Database of Byzantine Book Epigrams

Occurrence 20649
(formerly occ/4324)

	Ἄριστα λίαν καὶ θεόπνευστα πάντα,
	Τὰ συγγράμματα πατέρων τῶν ὁσίων·
	Τοῦ δέ γε θείου τὸ παρὸν ἰωάννου,
	Πόνημα καὶ μάλιστα διαφερόντως·
	Ὅτι καλλίστως καὶ εὐκρινῶς ἐν τούτῳ,
	Ἐξαποπλέκει πλεκτάνας παθημάτων:
	Εἴκειν δ’ εὐφυῶς, τῷ λόγῳ ὑφηγεῖται·
	Σκαιῶν δ’ἐννοιῶν καὶ σκοτεινῶν πνευμάτων·
	Ποιεῖ τηλαυγῶς διακρίνειν τὴν πλάνην·
	Τίς δ’οὗτος εἱρμὸν ἢ σύνθεσιν ἢ τάξιν,
	Ἀρετῆς ἐκδέδωκεν ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνος·
	Ταύτην τευχάνας οἱονεὶ καὶ συθήρας·
	Ὣσπέρ τινα κλίμακα τοὺς ἑλομένους·
	Εἰς ὕψος ἀνάγουσαν θεολογί(ας)·
	Θεωρίας τε τ(ῆς) ἀκτίστου καὶ θείας·
	Καὶ μακαρίας ζωαρχικῆς τριάδος·
	Ἣν εἰλικρινῶς σέβοιμεν εἰς αἰῶνας·-

Type(s)	[5554] Ἄριστα πάντα καὶ θεόπνευστα λίαν (17 verses)
Text source	DBBE (Inspection of a reproduction of the manuscript)
Text status	Text completely known
Date	1476-1500
Manuscript	JERUSALEM - Patriarchike Bibliotheke - Hagiou Saba 177 [14th c.]
Place in Manuscript	f. 1v
Palaeographical information	Written in red ink by a later hand. The title of the epigram seems to be erased.
Metre(s)	Dodecasyllable
Genre(s)	Author-related epigram Text-related epigram
Subject(s)	Heavenly Ladder Holy Trinity John Klimax (6th c. - 7th c.) - PMBZ: 13914: "Personenkennziffer: 2791"
Image source(s)	https://www.loc.gov/resource/amedmonastery.00279393910-jo/?sp=3&q=hagios+sabas+177
Bibliography	Primary R. Meesters 2025, Picturing a Ladder. A Critical Edition of Hierotheos the Monk’s Metrical Preface to Klimax, of a Metrical Summary of the 'Ladder' and of a Kontakion on Klimax, in P. Van Deun, M. Venetskov (eds.), The Ladder of Divine Ascent by John of Sinai (Climacus). New Perspectives, Leuven / Paris / Bristol, 87-113: 94 A. Papadopoulos-Kerameus, 1894, Ἱεροσολυμιτικὴ βιβλιοθήκη ἤτοι κατάλογος τῶν ἐν ταῖς βιβλιοθήκαις τοῦ ἁγιωτάτου ἀποστολικοῦ τε καὶ καθολικοῦ ὀρθοδόξου πατριαρχικοῦ θρόνου τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων καὶ πάσης Παλαιστίνης ἀποκειμένων ἑλληνικῶν κωδίκων (vol. 2), Saint-Petersburg: 292 Secondary R. Meesters 2025, Picturing a Ladder. A Critical Edition of Hierotheos the Monk’s Metrical Preface to Klimax, of a Metrical Summary of the 'Ladder' and of a Kontakion on Klimax, in P. Van Deun, M. Venetskov (eds.), The Ladder of Divine Ascent by John of Sinai (Climacus). New Perspectives, Leuven / Paris / Bristol, 87-113: 89-90
Number of verses	17
Related occurrence(s)	[20207] ὦ τοῦ λόγου θάλασσα μὴ μετρουμένη [14th c.] CESENA - Biblioteca Comunale (Biblioteca Malatestiana) - plut. D. XXVIII. 2 [11th-14th c.] (f. 7v) (10 verses) (1/17) [23450] Ἄριστα λίαν καὶ θε\|όπνευστα πάντα [01/09/1131-31/08/1132] EL ESCORIAL - Real Biblioteca Σ.ΙΙΙ.18 [01/09/1131-31/08/1132] (f. 1v) (17 verses) (17/17) [18134] Ὦ τοῦ λόγου θάλασσα μὴ μετρουμένη [15th c.] VATICAN CITY - Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana - Reg. gr. Pio II 8 [15th c.] (f. 1r) (10 verses) (1/17) [22791] Ἄριστα πάντα κ(αὶ) θεόπνευστα λίαν [1391-1500] VIENNA - Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (ÖNB) - theol. gr. 207 [1351-1400] (f. 137r) (17 verses) (17/17)
Acknowledgements	Creator(s) Raf Praet Transcriber(s) Nina Sietis Contributor(s) Nina Sietis, Rachele Ricceri, Anne-Sophie Rouckhout The credits system has been implemented in 2019. Credits from before the new system was in use might be incomplete.
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Last modified: 2026-03-24.

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