Bible. NT. Modern Greek.

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Description

H kainh diaqhkh... diglwttoV, en h antiproswpwV tote qeion prwtotupon kai h aparallaktwV ex ekeinou eiV aplhn dialekton, dia tou makaritou kuriou Maximou tou Kallioupolitou genomenh metafrasiV ama etupoqhsan. [Geneva: Pierre Aubert], 1638

4to (255 x 175mm.), ff. [12], 452, 314, [2], illustration: woodcut device on title-page, woodcut initials, head- and tailpieces, binding: contemporary Dutch vellum with blind-stamped centrepiece, E4 torn in margin, binding slightly soiled, lacking two pairs of ties

Provenance

"Tou Qeiou Ailouriou dwron Hagae MDCXLV" ("the gift of the blessed Cats"?) inscribed on verso of flyleaf (AilouoV is a Greek word for cat or weasel); "ek twn Ceimariou", inscription on title-page. "Ek twn" is the usual way of writing "ex libris".

Literature

Darlow & Moule 4958; Cathedral Libraries Catalogue B1500; Legrand i, 360-388, no. 266. For the background see R.J. Roberts, "The Greek Press at CP and its antecedents", The Library, fifth series (1967), 13-43, which contains much about Lucaris's activities.

Catalogue Note

first edition of the new testament in modern greek. This edition was prepared with the Biblical and Modern Greek in parallel columns, translated by Maximus, a monk of Gallipoli, and was authorised by the Patriarch of Constantinople, Cyril Lucaris, who contributed a preface.

Lucaris (born in Crete in 1572, and a pupil in Venice of Maximus Margounios) is an important figure in the attempt in the early seventeenth century to approximate the Orthodox Church to the Calvinist position. After his initial studies in Italy he went to Geneva, and it was there that he became acquainted with Calvinism, although later there were also strong connections with the Church of England (he corresponded with Archbishop Abbot), and we should not forget that the Codex Alexandrinus in the British Library was presented by Cyril to Charles I. Lucaris had many correspondents in Holland and Switzerland, and his position earned him many enemies, both amongst his fellow orthodox and the Jesuits. In the end when Sultan Murad was about to set out on the Persian wars, he was accused of trying to foment revolt, and was summarily executed by the Janissaries, his body thrown into the sea (June 1637).

In his preface he mentions (f. ***1verso) Cornelis Haga, ambassador of Low Countries to the Sublime Porte, as being behind the publication of this work, and the documents revealing the whole story are given by Legrand (see the preface). 1500 copies were printed. It should not be forgotten that the Dutch Reformed Church also published a modern Greek translation of its catechism at the Elzevir Press in 1648 (Willems 637).