Anthology of Planudes
Encyclopedia
The Anthology of Planudes, also called Planudean Anthology, in Latin
Anthologia Planudea or sometimes in Greek Ανθολογία διαφόρων επιγραμμάτων (Anthology of various epigrams, from the first line of the manuscript), is an anthology
of Greek epigrams and poems compiled by Maximus Planudes
, a Byzantine
grammarian and theologian, based on the Anthology of Cephalas. It comprises 2,400 epigrams.
The Anthology of Planudes starts with the text: «Ανθολογία διαφόρων επιγραμμάτων, συντεθειμένων σοφοίς, επί διαφόροις υποθέσεσιν ...» (Anthology of various epigrams, created by wise people, about different subjects ...) and consists of seven books.
It can be found in an autograph copy of Planudes in Biblioteca Marciana
(codex Marcianus gr. 481) in Venice but also in two apographs, one in an incomplete edition (in London, BM Add. 16409) and the other in the final edition of the anthology (which is only in fragmentary form, in Paris, Paris B.N. gr. 2744), as well as in several printed editions.
Several printed copies of the Planudean Anthology were made, as it was the only known anthology of Greek epigrams and poems until 1606, when the Palatine Anthology
manuscript was found.
The anthology is today part of the corpus of texts known today as the Greek Anthology
. The 397 epigrams not found in the Palatine Anthology are usually included in the Greek Anthology as the Appendix Planudea.
The first printed edition of the Anthology of Planudes (editio princeps
) was printed by Janus Lascaris
in 1494 in Florence under the title «Anthologia Graeca». It was was also printed later on by Aldus Manutius
(Venice 1503, 1521, 1551), Badius Ascensius (Paris 1531), P. and J.-M. Nicolini (Venice 1550), Jean Brodeau (Basel 1549), Henricus Stephanus (Paris 1566).
The edition of Bosch was printed between 1795 and 1822 in Utrecht in five volumes with latin translation by Hugo Grotius
entitled «Anthologia Graeca cum versione Latina Hugonis Grotii». Apart from the text of the Planudean Anthology, this edition also had other texts included after the first half of the third book.
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
Anthologia Planudea or sometimes in Greek Ανθολογία διαφόρων επιγραμμάτων (Anthology of various epigrams, from the first line of the manuscript), is an anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
of Greek epigrams and poems compiled by Maximus Planudes
Maximus Planudes
Maximus Planudes, less often Maximos Planoudes , Byzantine grammarian and theologian, flourished during the reigns of Michael VIII Palaeologus and Andronicus II Palaeologus. He was born at Nicomedia in Bithynia, but the greater part of his life was spent in Constantinople, where as a monk he...
, a Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
grammarian and theologian, based on the Anthology of Cephalas. It comprises 2,400 epigrams.
The Anthology of Planudes starts with the text: «Ανθολογία διαφόρων επιγραμμάτων, συντεθειμένων σοφοίς, επί διαφόροις υποθέσεσιν ...» (Anthology of various epigrams, created by wise people, about different subjects ...) and consists of seven books.
It can be found in an autograph copy of Planudes in Biblioteca Marciana
Biblioteca Marciana
The Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana is a library and Renaissance building in Venice, northern Italy; it is one of the earliest surviving public manuscript depositories in the country, holding one of the greatest classical texts collections in the world. The library is named after St. Mark, the...
(codex Marcianus gr. 481) in Venice but also in two apographs, one in an incomplete edition (in London, BM Add. 16409) and the other in the final edition of the anthology (which is only in fragmentary form, in Paris, Paris B.N. gr. 2744), as well as in several printed editions.
Several printed copies of the Planudean Anthology were made, as it was the only known anthology of Greek epigrams and poems until 1606, when the Palatine Anthology
Palatine Anthology
The Palatine Anthology is the collection of Greek poems and epigrams discovered in 1606 in the Palating Library in Heidelberg. It is based on the lost collection of Constantine Cephalas of the 10th century, which has been composed using older anthologies. It contains material from the 7th century...
manuscript was found.
The anthology is today part of the corpus of texts known today as the Greek Anthology
Greek Anthology
The Greek Anthology is a collection of poems, mostly epigrams, that span the classical and Byzantine periods of Greek literature...
. The 397 epigrams not found in the Palatine Anthology are usually included in the Greek Anthology as the Appendix Planudea.
Content
Even though the Planudean Anthology is based in the Anthology of Cephalas, the comparison with the Palatine Anthology (also based on Cephalas's anthology) shown that not only several poems and epigrams were ommited (Palatine has 3700 epigrams, while the Planudean only 2400), but also several mistakes have been made or "corrections" by Planudes. In the beginning the transcription was done accurately, however, after a certain point ommissions become more and more as if the author lost his interest or was pressed to finalize the books. As a result, when the much more accurate Palatine Anthology was discovered, the interest of researchers was shifted from the Anthology of Planudes to the Palatine. The only important element of the Planudean Anthology since are the 397 epigrams not found in the Palatine, which are considered that they were part of the Anthology of Cephalas, but for an unknown reason were not transcribed in the Palatine Anthology.Editions and text of Planudean Anthology
Editio princeps
In classical scholarship, editio princeps is a term of art. It means, roughly, the first printed edition of a work that previously had existed only in manuscripts, which could be circulated only after being copied by hand....
) was printed by Janus Lascaris
Janus Lascaris
Janus Lascaris , also called John Rhyndacenus , was a noted Greek scholar in the Renaissance.After the fall of Constantinople he was taken to the Peloponnese and to Crete...
in 1494 in Florence under the title «Anthologia Graeca». It was was also printed later on by Aldus Manutius
Aldus Manutius
Aldus Pius Manutius , the Latinised name of Aldo Manuzio —sometimes called Aldus Manutius, the Elder to distinguish him from his grandson, Aldus Manutius, the Younger—was an Italian humanist who became a printer and publisher when he founded the Aldine Press at Venice.His publishing legacy includes...
(Venice 1503, 1521, 1551), Badius Ascensius (Paris 1531), P. and J.-M. Nicolini (Venice 1550), Jean Brodeau (Basel 1549), Henricus Stephanus (Paris 1566).
The edition of Bosch was printed between 1795 and 1822 in Utrecht in five volumes with latin translation by Hugo Grotius
Hugo Grotius
Hugo Grotius , also known as Huig de Groot, Hugo Grocio or Hugo de Groot, was a jurist in the Dutch Republic. With Francisco de Vitoria and Alberico Gentili he laid the foundations for international law, based on natural law...
entitled «Anthologia Graeca cum versione Latina Hugonis Grotii». Apart from the text of the Planudean Anthology, this edition also had other texts included after the first half of the third book.
- Anthologia Graeca cum versione Latina Hugonis Grotii, Volume 1, Claude Saumaise, Ultrajecti e Τypographia B. Wild & J. Altheer, 1795 Volume 1 and beginning of the text of the Planudean Anthology, Books 1-2
- Anthologia Graeca cum versione Latina Hugonis Grotii editae Ab Hieronymo de Bosch, Volume 2, Jeronimo de Bosch, Hugo Grotius, Ultrajecti e typographia Wild & Altheer, 1797 Volume 2 and text of the Planudean Anthology - Books 3-4
- Anthologia Graeca cum versione Latina Hugonis Grotii editae Ab Hieronymo de Bosch, Volume 3, Ultrajecti e typographia B. Wild & J. Altheer, 1798 Volume 3 and text of the Planudean Anthology - Books 5-7 and Mantissa Vetus, page 288, Mantissa secunda de Graecis heriobus adjecta ab Henrico Stephano, page 399, until 4th and then texts of Theokritus (Eidyllia) until page 469.
- Observationes et notae in Anthologiam Graecam quibus accetum Cl. Salmasii, Notae ineditae, Volume 4, Hieronymi de Bosch, David Jacob van Lennep, Claude Saumaise, Ultrajecti e typographia B. Wild & J. Altheer, 1810, Volume 4 and contents
- Hieronymi de Bosch Observationum et Notarum in Anthologiam Graecam volumen alterum quod indices continet, opus Boschii morte interruptum David Jacobus van Lennep aboluit, Ultrajecti e typographia J. Altheer, 1822, Volume 5