Manuscript extraction
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Manuscript extraction from the apparatus of Allen's editio maior (1931)
Aims
Our aim is to produce separate electonic texts of the Iliad corresponding each to a separate manuscript's unique Iliad. This will be accomplished by essentially "unpacking" the information contained in the apparatus criticus of Allen's edition.
This wiki article is intended as a guide to procedure for extracting that information from that apparatus.
Old School Approach
The Old School Approach to the editing of classical texts is guided by an ideology of originality. Because classical texts come down to us in different versions, often the result of mistakes in copying on the part of our medieval forebears, the Old School editor wishes to "restore" the text to its putative original form. S/he does so by consulting a) the most important (= oldest, usually) manuscripts of the work being edited, and b) his/her own sense of what is Right. The idea is to arrive at a single version of the text in question which bears as close a resemblance as possible to the form of the work when it left the ancient author's desk.
In order to illustrate how the Old School editor constructed a single version our of multiple versions, let us take an example (invented, of course).
Say you have four versions of a story -- let's call them "Version G," "Version H," "Version J," and "Version K." Each of them has a different take on, say, the fifth sentence of Chapter 8:
- Version G Bob and Harriet came in sneakers; they thought the ball was a dance.
- Version H Babe and Harriet came in sneakily; the ball was a dance.
- Version J Bob and Harriet came in sneakily; they thought Bill was a dunce.
- Version K Bob and Harriet came in beautiful sneakers; they thought the ball was a dance.
After much agony, the Old School editor decides that the "original" form of this sentence was the following:
- Bob and Harriet came in sneakily; they thought the ball was a dance.
Adding line numbers after the fashion of critical editions, the text appears thus in the edition itself:
- 5 Bob and Harriet came in sneakily; they
- 6 thought the ball was a dance.
Nevertheless, in order to include the information contained in the different versions, the Old School editor adds an apparatus criticus at the bottom of the page; this contains "variants" on the "original" version established and printed by the editor up top. The references the line numbers of the "original" version established by the Old School editor:
- 5 Bob and Harriet came in sneakily; they
- 6 thought the ball was a dance.
- ...
- 5 Babe H beautiful add. K ant. sneakers sneakily H J: sneakers G K. they thought om. H 6 Bill J dunce J: dance cet.
Structure of the apparatus
The apparatus generally appears densely packed across the base of the page; neveretheless, it is less shapeless than it looks.
Line numbers
The key means of reference to the text above is the line number: everything after the line number in the apparatus concerns material appearing in (or starting in) the corresponding line of the text above.
- Example: In our example text, the apparatus concerns the words "Babe," "beautiful," and "sneakily" in the text above for line 5. Additionally, the words "they thought" are listed under line 5 because the phrase begins in line 5 and continues over into line 6.
Entries
There can be more than one "entry" in the material governed by a particular line number. These "entries" will generally be separated by serveral white spaces, though by nothing else. It is crucial to be aware of when a new entry has begun.
Within the entry: what different MSS. say
A given entry will generally consist of one of the following:
- an alternate reading
- the sources for the adopted reading followed by an alternate reading, the two being separated by a colon-mark
- an alternate reading followed by the sources for the adopted reading, the two being separated by a colon-mark
- more than one alternate reading, the readings being separated by a colon-mark
- more than one alternate reading preceded or followed by a colon-mark
The univeral rule is that the manuscript sigla follow the words of the text they pertain to, not the other way around.
The key thing is that one must compare the reading specified in the apparatus for any given MS. with the reading in the main text in order to tell whether that MS. reading has been adopted or rejected by the editor: the editor does not specify in the apparatus what reading he ended up adopting.
Abbreviations in the apparatus
The language of the apparatus is remarkable for two things:
- It is in Latin.
- It is highly abbreviated.
In order to be able to use the apparatus, therefore, you will need to know how to interpret common Latin abbreviations. There is a good, though very thorough reference list online, also available in .pdf form.
Here are some of the most common abbreviations:
| Abbreviation | meaning |
|---|---|
| corr. | the correcting hand of (a manuscript); follows MS siglum/sigla. Note: "corr." can also function as a verb (like "om[isit]," below); in this case, it precedes the siglum. |
| cet. | ceteri - all MSS. not yet mentioned in that apparatus entry |
| codd. | "codices," i.e. the manuscripts themselves as opposed to the editor's judgment or testimonia from other ancient sources |
| om. | "omisit" or "omiserunt": the MSS. whose sigla follow "om." do not include the word which this apparatus entry concerns |
| add. | "addidit" or "addiderunt": the MSS. whose sigla follow "add." have added the word which this apparatus entry concerns |
| a Gothis "S" | "scholia to...": the scholia to whichever MSS. sigla follow |
| pro | the Latin preposition "pro": used to specify which word an alternate reading replaces in the MS. |
Examples of critical apparatus from Allen's 1930 editio maior
| Book/Line number | Allen Vol/page |
|---|---|
| III/232-272 | II/86-87 |
| II/413-455 | II/50-51 |
What are those weird signs in the margins?
The short answer is: the remnants of the once-plentiful critical signs used by ancient critics in marking up the text of Homer. They are preserved only in the Venetus A and on the occasional scrap of papyrus; the ones you are seeing in Allen's edition correspond (or should!) to the ones in the Venetus A.
Ancient sources are not 100% in agreement as to the exact meaning of the critical signs, but here is the general idea:
| sign | name | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| > | diple (διπλῆ καθ’ ἑαυτόν) | general purpose reference: the line is worth commenting on, for any number of reasons |
| ⸖ | dotted diplh (διπλῆ περιεστιγμένη) | refutation of an earlier scholiar (usually Zenodotus) |
| — | obelus (ὀβελός) | the line is not by Homer or otherwise defective |
| ※ | asterisk (ἀστερίσκος καθ’ ἑαυτόν) | the line appears elsewhere in Homer, but is correct here |
| ※— or —※ | asterisk with obelus | the line appears elsewhere in Homer, incorrectly here |
| Ͻ | antisigma (ἀντίσιγμα καθ’ ἑαυτό) | the lines are in the wrong order |
| Ͽ or Ͽ· | dotted antisigma (ἀντίσιγμα περιεστιγμένη) | the lines are redundant or repetitive of other material |
Procedure for Extracting MS. Variants from Allen
We are concerned to extract variant readings for four early MSS. of the Iliad: B, T, E3, and E4. We will be working in teams of 2 Homer Multitext Fellows.
The procedure to use is the following:
- Step 1: Scanning / Noting the sigla.
- Each member of the team takes a certain chunk of text (say 2-4 pages of Allen's edition) and goes through the apparatus.
- Every time you come across a reference to one of our MSS. (B, T, E3, and E4), make a note (perhaps in pencil) to the side of the apparatus: a T for T, a B for B, etc. You also need to pay attention to the abbreviations "cet." and "codd." because these refer to our MSS. too.
- Step 2: Comparison with text
- The first question we need to ask is, Do the MS. readings noted in the apparatus correspond to or depart from the adopted text printed above the apparatus (the "main text")? This is not always self-evident because the editor sometimes prints the adopted (main text) reading first, followed by variant MS. readings, and sometimes prints the variant MS. readings first, followed by the adopted (main text) reading.
- It follows that you need to go through and decide on a case by case basis, for every MS. siglum noted in Step 1, to see whether our MSS. are in agreement with Allen's main text or at variance with it.
- This will go fastest with two people.
- Fellow X reads the Greek words associated with our MSS. in the apparatus
- Fellow Y meanwhile keeps an eye on the main text of the Iliad, reporting whether or not
- If the apparatus reading is a departure from the main text, that reading must then be noted down on the colored paper versions of the poem; each color corresponds to one MS. (at Holy Cross, flourescent red for B, green for T, flourescent pink for E3, and flourescent yellow for E4). You can write in ink physically on the page, at the point at which the MS. departs from Allen's text.
