Victor Emil Gardthausen (26 August 1843 – 27 December 1925) was a German ancient historian, palaeographer, librarian, and Professor from Leipzig University. He was author and co-author of some books; editor of ancient texts.[1]
Life
Gardthausen was born on 26 August 1843 at Copenhagen.[1]
Between 1865 and 1869 Gardthausen studied philology in Kiel and Bonn. In Kiel Alfred von Gutschmid was his professor.[1] After the Franco-Prussian War he was sent to Italy and Greece for palaeographical research. In 1873 he started work at the Leipziger Stadtbibliothek and from 1875 at the Leipzig University Library.[1] From 1877 he was an extraordinary professor for ancient history. In 1887/1888 he was active again as a university librarian, becoming the main librarian in 1901. In 1907 he left the library service.
Gardthausen died on 27 December 1925 in Leipzig.[1]
He examined Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Boernerianus, Uspenski Gospels, manuscripts housed in the monastery at Sinai among many others. According to him, the Codex Sinaiticus was written in Alexandria[2] and is younger than the Codex Vaticanus by at least fifty years.[3] According to him, the Uspenski Gospels were seen by Johann Martin Augustin Scholz when he visited Mar Saba.[4] Gardthausen dated Codex Boernerianus to the years 850-900 A.D. The evidence for this date range includes the style of the script, the smaller uncial letters in Greek, the Latin interlinear written in Anglo-Saxon minuscule and the separation of words.[5]
He investigated the nomina sacra.[6]
Gardthausen stated: "Ist die Handschrift gefunden, so orientiert man durch eine detaillierte Beschreibung, die im Verlaufe der Arbeit durch Beispiele vervollständigt wird" (Any intensive study of a manuscript begins with a detailed description, which in the course of its study is completed through illustration).[7]
The main work of Gardthausen is "Griechische Paläographie" (Greek palaeography); the first edition appeared in 1879, the second in 1911/1913. It was the most important work since the time of Bernard de Montfaucon.[8] It remains a standard work until the present day.[9]
Works
Die geographischen Quellen Ammians Probevortrag; Montag den 20. Januar 1873, Leipzig, 1873.
^Victor Gardthausen, Beiträge zur griechischen Paläographie (1877), p. 184
^Victor Gardthausen, Griechische Paläographie. Leipzig 1879. p. 271, 428 and 166; see also. H. Marsh, Comments. . to J. D. Michaelis' Introduction. I. p. 263