Kevin's Watch

While the contents of one part of the Vatican library have been catalogued and have long been available to researchers and scholars, the remainder of the library is, however, without a public catalogue, and though researchers may view any work within, they must first name the text they require, a serious problem for those who do not know what is contained by the library.

Scholars have traditionally divided the history of the library into five periods.

Pre-Lateran. The initial days of the library, dating from the earliest days of the church, before it moved to the Lateran Palace; only a handful of volumes survive from this period, though some are very significant.

Lateran. Lasted until the end of the 13th century and the reign of Pope Boniface VIII.

Avignon. This period saw a great growth in book collection and record keeping by the popes who were in residence in southern France in Avignon between the death of Boniface and the 1370s when the Papacy returned to Rome.

Pre-Vatican. From about 1370 to 1446, the library was scattered, with parts in Rome, Avignon and elsewhere.

Vatican. Starting around 1448, the library moved to the Vatican and a continuous history begins to the present time.

Today, the library holds some 75,000 manuscripts and over 1.1 million printed books, which include some 8,500 incunabula. The Vatican Secret Archives were separated from the library at the beginning of the 17th century; they contain another 150,000 items.

Among the most famous holdings of the library is the Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209, the oldest known nearly complete manuscript of the Bible. The Secret History of Procopius was discovered in the library and published in 1623.

The Vatican Library is a research library for history, law, philosophy, science and theology, open to anyone who can document their qualifications and their research needs to view the collection. Photocopies for private study of pages from books published between 1801 and 1990 can be requested in person or by mail.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatican_Secret_Archives

so assuming you had someone who could translate for you. what would you want to read?

The Vatican archives are very useful for genealogists. The consanguitity laws, no-one could marry anyone related to the 7th degree in medieval times, meant that papal permission had to be applied for to marry within those degrees, and to gain divorces and anullments, which of course caused the split between Henry VIII and the Pope of the time. John of Gaunt also applied to the Pope to have his Beaufort children legitimised when he eventually married Katherine Swynford, their mother. I often see these archives quoted in articles and books.

England supported the Pope in Rome during the schism, so it is likely that documents relating to that period pertaining to English dealings should have survived.

sgt.null wrote: so assuming you had someone who could translate for you. what would you want to read?

De Umbrarum Regni Novem Portis

But if they don't have a copy of that, then I will take any of the surviving works of Heron of Alexandria. You do know that the contents of the old Library of Alexandria were actually shipped to Rome to go into the secret Vatican Archives, yes?
Anyway...Heron invented the aeliopile, a rudimentary steam engine, a syringe, a pump that could deliver a steady and even flow of air (used with the early flame throwers), a coin-operated vending machine, an iterative method for calculating square root values, and imaginary numbers. It is also possible that he knew of, or was instrumental in the development of, the Antikythera Mechanism, a gear-driven astrolabe made of precision-tooled connecting cog wheels the likes of which would not be seen again in Europe until the invention of mechanical clocks. All of this was done in First Century Egypt.

Hashi - now I want to get a hold of the stuff shipped from the Alexandria library.

I also want to see the books expunged from the Bible, with any notes from the commitees that did so.

vraith - all you need is the name of whatever you are looking for.

I am so asking for the Necronomicon.

sgt.null wrote:vraith - all you need is the name of whatever you are looking for.

I am so asking for the Necronomicon.

Dude, when you get that [today seems to be fun between me and sarge day! we should make it official watch holiday!] can you scan and PM me a copy?
I promise, I won't Necrotize you...I mean, we disagree a lot, but I like your artist stuff almost as much as Luci....

Really though, I meant is there a list on the net for "recovered from Alexandria" books...so I still aim a:

? in Hashi's direction.

vraith - found this...

www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2505235/posts

Vraith wrote:Hashi: Really? Is there info about that? A catalog of what was saved? Is it possible they have copies of things that everyone else in the world thinks is gone forever?

No, of course not...but it is a pet conspiracy theory of mine that I would like to be true. We know that the Library at Alexandria was the largest library in the world during its time and contained hundreds of thousands of now-lost works. It was burned several times beginning before Christianity arose and it was burned/pillaged for the last time (according to many accounts) in 391 AD.

Is it both possible and plausible that lots of works were carted off to Rome? Yes and yes. By the end of the Fourth Century the Bishop of Rome was already the acknowledged head of the Catholic Church so anything from the Library would have gone there. The types of works that could have been carried off include maps (possibly even the source maps for the famous Peri Reis map which details the coastline of Antarctica as it appears under the ice), scientific works, histories/genealogies, and even works on theology, mysticism, or various occult topics.

Now...if the Library had not been sacked/burned/pillaged the last time or if taken to Byzantium rather than Rome and its works had been made available to scientists, artists, historians, and religious leaders of the day then perhaps the Dark Ages need not have happened in Europe. Imagine what the world would be like if scientific and artistic progress had not stagnated in Europe during the period from the Fall of Rome to the Renaissance?

Ah, the world is full of things I would like to be true.

--A

i wish all the conspiracies were true. and i wish there were worlds in other dimensions that we get summoned to.

Avatar wrote:Ah, the world is full of things I would like to be true.

Excellent! Is that an Avatar original??

Reminds me of: "So I went to the shed to get the shovel. And there it was, gone!"

Hahaha, as far as I know, yes.

--A