On the date of the Menologion and the Psalterion of Basil IIPosted on 14/02/2023Categories: Blog, Coins, Menologion of Basil II, Miniatures, Psalter of Basil II, Synaxariumby Alberto LonghiThe so-called Menologion (actually a Synaxarion) and the Psalterion written for, and dedicated to, Basil II (976-1025)[1] are certainly among the most famous Byzantine manuscripts handed down to us. Despite being very well-known, they cannot be dated exactly. Moreover, taking into account both the illuminations and the information provided by... Read More
Book Epigrams as Ekphraseis? A Look at the Menologion of Basil IIPosted on 21/11/2022Categories: Blog, Ekphrasis, Iliad, Menologion of Basil II, Miniatures, Nicholas Mesarites, Paul the Silentiary, Progymnasmataby Brad HostetlerEpigrams often include descriptive details about the images and things that they adorn. For example, the epigram in a menologion (Oxford, Bodleian Library, gr. th. f. 1) describes the pearls, silver, and gold that decorated the book’s cover; an epigram in a lectionary (Mount Athos, Mone Megistes Lauras Α 103... Read More