Upper Part (Eastern Origin, Second Half of the 13th Century)
Dating and Provenance
The scribe of the pars superior employs stylistic features characteristic of the so-called Fettaugen-Mode with moderation, most notably in the second portion of the manuscript, where the ductus becomes more cursive. Distinctive features include the use of the large heart-shaped beta, alternated with the double-lobed beta; the tall uppercase gamma with a sinuous crossbar; the tall tau executed in a single stroke; and the oversized, globular phi (see f. 14v, f. 15r). Letter overlapping is deliberately avoided, as are inclusions, except in the rare case of the large lunate sigma. Truncation abbreviations and tachygraphic signs are infrequent in the Homeric text, though they appear more commonly in the scholia. Overall, the scribe’s handwriting may be described as a “scholarly hand,” combining the fluidity and ease of the ductus with an intentional pursuit of clarity, resulting in a manuscript that is both legible and elegant. Based on codicological and palaeographical evidence, a dating to the first half of the 14th century is plausible. The most pertinent point of comparison is the script of the scribe John, a prolific copyist active in Constantinople during the first half of the 14th century, known for his collaboration with Maximos Planudes and Nikephoros Gregoras (RGK 3, 328 = 2, 271). The manuscript was most likely copied in Constantinople.
Internal Description
The exegetical apparatus of ms. Ambr. A 181 sup. displays certain well-defined and consistent graphic and layout features. These likely reflect guidelines imposed upon the scribe—whether self-imposed or directed by a patron—for the organization and optimization of the substantial exegetical material accompanying the Homeric text, which is particularly rich in this manuscript. The scholia in A 181 sup. occupy three distinct areas on the page:
- Marginal scholia: These are extensive annotations occupying the upper, outer, and lower margins of the page (in “Kranzform”: Erbse 1960, 188), linked to the relevant word in the Homeric text via a numerical reference system that restarts on each page. These reference marks, placed above the word in the Homeric text and at the beginning of the marginal scholion, are almost always written in red ink, as is the incipit letter of the scholion. Alongside this principal system, another system of reference is employed using various symbols; however, the specific symbol used does not appear to reflect any variation in sources or exegetical types. Nearly all marginal scholia are lemma-less and typically contain exegetical, mythographic, or grammatical commentary. They belong to the h family of Iliad scholia.
- Interlinear scholia: These are brief notes, almost exclusively in black ink (occasionally red), placed above the Homeric word they concern. These annotations are primarily, though not exclusively, glosses.
- Intercolumnar scholia: These are very short annotations, often in red ink, placed beside the Homeric verse to which they refer. They are linked to the specific word via the same symbols used in the marginal scholia, in addition to the numerical reference system. These notes typically include glosses, linguistic or stylistic remarks, and variae lectiones.
- Critical signs: The only attested critical sign is the diplē, drawn in brown ink.
Decoration
The decoration, likely executed by the same scribe, is limited to crude friezes—mainly geometric motifs—used to introduce the hypothesis of each book, drawn in the same red ink used for the intercolumnar scholia. Occasionally, rudimentary asterisks serve to “frame” the book titles, also written in red. Notably, red majuscules set in ekthesis are used to mark the first letter of each book. These letters, vaguely resembling epigraphic display capitals, are oversized and crudely adorned with simple phytomorphic and geometric appendages (see f. 14v, f. 23r).