0/9,8 cm. 23/24 lines. Single column (but on f. 166r, 4 columns delimited by 3 additional ruled lines for Luke’s genealogy of Jesus and, on f. 154r-v, 2 columns delimited by one additional ruled line for the pinax of Luke).
The ruling was made in hard point, but contrary to common usage, was done on flesh-sides (a rare practice represented among Italo-Greek manuscripts, an element which may corroborate Cataldi Palau’s position in favour of the Italian origin of this codex; cf. Irigoin, “Pour une étude des centres de copie byzantins”, in Scriptorium 12,2, 1958, 214, n. 5). Ruling pattern including 1 justification line marking out inner margin, 1 justification line marking out outer margin, 1 triple line in top margin (sometimes absent), text lines start from the gutter and frequently cross the outer justification line, but rarely go beyond the prickings, which are located between 2 to 15 mm from the edge (not found in Leroy). Space between ruled text lines of 6 mm.

Décoration: The decoration of the manuscript is particularly abundant and luxurious. It makes use of geometrical motives painted in vivid colours, with a clear dominance of vermillion and green. The patterns it employs and the huge importance it gives to the figure of the cross could be related to the aesthetics of some churches and artefacts of the Ravenna area dating from the time of the Byzantine exarchate (a. 584-751: see Cataldi Palau 2004, 487-496). Those similarities may designate Italo-Greek northern Italy as a plausible place of origin for this 8th-9th century codex, keeping in mind that, after 751, the decline of Greek culture in the region was a gradual process (see also hypothesis on Roman origin in op. cit., 496-499). The decoration of the codex has also been, rightly or wrongly, qualified as typical of iconoclastic art (Nordenfalk 1970, 189-193).

• Headings and rubrics:
  • Heading above pinax of Matthew (f. 1r): Biblical majuscule letters filled alternately with vermillion and green paint, enclosed by a pyle (see:"Decoration") and ending with a small vermillion cross.
  • Beginning heading of Matthew (f. 3r): Biblical majuscule letters filled alternately with green and vermillion paint, flanked by 2 green and vermillion Greek crosses enclosed within a circle. The opening words of the Gospel of Matthew were written in the same two-coloured display script as the title heading.
  • End heading of Matthew (f. 96v): angular ogival majuscule letters filled alternately with green and vermillion paint, enclosed in a decorative frame (see: "Decoration").
  • Heading above pinax of Mark is lost with leaf missing after f. 96.
  • Beginning heading of Mark (f. 98r): angular ogival majuscule letters filled with vermillion, blue and green paint (scheme: v-b-v-g), flanked by a blue cross with vermillion serifs on the right and a vermillion one with green serifs on the left.
  • End heading of Mark (f. 153v): angular ogival majuscule letters filled alternately with vermillion and green paint, flanked by 2 large white crosses with vermillion serifs.
  • Heading of pinax of Luke is lost with leaf missing after f. 153.
  • Beginning heading of Luke (f. 155r): angular ogival majuscule letters filled alternately with vermillion and green paint, enclosed in decorative frame (see: "Decoration").
  • End heading of Luke lost with leaf missing after f. 247.
  • Heading above pinax of John (f. 248r): angular ogival majuscule letters filled alternately with green and vermillion paint, ending with a small vermillion Greek cross, flanked by 2 large white crosses with green and vermillion serifs.
  • Beginning heading of John (f. 249r): angular ogival majuscule letters filled alternately with vermillion and green paint and enclosed in a decorative frame (see: "Decoration").
  • End heading of John (f. 318r): angular ogival majuscule letters filled with vermillion, green and white paint (scheme: v-g-v-w), flanked by 2 large white crosses with vermillion and green serifs.
  Furthermore, the manuscript contains some vermillion rubrics, which include the Eusebian canon numbers, some lection notes, few ἀρχή/τέλος marks delimiting liturgical readings, asteriskoi, monograms of the names of the four Evangelists in the canon tables of the bottom margins. Nevertheless, numerous elements of the apparatus which are customarily rubricated in Byzantine Gospel manuscripts are here lavishly painted (kephalaia numbers, most ἀρχή/τέλος marks, indications of the day in lection notes and even sometimes entire lection notes as on ff. 18r, 19v, 21v, 23r etc …) or just written in regular brown ink (Eusebian section numbers, many lections notes, kephalaia titles).
• Decorative crosses: Presence of big decorative crosses.
  • Large framed painted cross on front paste-down: in dark blue, green, vermillion and light brown paint (frame: 175 x 88 mm, cross: 135 x 80 mm); the two extremities of the horizontal bar of the cross interrupt and divide the frame into two separate parts, the lower one being rectangular, the upper one being in the shape of a round arch surmounted by two elongated triangles; both the frame and the cross are made up of 3 bands, of which the 2 lateral bands are monochromatic (light brown in the frame and dark blue in the cross) and the central band is a green and vermillion plait; the cross stands on a four-tiered base und has at its four sides the inscription ΙΣ | [ΧΣ] | ΝΗ | ΚΑ in brown ink.
  • On f. 2v framed cross filling blank space after pinax of Matthew (frame: 120 x 87 mm, cross: 86 x 55 mm): frame made up of 3 separate parts together forming a rectangle; the extremities of those parts and of the cross are adorned with triangles of various sizes; both the frame and the cross are filled with a great variety of geometrical patterns; two burning lamps hang from the bipartite upper bar of the frame; the cross stands on a diamond that is itself placed at the top of a three-tiered base; the inscription ΙΣ | Χη | ΝΗ | ΚΑ in brown ink is at the four sides of the cross.
  • Framed cross of later date drawn in brown ink on f. 318v (frame: 120 x 75 mm, cross: 70 x 43 mm): the frame is filled with geometrical patterns (mostly diamonds) and adorned with vegetative ornaments; the large cross stands on a seven-tiered base and is accompanied by 4 smaller crosses at four sides; 5 decorative bars accompany the crosses inside the frame (made up of sometimes rope motives, sometimes checkerboard patterns, sometimes zigzags).
• Initials: Initials open the texts of the Gospels.
  • Initial “beta” beginning Matthew on f. 3r (height: 10 mm): the shaft of beta is filled with intersecting green and vermillion triangles; its lower bow is painted in blue and its upper bow and base are drawn as thin hairline strokes in regular brown ink.
  • Initial “alpha” beginning Mark on f. 98r (height: 18 mm): very large rectangular shaft filled with oblique green and vermillion stripes dotted with white points; the pointed bow of the alpha is made up of two thin hairline strokes finishing in a stylized bird-like figure painted in green and blue.
  • Initial “epsilon” beginning Luke on f. 155r (height: 13 mm): drawn in brown ink with a compass and filled with intersecting green and vermillion triangles; the two extremities of the bow finish with green triangular serifs; the central bar of epsilon is adorned with a green ring and ends with a vermillion triangular serif; the rubricated Eusebian canon number ιʹ is inscribed inside the upper void of epsilon.
  • Initial epsilon beginning John on f. 249r (height: 8 mm): drawn in brown ink with a compass and filled with green paint, but presenting no other ornamental features.
  Painted initials of smaller textual units (over 200 initials in the entire volume). They open new kephalaia and exceptionally new verses. They are painted in green, vermillion and/or blue and are always accompanied in the margin by a painted kephalaion number or exceptionally an Eusebian section number. They are often characterized by a contrast between very thick strokes giving plenty of space for geometrical ornaments and very thin hairline strokes drawn in regular brown ink. Such initial is usually filled with one type of motives (those could be intersecting triangles, diamonds, oblique or straight stripes, wavy stripes, wavy lines, plaits, chevrons, zigzag bands, hourglasses or spikes), and is frequently adorned with coloured triangular serifs at extremities. However, initial “kappa” on f. 55v is of greater complexity and cumulates several types of motives, and initial “omicron” on f. 83v is the only one to contain a central cross, which happens to be directly connected with the meaning of the text of the Eusebian section it opens, Οἴδατε ὅτι μετὰ δύο ἡμέρας τὸ Πάσχα γίνεται, καὶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοται εἰς τὸ σταυρωθῆναι (Mt. 26:2 “As you know, the Passover is two days away, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified”).
  Moreover, the set out minor initials written in brown ink indicate that a verse ended in the previous line (round letters among them are drawn with a compass); Only a very small amount of minor initials is painted and decorated (among which figures the above-mentioned initial “omicron” of f. 83v).
• Borders: Decorative borders enclose the headings of the volume.
  • Pyle at the top of the pinax of Matthew on f. 1r (93 x 35 mm): its upper bar is filled with blue and vermillion diamonds and its two lateral bars with square boxes, some containing white or vermillion Greek crosses on blue or vermillion ground, others containing various blue or vermillion geometrical patterns; The two extremities of the pyle are adorned with tiny multi-coloured triangles finishing with multi-coloured dots.
  • Rectangular frame enclosing end heading of Matthew on f. 96v (113 x 32 mm): made up of 2 intertwined zigzag bands, one green, the other vermillion, bordered by two thin white bands (the only other known example of similar ornament is found in 11th century codex Vindobonensis theol. gr. 30: see Cataldi Palau 2004, 481 and Franz, “Byzantine illuminated ornament…”, 1934, 54, pl. VI, n°22); 2 stylized bird-like figures protrude at the 2 right-hand corners of the frame; 4 small spirals, each adorned with 3 long spikes, protrude at the 4 corners of the frame (no other example of similar ornament is known: see Cataldi Palau 2004, ibid.).
  • Rectangular frame enclosing the beginning heading of Luke on f. 155r (120 x 35 mm): the upper and lower bars of the frame are filled with green and vermillion diamonds along with small steps as space-fillers; Lateral bars are filled with green and vermillion stripes; each angle of the frame contains a square box; the entire frame is bordered inside and outside by two thin light brown bands; green triangles with vermillion dots protrude at the four corners.
  • Rectangular frame enclosing beginning heading of John on f. 249r (120 x 25 mm): 2 intertwined zigzag bands, one green, the other white and vermillion, bordered by 2 thin blue bands; 2 vermillion, green and blue stars (with dots of different colours at each point) protrude at the two left-hand corners of the frame; at the two right-hand corners, protrude green and vermillion triangles with vermillion dots at corners.
  • At the end of the second column of the pinax of Luke on f. 154v, presence of a wavy line drawn in regular brown ink with leaves as space-fillers and leaf terminals.
• Other decorative elements: The painted decorative elements marking the beginning of some quires include: green or vermillion crosses with green or vermillion serifs (ff. 32r, 98r); white crosses with green and vermillion serifs (f. 248r); thin brown crosses with prominent green and vermillion serifs (ff. 48r, 119r); green and/or vermillion Greek crosses enclosed in a circle (ff. 56r, 64r, 96r, 103r, 111r); eight-petal rosettes in green and vermillion (ff. 72r, 80r, 88r).
  The decorative painted elements present in the margins include: a large green and vermillion diamond (25 x 20 mm) enclosing a quatrefoil and standing on a triangular base (f. 290v); an eight-petal rosette in green and vermillion (ff. 83v, 89v, 297r, 306v); a vermillion Greek cross enclosed in a circle with green triangular space-fillers (f. 294v).

Ajouts: The manuscript is equipped with a complete apparatus, making it fully adapted for the practice of liturgy: a pinax listing the kephalaia before each Gospel (brown ink); in top margins, kephalaia titles (brown ink), each preceded by a kephalaion number (painted in green and accompanied by 2 rubricated lines above and below), which is itself repeated in the right margin in front of the first line of the new chapter; in right margins, Eusebian section numbers (brown ink), accompanied below by the corresponding Eusebian canon numbers (rubricated), both being decorated with horizontal lines and s-shape strokes (rubricated); in bottom margins, presence of the part of the Eusebian canon table containing the Eusebian sections of the page, consisting of 4 columns, each beginning with a monogram of the name of an evangelist (rubricated), and a list of Eusebian sections from the Gospel of that evangelist (brown ink) (each line of the table thus indicates in what other Gospel a given passage is also found); in top and outer margins, liturgical lection notes, each consisting usually of an indication of the day (painted in green and vermillion) and an introductory sentence (generally in brown ink, sometimes rubricated).
Byzantine notes of later dates: On f. 2v, a big illiterate mixed-minuscule hand wrote perpendicularly in left margin μινυν ηʹ ὀκτωβρίως ἔχω ἡμέρα λαʹ ἡμέραν ἔχει ὅρας ιβʹ καὶ ιʹ νὺξ ὅρας ιγʹ; on f. 100r and the missing leaf after f. 159r (= separate frag. 1), presence of two signs appearing as some kinds of monograms (an imprint due to fresh ink also visible on f. 159v); on f. 248v, an illegible Greek text which was later erased (an imprint of it due to fresh ink still visible on opposite page); on f. 318v, inscriptions ἄγωμεν κ[…] and Σίμων Ἰωνᾶ, φιλ[εῖς με] by a small majuscule hand (the latter being a quotation of Jn. 21:17, located in text two pages earlier on f. 317v, l. 5), and ὁρᾷς by a minuscule hand; in the right margin of f. 2r, beginning of the first Psalm in Greek; lection notes of later dates on ff. 16r, 20r, 62r, 98v, 135v, 198r, 233v, 234r, 234v, 237v, 238r, 283v, 292v.
Notes left by western hands: on f. 97v, next to the 12th century fragment of the apocalypse (see: “Contents”) an annotator of the 16th century wrote perpendicularly in the left margin the criticism Βάρβαρον ἐπίβλημα ἀπαιδεύτου τινός (cf. Mk. 2:21), and horizontally above the fragment ἀποκάλ(υψις) γʹ and below it Cetera vide sub initium Evang(elii) secundum Iohannem: ὁς σάλπ(υγος); the same hand wrote on f. 247v referring to the missing end of Luke τὸ τίλος [sic: τίτλος] λείπει, and on f. 248r below the second part of the fragment of the Apocalypse, γάμοντα ὀφθαλμὸν. Apocal. cap. iv. v(ersu)s. 8; on f. 98r, a hand of the 15th century (?) added "Marcus" above the beginning heading of Mark; another hand added some indications of modern chapters in Latin.

Reliure: Binding which may have been Byzantine originally, but which underwent a thorough restoration by Wilhelm Bitz in 1952 (see restorer’s note on back paste-down). Dimensions: 24 x 16 cm. Covered with modern brown leather.
Wooden boards (edges: 10 mm): following the Byzantine use, board edges do not protrude out of the book block; one brass clasp of the 15th-16th century (western addition), of which only the catch-plate on the front board remains.
Spine: 3 barely raised sewings, which can be touched through the leather and and which, since they do not seem to be actual western bands, might be Byzantine (?); modern label with classmark written in black ink; endbands of light pink threads from the time of the restoration.
Endleaves: 1 front parchment paste-down (originally 1st leaf of 1st quire) containing a large painted cross and an ex-libris of the University of Basel; 1 back parchment paste-down, containing a fragment of a synaxarion in a hasty and much abbreviated mixed-minuscule (Εὐα(γγέλιον) τῷ σα(ββάτῳ) τῆς ἀπόκ(ρεως) … - … Λοῦκ(ας). Τῇ εʹ εἰς τὸν ὀρθρ(ὸν) κ[...] σξʹ).

Acquisition du manuscrit: In 1559, the manuscript was transferred to the University of Basel along with the rest of the collection of the monastery: The university librarian Heinrich Pantaleon (1522-1595) wrote "Ex libris academie Basiliensis" on the front paste-down under the left arm of the painted cross. — Codex AN III 12 was later used for the critical editions of New Testament scholars like John Mill (1707) and Johann Jacob Wettstein (1751).