Gospel catenas – from Harnack

Here is a translation into English of the interesting remarks by Harnack that I posted here.  What is striking is that we still haven’t really advanced much.

VI.  J. A. Cramer has published catenas on the NT (8 vols, Oxford, 1838 ff).  But this edition in every way represents only a very modest beginning, and it in no way corresponds to the modern requirements for a critical edition of a catena.  Compared to the Catena of Nicephorus, it is unquestionably a backward step.

Wendland has yet to publish a catena on all four gospels.  See Mss Paris. 178 (11th c.), 187 (11th c.), 191 (11th c), 230 f. 41 (11th c.) — Paris Coislin. 19, 20, 21, 22, 23. (11th c.), 195 f. 10 (10th c.) — Venice Marcianus 27 (10th c.)  — Bodleian Laudian 33 (11th c.) Misc gr. 1 (12th c.) (where it seems that the names of the authors excerpted are omitted in the last two catenas.  Whether the same is true in the other mss above I cannot say.  If not, these mss would be least useful for the preparation of a text of named fragments.

On Matthew, the Catena of Nicetas, in which Clement of Alexandria, Eusebius, Gregory Thaumaturgus, Irenaeus, Origen (Marcion, Montanus) are cited, was printed by Petrus Possinus (Tolosae/Toulouse 1646) using a ms. of the Archbishop of Toulouse, Charles de Montchal, and a portion of a Vatican ms.  Another catena was edited by Balthasar Corderius (Tolosae 1647) following a Munich ms. (including Clement of Alexandria, Irenaeus).  Cramer for his edition used the ms. Paris. Coislin 23 (11th c.) and published at the end of the volume variants from ms. Bodleian Auct T. 1. 4 (10th c.).

Mss: Cod. Vatic gr. 349 (1423 AD). — Jerusalem St. Saba 232 (10th c.) — Madrid O. 62, 63 (14th c.) — Paris. gr. 188 (11th c.) f. 1 (under the name of Chrysostom) 193 (15th c.), 194 (13th c.) (Mt. & Mk.), 199 (12th c.) (Chrysostom-catena like the first). 200 (11th c.), 201 (11th c.), 202 (12th c.), 203 (12th c.) (Chrysostom et Petrus [?] in Comm. Mt.), 231 (12th c.) (Mt., Luke, John) — Coislin. 24 (11th c.) (Mt. Mark.) (see Bodl. Misc. gr. 30 (15th c.), in which only authors after 325 AD are quoted). 

On Mark, Petrus Possinus likewise gave us a catena from a ms. of the same archbishop (see above); he also used a catena under the name of Chrysostom, which Corderius took from a Vatican ms., and finally the commentary of Victor of Antioch, previously published in Latin by Peltanus (Ingolstadt, 1580).  The commentary of Victor of Antioch was edited in Greek using Moscow mss. by Matthaei (Biktwros presb. A0ntiox… e0ch/ghsij ei0j to\ kata\ Ma/rkon eu0agge/lion, Mosquae 1775).  Cramer (Cat in NT. I, Oxon. 1840) used both a longer and shorter recension, of which the first went under the name of Cyril of Alexandria (— Chrysostom?), the other under the name of Victor.

Mss. used by Cramer are Codex Bodleian Laud. 33 (12th c.), Coislin. 23 (10th c.), Paris. gr. 178. See also: Cod. Jerusal. St. Saba 263 (13th c.) — Cod. Patmos 57 (12th c.) (after Sakkelion, Patm. bibl. p. 46 different to Possinus). — Vatic. Reg. 6 (16th c.) — Cod. Paris. 188 (11th c.) f. 141, 194 (13th c.) (Cat on Mt. & Mk). 206 (AD 1307) (Victor), Coislin. 24 (11th c.) (Cat on Mt. & Mk). 206 1. 2. (11th c.) (Chrysostom et alior. patr. comm. in IV evv.).  On a Vienna ms. see Kollarius on Lambecius, Comment. III, p. 157sq. (Cod. XXXVIII) — theol. gr. 117?

For the writers named in this catena (including Clement of Alexandria, Str. XLV [i.e. V, p. 573 see Fabricius-Harl., l. c. p. 675], Eusebius Demonstratio evangelica III, ad Marinum c. XIII, epitome chronicon, canon. chronic., Irenaeus, Justin, Marcionites, Origen [including citations from the VIth tom. in Joh.: see Cramer p. 266, 12 ff. — Origen on John VI, 14 p. 215, 5-14 Lomm., Cramer p. 314 — Origen VI, 24, p. 239, 6-21 Lomm.], Valentinians) see in Fabr.-Harl., l. c. 675.

A catena on Luke was published by B. Corderius Antwerp 1628 in Latin translation only after a Codex Venice Marcianus (he also mentions mss from  [Munich] and Vienne). The Greek text is still unpublished.

A commentary based on Titus of Bostra was published by Cramer, Caten. in NT. II, Oxon. 1841 following Cod. Bodl. Auct. T. 1.4 and Laud. 33.

The far more important Catena on Luke (by Nicetas of Serrae), for which we are still dependent on the Latin translation by Corderius, can be found in the following mss:

Codex Vaticanus 1611. 759 (12th c.) see Cod. Vatic. 1270. 349. 758. 1423. 547. — Casanat. G. V. 14. — Vatic. Palat 20 (13th c.) Vatic. Regin. 3 (11th c.), 6 (16th c.) — Jerusalem St. Sabae. 263 (13th c.) — Paris. 208 (14th c.), 211 (13th c.) (Joh., Luke). 212 (13th c.), 213 (14th c.), 231 (12th c.), 232 (12th c.) — Munich 33 (16th c.), 473 (13th c.) (see 208, 10th c., f. 235). — Bodleian Misc. 182 (11th c.) f. 174b. (See Paris. 193, 15th c., which contains fragments).

For a list of authors cited (including Clement of Alexandria, Dionysius of Alexandria, Eusebius, [Gregory Thaumat.?], Hippolytus, Irenaeus, Justin, Methodius, Origen) see Fabricius-Harl., l. c. p. 687 sqq.

A catena on John was also published by Balthasar Corderius, Antverp. 1630 (after an ms. from  Trier). A shorter catena was edited by Cramer, Cat. in NT II, Oxon. 1841.

Mss: Cod. Madrid O. 10. O. 32. — Paris. 188 (11th c.) f. 203 (under the name of Chrysostom, like many of the following mss.), 189 (12th c.) f. 1., 200 (11th c.), 201 (11th c.), 202 (12th c.), 209 (11-12th c.), 210 (12th c.), 211 (13th c.), 212 (13th c.), 213 (14th c.), 231 (12th c.) — Munich 37 (16th c.), 208 (10th c.) f. 107., 437 (11th c.), Florence Laurentianus VI, 18. — Vatican Regin. 9 (10th c.) — Bodleian Barocci 225 (12th c.), Miscell. 182 (11th c.) f. 174b. — Berlin Phillips 1420 (16th c.)

Authors cited are given in Fabric-Harl., l. c p. 689 ff. (includes: Basi­lides, Cerinthus, Irenaeus, Marcion, Menander, Montanus, Nicolaus, Novatus, Origen, Papias, Sabellius, Saturninus).

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