Greek Palaeography and Byzantine Book Culture

Lists resources on the history of Greek handwriting in Byzantine manuscripts (palaeography), including the study of manuscripts as physical artifacts (codicology).

Quires, Inks, Paper

Briquet, C-M. Les filigranes. Dictionnaire historique des marques du papier dès leur apparition vers 1282 jusqu'en 1600 [par] C. M. Briquet. A facsimile of the 1907 ed. with supplementary material contributed by a number of scholars, edited by Allan Steve
It is a large compilation of datable watermarks ranging from the 13th up to the 17th century.
Harlfinger, D. Wasserzeichen aus griechischen Handschriften. Berlin : Verlag Nikolaus Mielke, 1974-
The first volume of a work devoted to watermarks on Greek manuscripts.
Irigoin, J. "Les cahiers des manuscrits grecs." In Recherches de codicologie comparée : la composition du codex au Moyen Âge, en Orient et en Occident, edited by Philippe Hoffmann, 1-19. Paris : Presses de l'École normale supérieure, 1998.
It investigates the structure and organization of quires (cahiers) in Greek manuscripts,
Leroy, J. Les Types de réglure des manuscrits grecs. Paris : Éditions du Centre national de la recherche scientifique,1976.
It discusses the various types of ruling (line spacing and layout) found in Greek manuscripts.
Mondrain, B. "Les signatures des cahiers dans les manuscrits grecs." In Recherches de codicologie comparée : la composition du codex au Moyen Âge, en Orient et en Occident, edited by Philippe Hoffmann, 21-48. Paris : Presses de l'École normale supérieure,
It explores the use and significance of quire (cahiers) signatures in Greek manuscripts.
Oikonomides, N. "Writing Materials, Documents, and Books." In The Economic History of Byzantium: from the seventh through the fifteenth century, edited by A. E. Laiou, vol. 2, 580-592. Washington, D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, 2002
Sautel, J-H. Répertoire de réglures dans les manuscrits grecs sur parchemin : base de données. Turnhout : Brepols. 1995.
Extensive compilation of ruling (line spacing and layout) patterns in Greek parchment manuscripts.

Greek Bookbindings

Miller, J. Tradition and individuality: Bindings from the University of Michigan Greek Manuscript Collection. With contributions by Pablo Alvarez and Kyle Clark. Ann Arbor, MI: The Legacy Press, 2021.
A comprehensive catalog of the structure and decoration of the bindings of the Greek manuscript collection at the University of Michigan Library, highlighting collective traditions along with distinctive personal styles.
Szirmai, J. A. The Archaeology of Medieval Bookbinding. Aldershot, Hants. ; Brookfield, Vt.: Ashgate,1999.
It studies the development of binding structures from the introduction of the codex in the third century to the close of the Middle Ages.
Boudalis, G. Endbands in the Bookbinding Traditions of the Eastern Mediterranean. Ann Arbor, MI: The Legacy Press, 2022.
The Book describes and classifies numerous endband techniques bound manuscript codices used in the Eastern Mediterranean from Late Antiquity until the 20th century.
Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books. A Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology.
An authoritative glossary of terms used to describe the structure and decoration of bookbindings.

Last Updated: Jun 30, 2025 10:16 AM

Subjects: Humanities

Tags: classical studies