Marginalia of Herodotus

MARGINALIA 

 This is a #renaissance #manuscript of #Herodotus 

The #marginalia were added by scholar called VALLA 

While many scholaras might have added notes in Latin Valla  has chosen to add them in Greek.

Yes it doesnt look like modern Greek or a printed Greek font but remember refugees from the Fall of Byzantium were teaching in Italy. so this style of writing is not the same as that seen on earlier manuscripts or the fonts we use in modern books.

MARK Begins with a Mosaic and a Manuscript

#byzantineart #manuscript #greeklettering #calligraphy #page layout

Lets begin looking at Mark with some Byzantine ART ! This post will also be of interest to calligraphers designers and typographers for the use of Greek letters so please scroll down!

First a page from a Byzantine manuscript 

Yes the Orthodox churches had a tradition of illumined manuscripts too!

I also picked this image because its an excellent and interesting example of design. 

I love the way the scribe has moved the iota up next to the gamma so that both words are balanced on the page and we also get a look at what sort of reading and writing desks  scribes used.

And here's how a mosaic artist dealt with lettering on a curved area.

Same letters but "heavier" and "bold" to make them stand out ! 

Next weekend more Mark and midweek perhaps Athena's owls.