Aurora by Petrus Riga, 13th century
Contents
The Aurora, written by the medieval French poet Petrus Riga (c. 1140 – 1209), is an allegorical commentary on the Bible composed in elegiac couplets. The copy of the text preserved in this manuscript is incomplete at the beginning. The text is divided according to the books of the Bible.
Exodus: starts on f. 1r with the words Hic sacra digna deo fiunt, hic crimina mundant (corresponding to v. 107). Between f. 1 and 2, a small slip of vellum has been inserted to supplement a short section of text which had not been copied by the scribe.
Leviticus: starts on f. 6v with the words Vox autem dominum moysen vocat imperat illi. It is preceded by a prologue which begins with the same words.
Numbers: starts on f. 10v with the words Alloquitur moyses deus et iubet ut numeretur.
Deuteronomy: starts on f. 13r with the words Heac sunt verba dei quibus aures pavit hebreas. It is preceded by a prologue which begins with the words Hec sunt verba quibus moyses instruxut hebreos.
Joshua: starts on f. 14v with the words Post moysen josue populo dominatur hebreo.
Judges: starts on f. 15v with the words Post josue de iudicibus narratio fiat.
Ruth: starts on f. 17v with the words Ad ruth festinat petri stilus huius ut actus.
First Kings: starts on f. 17v with the words Post libru de iudicibus sacra lection narras (it corresponds to First Samuel).
Second Kings: starts on f. 21r with the words Pot mortem ionathe patrisque suis david unctus (it corresponds to Second Samuel).
Third Kings: starts on f. 23r with the words Rexque david senuit frigescere cepit amictu (it corresponds to First Kings). Ends with the words ultimus hie placuit hie recitandus erit
Song of Songs: starts on f. 25r with the words Omni plena bono salomonis cantica regis. It is preceded by a prologue beginning with the words Solus origenes cum doctos vicerit omnes. It ends on f. 32v with the words descendens veterum patrum de germine natus. Expliciunt Cantica Canticorum.
Third Kings (continuation): starts on f. 34v with the words Regnavit salomon rex bis denis . The rubricated words Prosecutio historie tertii libri regum makes it clear that the text of Third Kings had been split in two from the start.
Fourth Kings: starts on f. 33r with the words Rex ochozias qui regnabat super omnem (it corresponds to Second Kings).
Job: starts on f. 34v with the words Librum job moysi quidam tribuere magistri.
Tobit: starts on f. 39r with the words Qui legis hystoriam thobie discute sensum.
Daniel: starts on f. 41v with the words Postquam subiectos sibi rex babilonis hebreos.
Judith: starts on f. 46r with the words Eustochii pauleque favens ieronimus actus.
Esther: starts on f. 47v with the words Usque sub ethyopes qui durat(?) et usque sub yndos.
Maccabees: starts on f. 49r with the words Magnus alexander quo primum grecia rege.
Gospels: start on f. 57r with the words Claruit herode ius regis agente sacerdo. It is precede by a prologue beginning with the words Post legem veterem respira petre refulge.
Acts: starts on f. 70r. It begins with the words Tyberii nono decimo regantis in anno and it ends with hic finit liber consumit linea metrum and the rubric Explicit liber actuum apostolorum (f. 75r). It is preceded by a prologue beginning with the words Dixi me finisse librum sed poscor in actus.
Recapitulationes: start on f. 75v. The text begins with the words Principio rerum post quinque dies homo primus; the rubric is missing, but should have contained the words Recapitulationes utriusque testamenti. Prima distinctio. Sine A. It is a summary of the entire book. It is divided in sections, each signalled on the margin by the rubricated words sine a, sine b, sine c, and so on ('without a', 'without b', without c'...): each of the sections thus marked have been written without using the letter indicated in the margin.
They are preceded by a prologue on f. 75r. The prologue is introduced by the rubric Incipit prologus super brevem recapitulationem que sequitur de omnibus superius diffusius tractatus and begins with the words Hec de lege nova veterique volumina compleris; it ends with nostra rudimenti cura laborque tui.
Well written in a small, clear, uniform hand, with ornamental initials. These are either filigree initials, or, in the case of some book initials, red and blue, filled and surrounded with conventional foliage in red, yellow, and green. In two cases near the beginning the lower margin has a piece of conventional ornament in these colours, and spaces have been left for pictures at the beginning of each of the books of the Bible. No gold is used throughout the first part.
Dates
- Creation: 13th century
Creator
- Riga, Peter, c 1140-1209 (poet) (Author, Person)
Language of Materials
Latin
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open to all. The manuscripts can be consulted in the Centre for Research Collections, Edinburgh University Main Library.
Full Extent
77 folios
Repository Details
Part of the University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections Repository
Centre for Research Collections
University of Edinburgh Main Library
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Edinburgh EH8 9LJ Scotland
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