THE “LIGATURE WRITING” AND OTHER PECULIARITIES OF THE MANUSCRIPT SHM, CHUD. 11

The article describes paleographic peculiarities and structure of the text of an uncommon 14th century manuscript containing the Collection of 16 Homilies of Gregory the Theologian with Commentary by Nicetas of Heracleia. The manuscript differs from all other witnesses of Nicetas’ text in that the Commentary does not alternate with Gregory’s text, but the two constitute separate blocks, the former placed before the latter. Cohesion between them is procured by Nicetas’ commentaries being supplied with titles of the homilies as well as numbers and incipits of the corresponding divisions of Gregory’s text. The manuscript is also distinguished by a unique type of writing, with a strong tendency to compress the text, using a complicated system of various ways and means of abbreviations.