Galen and the Parchment Codex: A Note on the Text of De indolentia 33.
The publication in 2007 of a complete text of Galen's De indolentia has stimulated a renewed interest in Galen as a source for Roman book culture, especially the early history of the codex. One phrase at De indolentia 33 is particularly important in these discussions, διφθέρας πυκτάς ("fist-sized pa...
| Published in: | Classical Philology Vol. 120; no. 1; pp. 132 - 139 |
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| Format: | Article |
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University of Chicago Press
Jan2025
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| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| Summary: | The publication in 2007 of a complete text of Galen's De indolentia has stimulated a renewed interest in Galen as a source for Roman book culture, especially the early history of the codex. One phrase at De indolentia 33 is particularly important in these discussions, διφθέρας πυκτάς ("fist-sized parchments"). In 2010, the Budé edition of De indolentia emended this phrase to read διφθέρας π<τ>υκτάς ("folded parchments"). This note argues that the emendation is unnecessary because the Greek phrase πυκταὶ διφθέραι is a sensible calque for the Latin pugillares membranei , which Martial used to describe parchment codices decades before Galen. |
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