Germanicus, Aratea (Leiden, Universiteitsbibliotheek, Voss. lat. Q 79)

Leiden, Universiteitsbibliotheek, Voss. lat. Q 79, also called the Leiden Aratea, is an illuminated copy of a astonomical treatise by Germanicus based on the "Phaenomena" of Aratus. The manuscript was created in the region of Lorraine and has been dated to around 816. [Richard Mostert and Marco Mostert, "Using astronomy as an aid to dating manuscripts, The example of the Leiden Aratea planetarium", "Quaerendo", 20 (1999): 248-261.] It was created for a wealthy patron, possibly Louis the Pious or his wife Judith. There are 99 extant folios that are 225mm by 200mm. The manuscript has 35 extant full-page miniatures, although at least four are known to be missing.

Two copies were made of the manuscript in northern France around the year 1000. Jacob Susius acquired the manuscript in Ghent in 1573. It was owned by Hugo Grotius in 1600 and was used as a source for his edition of "Syntagma Atateorum". It was later in the library of Christina of Sweden and was owned by Isaac Vossius. It was acquired by the University of Leiden library along with the rest of Vossius's collection.

References

*Walther, Ingo F. and Norbert Wolf. "Codices Illustres: The world's most famous illuminated manuscripts, 400 to 1600". Cologne, TASCHEN, 2005. ISBN 3822858528

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