Ambr. F 205 inf., miniature V

Ambr. F 205 inf., miniature V: description

Miniature V illustrates Il. 1.325–340. The heralds Talthybius and Eurybates, wearing large hats and carrying caduceuses, go to the ships and tents of the Myrmidons, where they find Achilles. Both are dressed in white; the first wears a purple cloak and the second a blue one. Bare-chested and wearing a purple cloak, Achilles sits on a cushioned seat with his feet resting on a stool. He is surrounded by four armed soldiers and a fifth figure without a helmet, wearing a blue cloak, who could be Patroclus.

Paper sheet 7r contains on the left image V, arranged vertically. This is confirmed by the related caption, also placed vertically on the sheet itself (the reconstruction is taken from Palla 2004).

The column of scholia which accompanied the miniature in the 12th c. manuscript (see the image with the reconstruction) does not describe the scene, but introduces its protagonist, Achilles, through Sch. D Il. 1.1, which provides the etymology of Achilles’ name in the extensive version of the Byzantine scholia tradition marked with h. This is followed by Sch. D Il. 1.436, relating to the word ‘εὐνάς’ (here meaning ‘anchors’), of which only four out of six lines in the reference edition can be read; the rest is illegible due to the condition of the sheet, which is partly washed out and partly mutilated. Also in this case, the scholion illustrates part of the image: in the background on the left is a gulf with two ships at anchor. However, these are not mentioned in Homer’s text relating to the depicted scene. In fact, the criterion for selecting and ordering the chosen scholia does not lie in the verses connected to the depicted scene, but in two elements it offers, Achilles and the ships, wherever placed in the poem.