Texts

Alea evangelii (CCC 122)

  • Latin
  • prose, diagram
A type of board game based on the Eusebian canons, which is uniquely attested in a 12th-century Irish gospel-book written at Bangor (Oxford, Corpus Christi College, MS 122). It consists of an introduction based perhaps on an earlier colophon, an annotated diagram representing the board, and a full explanation in Latin covering two pages in the manuscript. The introduction ascribes its invention to two persons, ‘a certain Franco’ (or a Frank) and to a Romanus sapiens named Israel, who is commonly identified with the 10th-century scholar Israel the Grammarian. It also states that Dub Innse, bishop of Bangor [d. 953], had brought the alea from the household of King Æthelstan.
Author
Ascribed to: Israel the Grammarian
Israel the Grammarian
(fl. c.900–c.970)
Tenth-century teacher, scholar and poet. He had been a student of John Scottus Eriugena, spent time at the court of King Æthelstan, found a new patron in Rotbert, archbishop of Trier, and became tutor to Bruno, brother of Otto I and later archbishop of Cologne. Breton, Welsh and Irish origins have been variously ascribed to him, with the Breton hypothesis currently finding most favour in scholarship.

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The introduction ascribes the diagram to Israel.
Contributors
Dub Innse [bishop of Bangor]
Dub Innse ... bishop of Bangor
(d. 953)
Bishop of Bangor. It is thought that he did not hold the abbacy, seeing as the title of abbot is given to Máel Cothaid mac Lachtnáin, who died in the same year as Dub Innse.

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An earlier colophon by Dub Innse may be what underlies the introduction, which credits him with ‘bringing’ away the Alea evangelium from the household/court (domus) of King Æthelstan. The verb used is detulit and it may be that he had copied the diagram, as Lapidge assumes, rather than brought with him the original manuscript to Bangor.
The introduction in its present form, the two-page Latin explanation which accompanies the diagram and at least some of the annotations would seem to be the work of the 12th-century Irish scribe. Lapidge points out that the scribe did not understand that Israel was a personal name when he referred to him as the ‘Roman Jew’.
Language
  • Latin
  • Secondary language(s): Middle Irish
  • The notes to the diagram, which are mostly in Latin, contain two in Irish, including fer gabala, lit. ‘man of seizure’.
Form
prose, diagram (primary)

Samples

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[Introduction] Incipit Alea Evangelii, quam Dubinsi episcopus Bennchorensis detulit a rege Anglorum, id est a domu Adalstani regis Anglorum, depicta a quodam Francone et a Romano sapiente, id est Israel. Si quis voluerit scire hanc aleam plene, illi ante omnia hujus discipline documenta hec .VII. scire animo necesse est : duces scilicet et comites, civitatem et civitatulam, et .IX. gradus bis.
Alea evangelii (CCC 122) • Edition by J. Armitage Robinson, together with a transcription of the notes to the diagram. • Source document
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The diagram.
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[Diagram] Notes to the diagram, which were not reproduced by J. A. Robinson Left margin, external to the square : Signifi[c]at hec figura in alea passionem Christi Top (Matthew) : M A T porro vel retro (alternatively, read prorsum vel rursum) .i. resurrectionem vel regnum ar issed adfiadar Matha. Tres ter bis cum bina adiectione hic intelliguntur .i. in Matheo. Right (Luke) : Natiuitas in luca N .i. noi L .i. lauta Tres ter bis cum singulari detractione hic intelliguntur .i. in Luca Bottom (John) : Tres quinquies sine utroque (adiectio ⁊ detractio.) contemplantur .i. in Iohanne. Iohannes genealogia in Iohanne Left (Mark), read from top to bottom : Tres quinquies sine utroque .i. in Marco Pro M A Profetia in Marco (external to the square) porro vel retro (see note supra) Inside the square : fer gabala
Alea evangelii (CCC 122) • Edition by J. Armitage Robinson, together with a transcription of the notes to the diagram. • Source document
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[Explanation] Iudeus Romanus et Franconus peritissimi .IIII. evangeliorum ut per ordinem canonum .X. multiplicationem .IIII. evangelistarum intellexerunt quadrangulam paribus figuram quatuor lateribus .X. et .VIII. tramites in longitudine et in latitudine habentem consignaverunt. Si cui autem in scropulum occurrerit quare quatuor est et non tribus vel .V. hec figura lateribus conscribitur. Nec mirum est quia auctores .IIII. evangeliorum decemque canonum quatuor esse non dubium est. Hec autem quatuor est laterum et angulorum inter .IIII. evangelistas divisio. Primum quidem latus cum precedente angulo a sinistro in dexteram supra manus verticem in scribendi positione porrectum Mathei esse quis dubitat? Secundum autem latus cum antecedente angulo in quo Mathei latus finitum est . et a superiore loco dirivatum post ejusdem manus dorsum ad imum Luce esse describitur. Tertium vero latus cum angulo in quo Luce latus terminatum est subradic[t]e palme a dextera in sinistram porrectum [Iohannis] esse non dubitamus. Porro quartum exinde inceptum atque angulum erectum Marci esse designatum est. Tricentas vero .XXIIII. intra se habet quadrangulas ista figura. .X. enim et octo octies decies in trecentos .XXIIII. consurgunt. Septem autem trianguli secundi et tertii et quarti canonis intra se haberi videntur. Porro viri qui in canonibus continentur .LXXII. esse non dubitamus. id est Matheus .XX. Marcus .XV. Lucas .XVII. Iohannes .XV. videtur. Quantumcunque enim evangelium in canonibus multiplicantur ad ampliorem numerum consurgere videntur. In canone primo Matheus quater .in secundo ter. in .III. ter . et in quarto ter . in quinto bis . in sexto bis . in . VII . bis . atque in . X . semel nominatur. Quatuor igitur semel et terni ter et bini ter atque singuli semel . XX . esse perspicuum est. Marcus vero in canone . I . quater, in secundo ter atque in . IIII . ter . in . VI . bis . bisque in . VIII . ac semel in . X . consurgere videtur. Quatuor igitur cum [tribus] bis ac binis bis singulisque semel . XV . virorum numerum efficiunt. In .I. canone quater atque in secundo ter terque in . III . in . V . vero bis et in . VIII . bis atque bis in . IX . in . X . vero semel Lucas connumeratur. Quatuor igitur cum tribus bis atque binis ter ac singulis semel ad . XVII . summum virorum consurgunt. Iohannes porro . IIII . in . I . canone in . III . tribus tribusque in quarto in . VII . duobus duobusque in . IX . vicibus atque in . X . semel connumeratur. Quatuor igitur semel atque tres bis . IIque bis at singuli semel . XV . esse non dubium est. Iunge igitur . XX . Mathei ac Marci . XV . et Luce . XVII . atque Iohannis . XV . et . LXVII . efficiuntur. Atque his junge . IIII . varios viros qui a Marco et ab Iohanne possidentur. Ac primarium virum quem nullus evangelistarum possidet . et unitatem trinitatis significantem et simul omnes LXXII ut prediximus efficiuntur. Hi sunt viri quos varietas . X . canonum multiplicavit. Videamus igitur quomodo isti hanc aleam possident viri. Quadrangula quidem media . IX . quadrangulas intra se habens. id est . V . pallidas quatuorque plenas quaternis viris primi canonis esse videtur. Hec est autem via per quam uniuscuiusque canonis initium reperire potueris. In quocunque enim loco crucem cum numero reperieris initium canonis esse non dubites. Perge igitur ad superiorem quadrangulam magne et medie quadrangule et intra [se] quatuor viros habentem id est Matheum in superiore loco et in principio sub cruce et unario . et Lucam a sinistris Mathei. Iohannem vero a plantis . atque Marcum a dextris possidentem. Deinde ad aliam quadrangulam binarium supra se habentem . et sub binario Marcum . Matheum vero a sinistris Marci ac Iohannem a dextris . atque Lucam a plantis astantem pergere debemus. Postea ad quadrangulam a diverso positam . et sub ternario Lucam habentem . et a dextris ejus Matheum . et a plantis Marcum . a sinistris vero Iohannem nunc gradiamur. Postremo ad quartam quadrangulam et sub [qua]ternario Iohannem et ejus a dextris Lucam . ac a sinistris Marcum . a plantis vero Matheum habentem ingredi debemus. Eleva nunc oculos ad Matheum in principio positum canonis secundi ac in primo angulo [trianguli] et a dextris ejus Marcum ac [a] sinistris Lucam habentem. Ad secundum nunc triangulum Marcum e contrario habentem . et a sinistris ejus Matheum . a dextris Lucam aspicientem pergamus. Vertamus ad dexteram et Lucam ante varium virum noscere . at post varium Marcum . ac deinde Matheum debemus. Incipit nunc tertius canon a Matheo sub cruce et ternario in primo angulo trianguli posito qui Lucam a dextris . Iohannem vero a sinistris videtur habere. Lucas quoque virginitatem et ampliorem canonis id est actuum et evangelii conscriptionem . In canonibus Marcum recedere non dubitatur. Nunc duos viros Lucam in primo ac Matheum in secundo ante varium virum loco . atque Iohannem postremo inspicere debemus. Adhuc ad dexteram vertamus . et Iohannis in . I . trianguli angulo . et Lucas ejus a sinistris . et Matheus a sinistris ejus nobis occurret. Quartus autem canon a Matheo in angulo primo trianguli sub cruce et quaternario possito incipit . qui Marcum a dextris ac Iohannem a sinistris videtur habere. Varium nunc transgrediamur virum . et postea Marcus in trianguli primo angulo . Matheum a dextris atque Iohannem a sinistris habens constare videtur. Iohannes vero in primo angulo contrarii trianguli . Marcum a sinistris . et Matheum a dextris habens non dubitamus haberi. Hic prope Matheum primarium virum habitare perspicuum est. Nunc aliam viam in reliquis canonibus inspicere debemus. Quintus enim canon et sextus . VII . atque . VIII . nonusque canon a sinistra in dexteram singuli per singulos tramites porrigi videntur. Quintum vero canonem Matheum in primo sub cruce et quinario habentem loco . Ac Matheum in fine . Lucamque bis in medio possidentem conspicimus. Senarium nunc cum cruce Matheum in principio atque in fine . Marcum vero bis in medio possidentem intueri debemus. Porro VII a septinario et cruce i[n]cipiens Iohannem bis inter duos Mathei habere nemo dubitat. Octavus quoque ab octinario et cruce incipiens Lucam primo et Marcum secundo et tertio . Lucam vero quarto loco habere videtur. Nonus vero a . IX . et cruce inchoans . Lucam in primo Iohannem vero in secundo et tertio atque Lucam in quarto loco continere perspicum est. Decimus vero canon in quatuor locis constare videtur. Cumque enim . X . cum cruce conspexeris . X . canone deputare ne dubites. Quatuor autem varii viri qui sparsim in hac figura conspiciuntur Marco et Iohanni deputantur. Ideo autem varii sunt et non nigri sicut ceteri quia Marcus et Iohannes canonem sine altera evangelista non ediderunt. Porro primarius unum Mathei et Marci . et Luce et Iohannis . votum vel unitatem trinitatis significare videtur. Unarius quoque qui in medio alee perspicitur indivisibilem trinitatis substantiam sive primi canonis principatum significat. Quaterni quoque viri quatuor extremorum angulorum propter alie decorem formati (Or ‘firmati’, the MS has ‘f̄mati’). sunt . vel ideo quia sparsim quateruatimque per aleam viros evangeliste possident. Unus quisque quatuor in suo proprio angulo viros possident . finit amen finit.
Alea evangelii (CCC 122) • Edition by J. Armitage Robinson, together with a transcription of the notes to the diagram. • Source document

Sources

Primary sources Text editions and/or modern translations – in whole or in part – along with publications containing additions and corrections, if known. Diplomatic editions, facsimiles and digital image reproductions of the manuscripts are not always listed here but may be found in entries for the relevant manuscripts. For historical purposes, early editions, transcriptions and translations are not excluded, even if their reliability does not meet modern standards.

[ed.] Robinson, J. Armitage, Times of St Dunstan: Ford Lectures delivered in the University of Oxford in the Michaelmas Term, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1923. 188 pp.
HathiTrust: <link>
173–177, with introduction and paraphrase

Secondary sources (select)

Howlett, David, “Alea Evangelii”, in: Jacques Elfassi, Cécile Lanéry, and Anne-Marie Turcan-Verkerk (eds), Amicorum societas: mélanges offerts à François Dolbeau pour son 65e anniversaire, Firenze: SISMEL Edizioni del Galluzzo, 2013. 335–360.
Bayless, Martha, “Alea, tæfl, and related games: vocabulary and context”, in: Katherine OʼBrien OʼKeeffe, and Andy Orchard (eds), Latin learning and English lore: studies in Anglo-Saxon literature for Michael Lapidge, 2 vols, vol. 2, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2005. 9–27.
Lapidge, Michael, “Israel the Grammarian in Anglo-Saxon England”, in: Haijo Jan Westra (ed.), From Athens to Chartres: neoplatonism and medieval thought. Studies in honour of Édouard Jeauneau, 35, Leiden: Brill, 1992. 97–114.
99–100
Contributors
Dennis Groenewegen
Page created
February 2023, last updated: September 2023