The three Divine Liturgies, those of St John Chrysostom, St Basil of Caesarea, and of the Presanctified Gifts (traditionally attributed to Pope Gregory I), were frequently compiled together into a single volume, as in this manuscript. Written on paper, each liturgy is preceded by an illuminated portrait of its author. While the artistic style is clearly post-Byzantine, many of the traditional attributes of Byzantine religious art remains, including the use of decorated headpieces, containing foliage and animals.
The manuscript was written in 1600 at the Monastery of the Virgin at Demitrash, near Brusa (modern-day Bursa, Turkey). The scribe Michael completed the work at the request of the patriarch Macarius. It was acquired by the British Museum in 1923.
Public Domain in most countries other than the UK.
In addition to the many surviving copies of Greek biblical texts, a wide range of manuscripts dealing with church services survive from the Byzantine era. Here, Peter Toth gives a brief overview of this material.
Greek manuscripts continued to be produced in substantial quantities long after the introduction of print. Here, Cillian O’Hogan surveys some of the features of Greek manuscripts from the 16th century.
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