The Greek Climacus

John Climacus wrote his Ladder of Divine Ascent in Greek (Κλίμαξ or Πλάκες πνεθματικαί; Scala paradisi), from which it was translated into other languages. Many Greek manuscripts containing the text or portions thereof survive. In manuscripts the text often circulates with the epistle To the Shepherd (Πρὸς τὸν ποιμέηα; Ad pastorem).

The Jesuit scholar Matthew Rader published the Greek text of LDA with Latin translation (1633). J.-P. Migne reprinted Rader's edition in Patrologia Graeca 88:624A–1164D (1864). P. Trevisan reprinted the same text with corrections and an Italian translation in 1941. In 1883, Sophronius Hermites produced a Greek edition on the basis of a different textual base, often better than the Rader text (reprinted 1970).   

This page provides documents, links, and information pertinent to the Greek text, including Greek manuscripts available online.

Back

Migne (PG 88)

Greek Manuscripts Online

This list of Greek Climacus manuscripts available for online viewing should not be considered exhaustive:

Paris, BnF Grec 1069 - 9th century

Florence, Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana Plut. 89 sup. 22 - 10th century

Oxford, Bodleian, Barocci 134 - 10th-14th century

Paris, BnF Grec 1068 - copied 1044

Paris, BnF Grec 1477 - copied 1060

London, British Library Add. MS 17471 - 11th century

London, British Library Add. MS 39610 - 11th century

Oxford, Bodleian, Barocci 77 - 11th century

Oxford, Bodleian, Barocci 163 - 11th century

Paris, BnF Grec 863 - 11th century

Paris, BnF Grec 1066 - 11th century

Paris, BnF Grec 1062a - 11th century

Mone Ms. Lesbiacus Leimonos 226 - 11th-12th century

Rome, Biblioteca Vallicelliana, Ms. B 85 - 12th century

London, British Library, Add. MS 28826 - 12th century

Paris, BnF Grec 1065 - 12th century

Paris, BnF Grec 1070 - 12th century

Oxford, Bodleian, Barocci 138 - 12th century

Oxford, Bodleian, Barocci 16 - copied 1294

Paris, BnF Grec 1202 - 13th century

Mone Ms. Lesbiacus Leimonos 201 - 13th-14th century

Munich, BSB Cod. graec. 297 - 13th-14th century

Mone Ms. Lesbiacus Leimonos 34 - Copied in 1341

Oxford, Bodleian, Barocci 141 - 14th century

Munich, BSB Cod. graec. 114 - 14th century

Paris, BnF Grec 1091 - 14th century

Paris, BnF Grec 1119 - 14th century

Paris, BnF Grec 1073 - 14th century

Vienna, Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek, Theol. gr. 207 - 14th-15th century

Oxford, Bodleian, Barocci 75 - 15th century

Paris, BnF Grec 870 - 15th century

Paris, BnF Grec 872 - copied 1552

Mone Ms. Lesbiacus Leimonos 33 - 16th century

Paris, BnF 1259 - 16th century

Bucharest, Bibliotheca Academiei Române Ms. Gr. 1387