William of Moerbeke

William of Moerbeke (Wikipedia), a Flemish Dominican, translated many Greek classics into Latin in the 13th century. His work, essential to Europe's appreciation of Aristotle, is well represented in the Vatican Library. Reader @LatinAristotle has pointed out many of these in recent months.

This week they have been joined by Vat lat 2083, an illuminated full-price manuscript dated 1284 and thus scribed during William's lifetime. It contains various Aristotle texts, including On Coming to Be and Passing Away, with this thoroughly appropriate couple in bed as the opening initial.

This week's digitization effort seems to have been rather feeble, with just 17 new items:

1. Ott.lat.3364,
2. Ott.lat.3365,
3. Patetta.1749,
4. Vat.lat.2083, a William of Moerbeke translation of Aristotle (above), dated 1284

   Although the MS was written less than two decades after the completion of the translations, it already has the composition and the order of the "Corpus recentius", which would be the standard text book to teach Aristotle for two centuries!

   — Pieter Beullens (@LatinAristotle) February 11, 2018

5. Vat.lat.2160,
6. Vat.lat.2343 (Upgraded to HQ), law commentaries
7. Vat.lat.2458,

   And another newMS of @EgoConstantinus from @DigitaVaticana. (And again, h/t to @JBPiggin.) This is Constantine's translation of Hunayn ibn Ishaq'd treatise on the eyes. Here, Constantine's original prologue is missing. Vatican, BAV, Vat. lat. 2458, f. 1r: https://t.co/atSt0P58d7 pic.twitter.com/XqN1iEbB0e

   — Constantinus Africanus (@EgoConstantinus) February 12, 2018

8. Vat.lat.2461, Galen and Hippocrates in Latin (14th century). One text inc. Intentiones habemus in presenti conscriptione; see eTK

   More @EgoConstantinus from @DigitaVaticana, w/ thanks to @JBPiggin for notice. This week, another #Articella collection, this one from 14thC and very, very densely annotated. Citation: Vatican, BAV Vat. lat. 2461, f. 1r, opening of Johannitius, Isagoge: https://t.co/JS4wO1wzKc pic.twitter.com/HnKWmE5T1k

   — Constantinus Africanus (@EgoConstantinus) February 12, 2018

9. Vat.lat.2508,
10. Vat.lat.2573,
11. Vat.lat.2642,
12. Vat.lat.2664,
13. Vat.lat.2711,
14. Vat.lat.2712 (Upgraded to HQ), Servius Grammaticus on Vergil. Odd: a page from a printed Greek book has been used to stiffen the front board of the binding.
15. Vat.lat.2726 (Upgraded to HQ), Leonardo Bruni
16. Vat.lat.2884,
17. Vat.lat.2909, a 13th-century Cicero

This is Piggin's Unofficial List number 149. Thanks to @gundormr for harvesting. If you have corrections or additions, please use the comments box below. Follow me on Twitter (@JBPiggin) for news of more additions to DigiVatLib.