Beinecke MS 252               Byzantium, s. XVI
Sermons; Lives of Saints (in Greek)

Pages 99-170 contain Sermons and Lives of Saints for December 20 to
February 2; incipits are listed only when no reference is given to a printed
text.

1. pp. 99-115 John Chrysostom, Oratio de beato Philogonio [PG
48.747-56].

2. pp. 115-128 Athanasius, Homilia de censu [PG 28.943-58].

3. pp. 129-141 John Chrysostom, Oratio in illud, Exiit edictum
[PG 50.795-800].

4. pp. 141-156 Basil, Homilia in sanctam Christi generationem [PG
31.1457-76].

5. pp. 156-177 John Damascene, De nativitate Domini [BHG^^3 1912].

6. pp. 177-198 Gregory of Nyssa, Oratio in diem natalem Christi
[PG 46.1127-50; pp. 199-210 missing].

7. pp. 211-212 John Chrysostom, Oratio in natalem Christi diem
[PG 56.392-94].

     R. Carter (Codices Chrysostomici Graeci [Paris, 1970] v. 3, p. 19,
no. 17) identified this sermon, whose title was lost with p. 199, as that of
St. John Chrysostom.  The mutilated text begins, on p. 211:  //
[Greek].

8. pp. 212-233 John Chrysostom, Oratio in diem natalem Christi
[PG 49.351-62].

9. pp. 234-256 Basil of Seleucia, Oratio in S. Deiparae annuntiationem
[PG 85.425-52].

10. pp. 256-282 John Chrysostom, Laudatio S. Stephani [BHG^^3
1665a].

11. pp. 282-301 Gregory of Nyssa, Oratio in S. Stephanum [PG
46.701-22].

12. pp. 302-307 John Chrysostom, Oratio in Herodem et infantes
[PG 61.699-702].

13. p. 308 Basil of Seleucia, Oratio in infantes ab Herode sublatos
[PG 85.387-89; pp. 309-48 missing].

14. pp. 349-361 [Amphilochus of Iconium], Oratio in circumcisionem
et in S. Basilium [BHG^^3 261].

15. pp. 361-362 Gregory of Nyssa, Laudatio Basilii [PG 46.787-89;
pp. 363-408 missing].

16. pp. 409-421 Gregory of Nyssa, Oratio de baptismo Christi
[PG 64.33-38; sometimes attributed to John Chrysostom and Gregory of
Antioch].

17. pp. 421-446 Gregory of Nyssa, Oratio in baptismum Christi
[PG 46.577-600].

18. pp. 446-464 John Chrysostom, Oratio de baptismo Christi
[PG 49.363-72].

19. pp. 464-476 Gregory Thaumatourgus, Homilia IV in S. Theophaniam
[PG 10.1177-90].

20. pp. 477-494 Theodore Daphnopata, Oratio de manu S. Praecursoris
[PG 111.611-20, Latin only].

21. pp. 495-522 Ammonius, Relatio de monachis [BHG^^3 1300;
pp. 523-628 missing].

22. pp. 629-634 Unidentified text, beginning lacking; text begins:
//
[Greek]...[pp. 635-650 missing].

23. pp. 651-666 Unidentified text, beginning lacking; text begins:
//
[Greek]...[pp. 667-678 missing].

24. pp. 679-680 Unidentified text, beginning lacking; text begins:
//
[Greek]....

25. pp. 680-699 Cosmas Vestitor, Oratio de Chrysostomo [BHG^^3
877v].

26. pp. 699-704, 715-716 [pp. 705-714 missing] John Chrysostom,
Oratio in S. Ignatium martyrem [PG 50.587-89 and 595].

27. pp. 716-732 John Mauropus, De Basilio, Chrysostomo, et Gregorio
[BHG^^3 747b].

28. pp. 732-760 John Mauropus, Encomium Basilii, Chrysostomi,
Gregorii [BHG^^3 747; P. de Lagarde, ed., "Joannis Euchaitorum metropolitae
quae in codice Vaticano graeco supersunt," Abhandlungen der K. Goettingen
Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften (Historisch-philologische Klasse) v. 28,
pt. 1 (1881, publ. 1882) pp. 106-19, nr. 178].

29. pp. 760-769 John Damascene, Laudatio S. Ioannis Chrysostomi
[PG 96.761-82].

30. pp. 769-770 Amphilochius of Iconium, Homilia in occursum Domini
[PG 39.43-48].

     Paper (sturdy, polished; watermarks consisting of a hat surmounted by
six-pointed star, with countermark of cloverleaf plus the letter P and
unidentified letter), ff. ii (paper) + 222 (pagination at top of written space
[99-770] indicates gaps in the text; foliation at the bottom [1-222]
reflects the current state of the codex) + ii (paper), 322 x 127 (122 x
133) mm.  Written in 2 columns of 28 lines; double outer and single inner
vertical bounding lines full length, and two additional lines in
lower margin between bounding lines only.  Ruled in hard point, on verso.
     I^^12 (-4 leaves), II^^10, III^^9, IV-V^^10, VI^^4,
VII-X^^10, XI^^8, XII^^7,
XIII-XVII^^10, XVIII^^7, XIX^^11, XX^^4, XXI^^11, XXII-XXIV^^10,
XXV^^3.  The manuscript is too tightly bound to permit a more accurate collation.
Signatures (letters of alphabet, beginning with stigma) appear both on the recto
of first folio and on the verso of final folio.
     Written by a single scribe in a bold and carefully executed minuscule.
     Large initials, 7- to 5-line, skillfully drawn in red with many floral
appendages, occur at the beginning of each sermon.  Long rubricated incipits
and small initials throughout the codex.
     Most pages are water- and wax-stained; some leaves have been repaired,
others remain torn.
     Binding:  s. xx.  Brick-red goatskin, blind- and gold-tooled by the same
binder as MS 241.

Written in Byzantium in the 16th century; notations within the codex
concerning the appropriate time for reading each item (e.g., "at the table")
suggest that the collection was intended to be read aloud in a monastery.
Belonged to Sir Thomas Phillipps (no. 13866; tags on spine and f. 1r); his
acquisition from Constantine Simonides.  Purchased from L. C. Witten with
funds from the Jacob Ziskind Charitable Trust in 1957 (MS 44).

Bibliography:  Faye and Bond, p. 46, no. 252.
     Ziskind Catalogue, p. 51.
     R. Carter, Codices Chrysostomici Graeci (Paris, 1970) v. 3, p. 19,
no. 17.

Barbara A. Shailor