The story of Varlaam & Iosaf Mythistory

          It is Codex 1, which is nowadays missing from Zosimaia Public Central Historical Library. The hagiographic novel Varlaam and Iosaf is amongst the masterpieces of byzantine religious literature and constituted one of the most favorite and popular works of the time. The greek translation of the life of Buda is attributed to 8^th century theologian and poet, John Damaskinos.

            Vellum manuscript of the 11^th/12^th century (1090-1110), headless, incomplete and unbound, dims. 0,277x 0,208. The codex had 47 colored half page or bigger images (by Kiriakidis) or 43 (according to Der Nersessian). It was donated to Zosimaia School in 1846 [sheet 87b reminder: “By me, Stavros Kompatis, the churchwarden of Dourahani Monastery it is allocated to the Public School of Ioannina upon the consent of Abbot Mr. Anatoliou 4 May 1845 Ioannina”] and it is initially recorded in 1912.

            Nowadays, some manuscript sheets are found in the U.K., in Cambridge University Library (sheet 16) and in the U.S.A., in New York, in the Department of Manuscripts and Rare Books of Columbia University, Plimpton Collection MS 009.

            The body of Codex 1 of Zosimaia Library with its 141 sheets remains missing.

            It was published by Sirarpie Der Nersessian, «L’illustration du roman de Barlaam et Joasaph, d’apres les cliches de la Frick Art Reference Library et de la Mission Gabriel Millet au Mont Athos». Preface de Charles Diehl”, Paris, 1937 (E. de Boccard).