The Classical Quarterly (New series)

Table of Contents - 1966 - Volume 16, Issue 02  

Research Article

The Manuscript Tradition of the Thebaid

D. E. Hilla1

a1 University of Western Ontario

Ever since the work of Otto Miiller it has been generally agreed that the most important manuscript of the Thebaid is Puteaneus (P), a ninth-century manuscript in the Bibliothèque Nationale (Parisinus 8051). It is not only the earliest extant manuscript but it has a large number of readings not found elsewhere, many of which are obviously preferable to what is offered by the other tradition, normally referred to as ω. Both traditions are early, however, since Lactantius depends on inferior ω material while Priscian seems to have followed the P tradition.