Florence, Laurentian Library, Plut. 66.1

Script type: Beneventan-Cassinese

Script type used by Boccaccio: littera textualis

Place of origin: Montecassino

Date: 11th century

Dimensions: 470 x 351 mm (356 x 249 mm)

Leaves: III + 338 + III’

Contents:

Iosephus, Titus Flavius, Antiquitates Iudaicae latinizzate (fols. 1ra-254vb)

Iosephus, Titus Flavius (trad. Egesippus), De bello Iudaico latinizzato (fols. 255ra-338vb)

Bibliography:

Boccaccio autore e copista, pp. 357-359 (D. Speranzi); Autografi, p. 54 (Fiorilla-Cursi)

Link to the reproduction: https://tecabml.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/plutei/id/1313372/rec/1

Description:

The codex was produced at Montecassino in the first half of the 11th century, probably during the time of Abbot Theobald (1022–1035). It contains the Latin ‘Cassiodorean’ version of Josephus’s Antiquitates Iudaicae, traditionally attributed in the past to Rufinus of Aquileia, and the revised version of De bello Iudaico by the so-called Egesippus. This is the manuscript with the greatest number of annotations by Boccaccio, 1,127 in total, a sign of a very careful reading of the work, at least in some parts. The interest in Josephus’s historical narrative can be explained by the possibility of drawing parallels and making comparisons with Sacred Scripture, particularly with the early books of the Old Testament. These are mostly marginal notes (more rarely interlinear) serving as notabilia, which punctuate the text of the Antiquitates by highlighting names of people or places, or by summarising passages. Boccaccio’s marginal notes refer mainly to Books I–III; they are sparser in Book IV and cease almost entirely in the subsequent books: there is only one marginal note in Book VI. Notable are the maniculae on folios 18rb (with a staple), 19va (with the marginal note Nota et bene), 21ra, 26va, 27rb (with a staple), 34ra, 43rb, 43vb, 52rb, 52va, 102rb (with a staple). Three drawings are also attributed to Boccaccio: a vine shoot with a bunch of grapes (fol. 20rb, with the marginal note Nota de vino shortly afterwards), the head of Abraham (fol. 11vb, preceded by the marginal note Abraam filio Ysaac piissime loquitur) and that of Moses, depicted with horns (fol. 43rb). The linguistic notes are peculiar, drawing parallels between languages: fol. 3ra ‘Sabbatum’ ebraice, ‘requiem’ latine; fol. 41va ‘Cinthares’ hebraice, ‘talentum’ latine. There are also philological notes; in two instances a lacuna is indicated: on fol. 10vb by the annotation c(redo) hic deficiat, accompanied by a small cross, used to indicate an unresolved textual problem; similarly, on fol. 28rb Boccaccio notes c(redo) deficiat hic. In two other instances, conjectures are proposed for passages where a corruption is suspected: fol. 22vb c(redo) ‘aureum’ (to correct the untenable reading arteum); c. 29ra c(redo) ‘cunctis’ (as to remedy a word which, due to smudged ink, appears almost illegible, with only the letters -nc visible). There are no instances of alternative readings preceded by Al., as is otherwise found in other manuscripts. The most widely accepted hypothesis is that Boccaccio first examined the codex in 1355, the year of his visit to Montecassino and the sensational discovery of Varro’s De lingua latina and Cicero’s Pro Cluentio, the manuscript Florence, BML, Plut. 51.10. It should be noted that from 1355 to 1357, Zanobi da Strada resided at San Germano, now Cassino, in his capacity as vicar to Bishop Angelo Acciaiuoli. It was perhaps this associate of Boccaccio, who had been awarded the laurel wreath for poetry, who may have helped the man from Certaldo gain access to the ancient manuscripts at Montecassino. Contrary to what was previously believed, however, there are no annotations by Zanobi in this codex. The ancient codex was probably not, like other Beneventan manuscripts, part of the Certaldese’s private library, which constituted the bequest received by Santo Spirito in accordance with his express wishes in his will. He did, however, have the opportunity to study and annotate it for a long time. The note in the upper margin of folio 338va attests that the codex was already in Tuscany by 1398, as it is noted that it received a new binding at Cafaggiolo, near Barberino del Mugello: «Iste liber Yhosephi fuit religatus manu ser Martini Munaldi de Perusio anno Domini M° CCC° LXXXXVIII die XXVI setembris in Cafagiolo».