Menologion of Basil II

Menologion of Basil II: Nativity of Christ, Constantinople, c. 1000
The Psalter of Basil II: Famous image of Basil II, Constantinople, 11th century

The Menologion, Menologium, or Menology of Basil II is an illuminated manuscript designed as a church calendar or Eastern Orthodox Church service book (menologion) that was compiled c. 1000 AD for the Byzantine Emperor Basil II (r. 976–1025). It contains a synaxarion, a short collection of saints' lives, compiled at Constantinople for liturgical use and around 430 miniature paintings by eight different artists. It was unusual for a menologion from that era to be so richly painted. It currently resides in the Vatican Library (Ms. Vat. gr. 1613).[1][2] A full facsimile was produced in 1907.[3]

  1. ^ Siger, L. P. (2003). "Manuscript Illumination" from New Catholic Encyclopedia. Gale. Archived from the original on 2002-03-31. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
  2. ^ John Haldon; Robin Cormack (15 January 2009). The Oxford Handbook of Byzantine Studies. Oxford University Press. p. 736. ISBN 978-0-19-925246-6. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  3. ^ Codices e Vaticanis selecti phototypice expressi ivssv Pii. PP. X consilio et opera cvratorvm Bibliothecae vaticanae. [Series maior] no. 8, Fratelli Bocca, Turin, Italy, 1907.

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