Astronomical-Computistical Collection
Aratea text: Excerptum de astrologia; Germanicus, Aratea; Scholia Basileensia
Parchment — ii+ 201 fols. + ii (modern paper) — 320 × 255 mm — Limoges — s. X2
Support: Foliated in pencil in the upper right corner of every folium. Fol. 1 cut perpendicularly, missing the outer half. Missing leaf (most probably originally left blank) between ff. 172 and 173, now only a small rest visible; two stubs visible also between ff. 169 and 170. Stanes probably from water damage on ff. 191-201.
Layout: Part 1 (ff. 1-111) written in 31-33 long lines.Layout: Part 2 (ff. 112-135) written in 29 long lines.Layout: Part 3 (ff. 136-167) written in 33 long lines.Layout: ff. 168-172 (Aratea) written in 40-44 long lines.Layout: ff. 173-179r (Calendar) ruled in 33 long lines; ff. 179v-184v (Tables) in 44-59 lines.Layout: ff. 185r-v written in two columns 44 lines.Layout: ff. 186r-201v written in 44 long lines.Script: Most of the texts are written in a tight carolingian minuscule, which shows characteristics of the tenth century such as: e-caudata, word division, ligatures (ct, st, ra, nt) and abbreviation (-orum, -tur). The script used for the Aratea section exhibits fewer ligatures and seems to be written by a more modern hand (the shaft of the caroline a becoming more up-right, the tongue of the e pointing to 2 o'clock). The same hand wrote probably also ff. 185-201.
On f.169r a prayer later added in the free space: "In nomine patri et filii et spiritus sancti amen. Adiuro uos tempestates et uoces et tonitrua et fulgura …". Fol. 181 a later addition. Rubrics for chapters headings in Capitalis rustica and initial-majuscule for opening the chapter. Later added paragraph marks in red; ample margins left but no glossa.Binding: Modern brown shagreen leather binding on six sewing stations.
History: The manuscript is a copy of Paris, BnF, Ms lat. 5239 (s. X1/3, Saint-Martial in Limoges).
Selected Bibliography: . Vol. 47. Paris, 1923, pp. 139-143. — . Vol. 1, pp. 294-296. — , p. 150. — , p. 304. — Buescu, Victor. “Deux Nouveaux Francici de Germanicus César.” InProblèmes de critique et d’histoire textuelle, 229–37. Bucharest and Paris, 1942. — Folkerts, Menso. “De Arithmeticis Propositionibus. A Mathematical Treatise Ascribed to the Venerable Bede.” InEssays on Early Medieval Mathematics, by Menso Folkerts, III. 1–30. Aldershot: Variorum, 2003, here p. 6. — , p. 193. — , p. 453. — , p. 409. — , p. 269. — Entry in Innovative Knowledge DB.
1r-10r Bede: De natura rerum
10r-15v Bede: De temporibus ›Incipit liber de temporibus‹
16r-82v Bede: De temprum ratione ›Praefatio Bedae presbuteri in librum de temporibus‹ De natura rerum et ratione temporum duoscondam [!] per stricto sermone libellos discentibus … — … caelestium premiorum mereamur accipere palmam. › ((f.82v)) Explicit domino iuvante Bedae presbiteri.‹ On f.77v the text jumps from chapter 66,10 "… cuius adiutorio propagaret genuit humanum" to chapter 67-71 "Haec de cursu praeteriti saeculi…".
104v-107r Series annorum mundi nova ›Adbreviatio chronicae. Aetas prima‹ Adam cum esset CXXX annorum genuit seth. Set autem habens annos CV … — … Sunt autem totius summae ab origine mundi anni usque in presentem annum DCCCX incarnationis dni I̅I̅I̅I̅DCCLXII.
107r-109r (Ps.) Isidore: De ortu et obitu patrum ›Incipit de ortu et obitu patrum‹ Adam pater generis humani dei manibus ex terra creatus … — … episcopus missu sibidem requies at in pace. Taken probably fromLibri computi, I, 6.
109r Excerpt from Libri computi, I, 7 C. ›Nostrates Hieronimus graeci‹ Ab adam usque ad natiuitatem xri computantur anni I̅I̅I̅DCCCLII… Si in primo anno quo adam factus est posueris terminum paschae … — … anno que passionis terminus nonas aprilis et concurens VII.
109v-110r On different languages and alphabets after the flood. Primus omnium litteras ante diluuium inuenisse enoch dicitur … — … MM Ecathostochyle. Included are the jewish, greek, and latin alphabets, the one by Aethicus Cosmographus, and the northmen ("northmannorum"). The name of each letter is transliterated in Latin. At the end is a list of the Roman numerals from one to million "MM" (in 5 columns), with the corresponding Greek numerals transliterated in Latin letter "Mia… Ecathostochyle".
110v-111r Bede: De arithmeticis propositionibus liber (1.1-3.3) ›Incipiunt numeri per quos potest qui voluerit aliterius cogitationes de numero quolibet quem animo conceperit explorare‹ Quo modo numerous a quolibet animo conceptus quis sit … — … sexies conteni sextam septies conteni septimam.
111v Unfinished digram; a large circle.
112r–115r Computistical tables.
119v Text on the winds based onIsidore 's De natura rerum, 37. ›De nominibus ventorum‹ Ventorum primus cardinalis septentrio … — … si circuli similitudinem prudens lector inquirat.
119v-120r Verse on the winds. ›Versus de ventorum nominibus ac speris subpositis‹ Quatttuor aquadro consurgunt limite uenti … — … Argestemque grai uocitant cognomina prisco.
120r Wind diagram rota with twelve wedge-shaped segments with text for each of the twelve winds again based onIsidore 's De natura rerum, 37: "Ventorum primus cadinalis septentrio qui et a partias frigidus et niualis…".
120v Rota for phases of the moon "ledo", "malina" in connection with the tides, in the centre of the rota with T-O centre and four smaller circles on the sides each with text "Luna XXVIII incipit malina" etc. probably taken from Annalis libellus, c. 51.
121r Another wind diagram with eight wedge-shaped segments, each divided further in two. Texts inbetween the eight segments each starting with the the letter O: "O miranda suo flamantia sidera celo", "Ordine quadrifido solari currere ciclo""Orridus est aquilo frigentia climate celo" etc.
121v Pliny the Elder: De positione et cursu septem planetarum ›De positione et cursu septem planetarum‹ Inter caelum et terram certis … — … ad easdem uices exit. On f.122r the bust medallions of the planets.
122r Pliny the Elder: De intervallis earum ›De intervallis earum‹ Interualla eorum a terra multi indagare … — … diapason armoniam uocant. On f.122r parallel to the text a list of the planets with the intervalls in between. On f.122v a circular diagram of the planetary intervals.
123r On f.123r a rectangular diagram of the planetary latitudes.
123v-124r Pliny the Elder. ›De absidibus earum‹ Tres autem quas supra solem diximus … — … ut subiecta figura demonstrate. On f.124r a circular diagram of the planetaryabsides.
124v-125r Excerpts from Annalis libellus, c. 69b-c and Libri computi, Lib. IIII, 24-26. ›De eclypsin solis et lunae‹ Eclypsin solis ei quotiens luna XXX ad eandem lineam qua sol uehitur … — … quotidie tardius ueniret tardius recederet. Astronomical notes on the place of the planets in the zodiacal band for the years 770 and 794:"Anno DCCLXX indictione VIII prima die ianuari mensis stella saturni nec non et stella iouis in sidere [can] cri uersabantur. Et cuicumque codicellus iste perueniat in manus si tamen curio [!] sit errantium recognoscere siderum cursus intellegat post quanta annorum curricula ad idem redeant sidus. Anno dominice DCCXCIIII indictione V stellarum in mense marti in geminis et stella iouis in scorpione stella martis in cancro et stella ueneris in tauro uersatur. Discite o iuuenes cum abraham caeli et siderum cursus cognoscere non cum ępicurio uoluptatum adsertore uentri deseruire et luxuriae." Valenciennes, BM, Ms 174, ff. 28r-29r.
125r-v (Ps.) Bede: Opusculum Itaque stella veneris et mercurii ›De stella veneris et mercurii‹ Itaque stella ueneris et mercurio hoc superioribus tribus planetarum stellis differunt … — … et idcirco longiores aetheris meta peragit.
125v (Ps.) Bede: De apsidibus planetarum ›De absidibus planetarum‹ Circulus zodiacus qui duodecim signis constat omni ex parte aeque uicinus est terre … — … sed potius LXX dierum numerum reddat.
125v-126r In quo signo versetur mars ›De signo mars‹ In quo signo uersetur mars Annis ab inicio mundi … — … inueniri planetam. Virgo latitudinem signiferi scandes.
126r-127r Pliny the Elder: De cursu earum per zodiacum circulum ›De sursu earum per zodiacum circulum‹ Cur autem magnitudines suas et colores mutent … — … maxime inobseruabilis est cursus.
127r Excerpt from Libri computi, V, 11. ›Dimensio caelestium spaciorum secundum quosdam‹ A terra ad lunam tonum esse pronunciant … — … id est miliaria CVIIII et CCCLXXV
127r-129r Pliny the Elder: De presagiis tempestatum ›De praesagiis tempestatum‹ Etenim prqedictis difficilioribus transpire conuenit … — … diras tempestates praenunciant. Marginal heading inCapitalis rustica for each section: "solis", "lunae", "stellarum" etc.
129r List of types of numbers according to Augustine 's De musica: ›Genera numerorum in sensibus secundum Augustinum‹ "Progressores· In actu· Occursores· In passione· Recordabiles· In memoria Sonantes· In delectatione· Iudiciales· In discretione."
129r Excerpt from Annalis libellus, c. 65. ›Raciocinatione [!] item de generibus numerorum in‹ Cardinales sunt numeri ut unus duo tres … — … solus solius soli alter alterius alteri.
129r ›De compoto articulari‹
Short texts on measures, predominantly excerpts from theLibri computi, Lib. VI, 1-7:
133v-134v Further excerpts from Libri computi, Lib. IV, 31a-33a and V, 10:
134v-135r Excerpt from Servius ' In Vergilii carmina commentarii, 10, v. 272. ›De differentia cometarum‹ Hanc stellam electram dicunt cum qua iuppiter concubuit … — … rapinas bella et caetera mala significat. Later annotations in the margin.
135v Drawing of a circular labirint.
136r-164v A collection of computistical argumenta predominantly taken from Libri computi, Lectiones conputi and Annalis libellus.
164v-167r Bede: Letter to Wicthede ›Incipit praefatio Bedae Presbiteri‹ Reuerentissimo ac sansctissimo fratri uictheda … — … aut ante aequinoctium fuisset confirmet.
167v Blank.
168r-v Excerptum de astrologia Duo sunt extremi uertices mundi … — … ad ipsum usque currit accipiens.
168v-171v Germanicus: Aratea (O family vv. 1-146)
171v-172v Later addition (s.XII2?) historical introduction in the art of computus. De annis domini de quibus tanta dubitacio est intercalculatores qui existunt in arte compotipariciores [!] de pluribus libris … excerpsi … — … Septuaginta uero interpretes, multum ab hac supputatione annorum dissentiunt.
173r Blank.
Calendrics:
191r-194r Isidore: Etymologiae (Lib. V, 28-39) List of chapters on previous f. 190v. Cronica greci dicitur quae latine temporum series apellatur … — … Eracleus annos XXVII huius V ̄DCCCXXXIII.
194r-197v Isidore: Etymologiae (Lib. III, 24-71) ›Item Isydori‹
197v-199v Isidore: Etymologiae (Lib. XIII, 1-11) ›Item Isydori‹
199v-200r Dies egyptiaci.
200r-201r Isidore: Etymologiae (Lib. IX, 5-6,22) Heredis nomen inposuit census heris … — … cognati, cognate, progenitores, progenetrices, Germani, Germanae. On f. 201v – three column table with heading"Item de predictis affinitatibus" and family realtions: "Auctor mei generis -- michi pater est -- ego illi filius aut filia…"
Abreviated Literature: