Montecassino, Archivio dell’Abbazia, 541
| Library | Montecassino, Archivio dell’Abbazia |
|---|---|
| Shelfmark | 541 |
| Century | s. XIin |
| European region of origin | Southern Italy |
| Collection | Quadripartitus |
| Collection 2 | Cresconius |
| Collection 3 | Collectio Dacheriana |
| Collection 4 | Cresconius, Concordia canonum |
| Main author | Bruno Schalekamp |
| Main author | Christof Rolker |
Monte Cassino, Biblioteca statale del Monumento nazionale di Montecassino, 541 is an early eleventh-century manuscript of 296 pages in 2 cols. (360x 270mm). Its codicological composition is unknown as of yet. Written in southern Italy, it has been in possession of the Monte Cassino Abbey since very soon after it was compiled. It was written by various hands in distinct Beneventan script in saec. XIin according to Kerff and Kéry.
Contents
The manuscript contains for the vast majority canon law material, as well as some patristic excerpts, episcopal and papal epistles, and an explanation of the Rule of Benedict. It was possibly compiled by order of abbot Theobald of Monte Cassino (1022-1035) at Monte Cassino, according to Kerff. Furthermore, according to both Kerff and Mordek, this manuscript is a direct copy of Città del Vaticano, BAV, Vat. lat. 1347.
It is interesting to note what was added to the compilation for the reader. While most of the 'base text' stayed the same, a few pages of new contents, such as the ordo de celebrando concilio, an explanation 'on councils' (p. 5), and various excerpts of conciliar law with 'baptism' as central theme, were added and deemed relevant to its original textual structure. Some omissions can be found, too, such as an unknown text titled nonnullo stulti dogmate and two unknown canonical texts. Even more striking, is that around the time of copying Città del Vaticano, BAV, Vat. lat. 1347, a text in Beneventan script was added to that same manuscript - an epistle of Gregory the Great to Marinianus of Ravenna titled quam sit necessarium - which cannot be found in its direct copy expounded on here.
pages texts
Front cover
1-4 Ordo de celebrando concilio 4 Ordo in susceptione presbiterorum 5 De conciliis 5-8b Various excerpts of epistles 9a-123b Cresconius, Concordia canonum 123b-124a Definitio fidei of the Council of Chalcedon (451) 124ab The symbol of the first Council of Nicaea (325) 124b-126b The symbol and Definitio fidei of the first Council of Constantinople (381) 126b-140b Various excerpts of various epistles and conciliar legislation, including: 126b-130b Epistle of pope Leo I to bishop Anastasius of Thessaloniki 130b-134a Epistle of Jerome to Lucian 134a-137a Epistle of bishop Mansuetus of Milan to emperor Constantine 137a-139a The symbol of the synod of Milan (680) 139ab Expositio sancti Augustini 139b-140b Expositio euangelii beati Gregorii papa omelia VII 140b-143b Collection of canons in the style of Fulgentius Ferrandus' Breviatio canonum 143-147b Glossary of synonyms on the Rule of Benedict in Latin, as well as various canons, such as the Canones apostolorum and from councils in northern Africa and the eastern Mediterranean 147b-235b Collectio Dacheriana, in ‘form B’ 235b-236a Epistle of Aeneas of Paris to Hincmar of Reims: Epistola ad Hincmarum Remensem archiepiscopum 236b-285b Collectio canonum Quadripartitus, book 4, including prologue, list of titles, and epilogue 285b-296b Excerpts of conciliar law with the central theme of baptism
Back cover
Literature
Bergmann, Stricker, Goldhammer, Wich-Reif, Katalog (2005), p. 920-921, n. 438; Blume, Bibliotheca librorum (1834), p. 221-222; Inguanez, Codicem Casinensium (1940), p. 199-203; Kerff, Quadripartitus (1982), p. 18-20; Kéry, Canonical collections (1999), p. 34; Lowe, The Beneventan script (1914), p. 352; Maassen, Geschichte (1870), p. 853; Mordek, Kirchenrecht (1975), p. 101, 172, and 262; Mordek, ‘Zur handschriftlichen Überlieferung’ (1967), p. 577; Schmitz, Bussbücher Vol. 1 (1883), p. 718; Zechiel-Eckes, Cresconius.
See also Michael Elliot's extensive work and draft editions of the Quadripartitus on his own website: http://individual.utoronto.ca/michaelelliot/.
