Petronius (Loeb) (1925) - Page 23

THE TEXT OF PETRONIUS

The sources for the text of Petronius fall into three groups:

(1) The codex Leidensis (Q31), written by Scaliger, and the editions of de Tournes (Tornaesius) in 1575 and Pithou (Pithoeus) in 1577. These are our authorities for the fuller collection of excerpts. This source is known as L.

(2) A number of manuscripts, of which the codex Bernensis (357) of the 10th century is typical. This group is our authority for the abridged collection of excerpts and is known collectively as O.

(3) The codex Traguriensis (Paris 7989) of the 15th century, which, except for a very few brief excerpts in L and O, is our sole authority for the Cena Trimalchionis Dinner of Trimalchio. This manuscript was discovered in 1650 at Trau in Dalmatia. It is known as H.

The text was not placed on a scientific basis until the appearance of Buecheler's Editio maior in 1862.

In the Apparatus Criticus critical notes, the source of the most important corrections is stated and followed by the reading given by Buecheler in his editio minor minor edition as the probable reading of the archetype or as the oldest reading available. The sources from which the different portions of the text are derived are indicated by the letters in the margin of the text.