Greek 165 Colophon

On the final leaf of Greek 165, the scribe wrote two supplicatory prayers. The third inscription is a colophon that reads,

Θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον Ἰωάννου πόνος Ῥόσου τὸ ἐπίκλειον, τάχα καὶ θύτου.

Sinai manuscript Greek 968 is an Euchologion copied by Bartholomaios Rhosos in Crete in 1426. In the colophon he signs himself τάχα καὶ ἱερέως. This is literally ‘perhaps even a priest’, but it has the meaning ‘perhaps not even worthy of the name of priest’.

A θύτης is ‘a sacrificer, one who offers the sacrifice’. With the parallel above, we can translate τάχα καὶ θύτου literally, ‘perhaps even one who offers the sacrifice’, with the meaning ‘perhaps not even worthy of the name of one who offers the sacrifice’.

We could then translate the colophon of Greek 165, ‘The gift of God a labour of Ioannis surnamed Rhosos, perhaps not even worthy of the name of one who offers the sacrifice’.

Having written Greek 165 on his native Crete, Ioannis Rhosos emigrated to Italy where he created beautiful manuscripts of classical Greek texts for wealthy patrons in Rome, Florence, and Venice. He died in Italy in February, 1498.