Database of Byzantine Book Epigrams

Occurrence 23450
(formerly occ/7379)

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	Ἄριστα λίαν καὶ θε\|όπνευστα πάντα· \|
	Τὰ συγγράμματα πα(τη)ρῶν \| τῶν ὁσίων· \|
	Τοῦ δέ γε θείου τὸ \| παρὸν ἰω(αννοῦ) ·- \|
	Πόνημα καὶ μά\|λιστα διαφερόντ(ως): \|
	Ὅτι καλλίστως καὶ εὐκρινῶς ἐν τούτω: \|
	Ἐξαποπλέκει πλεκτάνας παθημάτων: \|
	Εἴκειν δ᾽ εὐφυῶς. Τῶ λόγω ὑφηγεῖται:
	Σκαιῶν δ’ ἐννοιῶν \| καὶ σκοτεινῶν πνευμάτ(ων):
	Ποιεῖ τηλαυγῶς διακρίνειν \| τὴν πλάνην:
	Τίς δ’ οὗτος εἱρμὸν ἢ σύνθεσιν ἢ τάξιν: \|
	Ἀρετῆς ἐκδέδωκεν ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνος:
	Ταύτ(ην) τευχάν(ας) \| οἱονεὶ καὶ συθήσας:
	Ὡσπέρ τινα κλίμα\|κα τοῦς ἑλομένους: \|
	Εἰς ὕψος ἀ\|ναγούσαν θεολογίας: \|
	Θεωρίας τε τῆς ἀκτί\|στους (καὶ) θείας:
	Καὶ μακα\|ρίας ζωαρχικῆς τριάδος: \|
	Ἣν εἰλικρινῶς σέ\|βοιμεν εἰς αἰῶ\|νας:~~

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	01/09/1131-31/08/1132
Manuscript	EL ESCORIAL - Real Biblioteca Σ.ΙΙΙ.18 [01/09/1131-31/08/1132]
Place in Manuscript	f. 1v
Palaeographical information	Written in red ink.
Contextual information	The epigram precedes John Klimax' Heavenly Ladder. It is written inside a cross-shaped frame that consists of five colourful bands in blue, red and green.
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://rbme.patrimonionacional.es/s/rbme/item/16056#?xywh=-1818%2C-134%2C6331%2C2763&cv=2
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. Revilla, 1936, Catálogo de los codices griegos de la Real Biblioteca de El Escorial (vol. 1), Madrid: 385 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
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) [20649] Ἄριστα λίαν καὶ θεόπνευστα πάντα [1476-1500] JERUSALEM - Patriarchike Bibliotheke - Hagiou Saba 177 [14th c.] (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) Maria Tomadaki Transcriber(s) Anne-Sophie Rouckhout Contributor(s) Maria Tomadaki, 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: 2026-03-13.

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