The Complete Works of Archimedes, Vol. 2

III p. 62, 10: οὗ δέον] BC, οὐδε δν F, "sit quod non est" Valla.

III p. 92, 25: τῷ ἀπό] BC, το απο F, "quod ex b" Valla.

III p. 94, 1: ἐπὶ παραβολῆς] BC, επει παραβολης F, "quoniam comparatione" Valla.

III p. 94, 5: ἐπὶ ὑπερβολῆς] BC, επει υπερβολης F, "quoniam hyperbole" Valla.

III p. 98, 7: τῷ ἀπό] BC, το απο F, "quod ex bd" Valla.

III p. 122, 3: πόλῳ] BC, πολλω F, "multo magis" Valla.

From these passages, it is seen how great and how anxious was the diligence of the scribe of codex F; for since it is hardly credible that he could not have corrected these most inept errors, as the scribes of codices BC did, it is apparent that he wished to render the archetype with the greatest fidelity just as he had received it. This, at least, is certain: even where BC agree against the authority of codex F, we must nevertheless judge the reading of the archetype most cautiously, and the Florentine codex continues to hold the primary place even now.

On the whole, that translation of Valla clearly agrees with F, with the exception of a few places which I adduced above on p. XIII. But we can also conclude from other matters how accurate an image of the archetype codex F expresses. For first, most of the letters present a form far older than the 15th century, as can be understood from our plate, which represents a page taken from the earlier part of the codex (I p. 156, 10—160, 11 of the edition). And the use of abbreviations, the omitted accents and breathings, their square form where they are present,

τὸ ΘM] τῷ ΘM BC (F). p. 68, 16: τοῦ ΚΛ] τῶν ΚΛ BC (F). p. 68, 17: τούτων] τῶν B C (F). p. 70, 17: τὰς EH] τὰ EH BC (F). p. 76, 20: πολύ γε] BC(F). p. 84, 4: πρόθεσιν] BC(F). p. 98, 23: τῇ ἀπό] τὴν ἀπό B C (F), but B mg. by the 1st hand τῇ. p. 104, 16: αὐτοῦ] B C (F). p. 116, 15: κυλινδρίῳ] κυλίνδριον BC(F); therefore, in the notes, it must be deleted: "corr. BC." p. 188, 6: τὴν αὐτήν] B, κοινω τὴν C(F); therefore, in the notes, it must be written "corr. B." Finally, I p. 194, 10: ἡ B] ἡ HB B C (F); but in B, H has been erased. From this, what I said above regarding the nature of the codices BC is also confirmed.