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Greek Manuscripts

18.12 Euripides, Aeschylus, Theocritus, Pindar
13th-14th c.
Iviron Monastery, Cod. 161
Bombycine paper, 25/26 x 17/18 cm, ff. 204

Contents (with marginal scholia):
1. (fol. 1) Euripides, Phoenician Women (beginning missing), Hippolytus, Medea (end missing) - an unusual selection of three of Euripides' tragedies.
2. (fol. 31) Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound, Seven Against Thebes, Persians.
3. (fol. 86) Theocritus, Idylls (the first 15).
4. (fol. 107) Dionysius Periegetes, Description of the World.
5. (fol. 120) John Tzetzes, Commentary on the 'Works and Days' of Hesiod.
6. (fol. 143) Pindar, Olympian and Pythian Odes.
As was noted in the introduction, the Iviron Monastery occupies first place in terms of manuscripts with texts of Classical authors, owning 220 of the roughly 600 manuscripts of this nature preserved on Mount Athos.
All those who have studied this codex agree that it must have been written in about the year 1300. It was presented to the monastery in about 1600 by Maximos Margounios, Bishop of Kythera, who donated part of his library to the Iviron Monastery two years before his death (see the note on fol. 1r: 'From Maximos [Margounios] Bishop of Kythera'). We do not know exactly where it was written, though it was most probably outside Athos; its existence bears witness to the renaissance in Greek literature that took place during the Palaeologan era. As it comes from a period in which there were many distinguished men of letters, the manuscript is of considerable importance to the history of the transmission of the texts it contains and their critical edition; consequently it has been studied and used by many philologists.
Written by various hands.

Bibliography: Lambros 1900, pp. 41-2. Gallavotti 1939, pp. 43-55. Turyn 1943, p. 120 (bibliography), cf. p. 57 and n. 60. Irigoin 1954, pp. 297ff. Rudberg 1956, pp. 177, 180, 182. Turyn 1957, p. 235 (additional bibliography). Politis 1963, p. 120.

B.A.

Index of exhibits of Monastery of Iviron
13th century

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Greek Manuscripts	18.12 Euripides, Aeschylus, Theocritus, Pindar 13th-14th c. Iviron Monastery, Cod. 161 Bombycine paper, 25/26 x 17/18 cm, ff. 204

	Contents (with marginal scholia): 1. (fol. 1) Euripides, Phoenician Women (beginning missing), Hippolytus, Medea (end missing) - an unusual selection of three of Euripides' tragedies. 2. (fol. 31) Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound, Seven Against Thebes, Persians. 3. (fol. 86) Theocritus, Idylls (the first 15). 4. (fol. 107) Dionysius Periegetes, Description of the World. 5. (fol. 120) John Tzetzes, Commentary on the 'Works and Days' of Hesiod. 6. (fol. 143) Pindar, Olympian and Pythian Odes. As was noted in the introduction, the Iviron Monastery occupies first place in terms of manuscripts with texts of Classical authors, owning 220 of the roughly 600 manuscripts of this nature preserved on Mount Athos. All those who have studied this codex agree that it must have been written in about the year 1300. It was presented to the monastery in about 1600 by Maximos Margounios, Bishop of Kythera, who donated part of his library to the Iviron Monastery two years before his death (see the note on fol. 1r: 'From Maximos [Margounios] Bishop of Kythera'). We do not know exactly where it was written, though it was most probably outside Athos; its existence bears witness to the renaissance in Greek literature that took place during the Palaeologan era. As it comes from a period in which there were many distinguished men of letters, the manuscript is of considerable importance to the history of the transmission of the texts it contains and their critical edition; consequently it has been studied and used by many philologists. Written by various hands.
	Bibliography: Lambros 1900, pp. 41-2. Gallavotti 1939, pp. 43-55. Turyn 1943, p. 120 (bibliography), cf. p. 57 and n. 60. Irigoin 1954, pp. 297ff. Rudberg 1956, pp. 177, 180, 182. Turyn 1957, p. 235 (additional bibliography). Politis 1963, p. 120.
	B.A.
	Index of exhibits of Monastery of Iviron 13th century