Learning Greek in the ninth century: The origins of three Irish bilingual manuscripts

Abstract This article re-evaluates the significance of three ninth-century Greek–Latin bilingual manuscripts written by Irish scribes: the Basel Psalter (Universitätsbibliothek, A VII 3), the St Gall Gospels (Stiftsbibliothek, MS 48; Codex Delta), and the Dresden Pauline Epistles (Sächsische Landesbibliothek/Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Dresden, Mscr. A.145.b; Codex Boernerianus). These manuscripts together represent a very extensive and innovative resource for learning Greek. The article explores their textual relationships, exemplars, and their connections to contemporary Irish scholars Móengal (Marcellus), Sedulius and Eriugena, and to related Irish manuscripts. It examines in detail the practical challenges involved in their production, particularly concerning word separation and text mismatches. Finally, it evaluates the attempted translation of a short passage of Mark the Hermit found at the end of the Dresden manuscript.