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A confession of faith in Greek, purporting to be made by Cyril Lucar, patriarch of Constantinople, in 1629

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MS. Bodl. 12
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A confession of faith in Greek, purporting to be made by Cyril Lucar, patriarch of Constantinople, in 1629, followed (fol. 8v) by four questions with the patriarch's answers.

On fols. 11-16a is the Latin original of the preceding Greek, and at fol. 17 'Ejusdem Epistola in qua nonnulla Confessionis Capita exponit.' The Greek questions are dated 'έδύθη έν κωνσταντινουπόλει μηνί ίαννουαρίω αχλα' (Jan. 1631), and Signed ' +Κύριλλος πατριάρχη Κωνσταντινουπολεως. The Latin confession is dated 'in Constant: in Patriarchatu, Mense Martio A. C. 1629'; and the Questions 'Constantinopoli Mense Ianuario 1631' followed by 'Cyrillus Patriarcha Constantinopolitanus: posuit [altered to 'Constantinopolitanus composuit'] istam Confessionem et manu propria subscribit: ', and the Epistola is signed 'Cyrillus Patriarcha Constantinopolitanus.'

On fol. 2v is a fine oval miniature of the patriarch holding a book in his right hand and a staff in his left, with the legend Κυριλλοѕ ελεω θεου αρχιεπισκοποѕ κωνσταντινουπολεως νεας ρωμης και οικουμενικος πατριαρχης.

The signatures appear to be autograph (see the alteration above, which seems to point to the archbishop first simply signing his name, and then being persuaded to add an explicit declaration, and beginning with posuit for composuit: and see also his undoubted autograph inscription in Greek and Latin in O. C. no. 446).

Dates

  • Creation: written in or soon after 1631

Extent

29 Leaves

Language of Materials

  • Greek, Ancient (to 1453)
  • Latin

Preferred Citation

Oxford, Bodleian Libraries [followed by shelfmark and folio or page reference, e.g. MS. Bodl. 12, fols. 1-2]

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Shelfmark:

MS. Bodl. 12

Collection ID (for staff)

CMD ID 18417

Abstract

A confession of faith in Greek, purporting to be made by Cyril Lucar, patriarch of Constantinople, in 1629, written in or soon after 1631.

Biographical / Historical

Kyrillos Loukaris (1571-1638) was the patriarch of Constantinople.

Other Finding Aids

Falconer Madan, et al., A summary catalogue of western manuscripts in the Bodleian Library at Oxford which have not hitherto been catalogued in the Quarto series (7 vols. in 8 [vol. II in 2 parts], Oxford, 1895-1953; reprinted, with corrections in vols. I and VII, Munich, 1980), vol. V, no. 27618.

Custodial History

'Emi hunc libellum in auctione publica Londini habita ante duodecennium. Tho. Smithus.' 'Authenticum hunc MS. codicem ... Cyrilli Lucaris ..., quem ipsius esse nominis in tribus distinctis partibus subscriptione testatur, Thomas Smithus S.T.P. Bibliothecae publicae Oxoniensi, ut in isthoc venerabili omnigenre doctrinal Sacrario in omne ævum conservetur, D.D. Westmonasteri: 2 Novembris A. Ch. M.DCC.VIII

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Acquired by The Bodleian Library in 1708.

Related Materials

This manuscript is a later addition to the Jones MSS. For the rest of the Jones MSS., see MSS. Jones 1-27, 27*, 28-60 and MSS. Add. A. 125; Bodl. 278, 888, 890, 957.

Bibliography

  • Cornelius Haga, Belgian ambassador at Constantinople, possessed an autograph copy of the Confession in Latin (slightly different from the one in the present volume), from which the text was printed in 1629. See bp-John Wordsworth's Church of England and the Eastern Patriarchates (1898), pp. 15-20.

Physical Facet

On paper. The contemporary binding of white parchment with gold ornament exhibits on each side the royal arms of England within a garter bearing 'Honi soit ...', surmounted by the royal crown: so perhaps the MS. was presented to Charles i.

Dimensions

8 × 6 1/2 in.

Title
A confession of faith in Greek, purporting to be made by Cyril Lucar, patriarch of Constantinople, in 1629
Status
Published
Date
EAD version 2020 by Pauline Soum-Paris
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Bodleian Libraries Repository

Contact:
Weston Library
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Oxford OX1 3BG United Kingdom