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Mount Athos Psalter, MS. Pantocrator 61
Byzantine, 9th century


30v, Psalm 31 (LXX, 30)
Resurrection. The empty tomb and the sleeping guards.
Mount Athos, Treasures, III (1979), p. 268; colour fig. 186
Dufrenne: p. 23; pl. 4

48r, Psalm 39 (LXX, 38)
Peter denies Christ, the cock crows.
Mount Athos, Treasures, III (1979), pp. 269-270; colour fig. 193
Dufrenne: p. 25; pl. 7

65v, Psalm 54 (LXX, 53) Two Ziphites before Saul
Library of the Holy Monastery of Pantokrator

68v, Psalm 56 (LXX, 55)
The Arrest of David / Betrayal.
Mount Athos, Treasures, III (1979), pp. 270-271; colour fig. 198
Dufrenne: p. 26; pl. 9

110r, Psalm 79 (LXX, 78)
The heathen have invaded your land, desecrated your holy Temple.
Mount Athos, Treasures, III (1979), p. 275; colour fig. 218
Dufrenne: p. 30; pl. 16

138r, Psalm 96 (LXX, 97)
Saint Eustathios Plakidas sees a stag with an image of Christ in its antlers.
johnsanidopoulos.com
Pictures Source: The Gabriel Millet Collection



Codex 61, a psalter written on parchment. It is one of the three illuminated psalters surviving from the time of the iconoclastic controversy (the first half of the ninth century). It is a palimpsest and in the margin there are 97 miniature illuminations depicting scenes from the Old and the New Testaments, examples of post-iconoclastic Byzantine art which manifested a high degree of freedom of expression.
Holy Monastery of Pantokrator

Reference: Dufrenne, S., Illustration des psautiers grecs, I (1966)
(LXX is the Septuagint)



Referenced as figure 201 in The military technology of classical Islam by D Nicolle
201A to 201F. Manuscript, A - "Guards at the Tomb," B - "The Betrayal," C - "Saul and the Zipheans," D - "The Arrest of David," E - "Guards at the Tomb," F - "Guards at Gethsemane," Psalter, 9th century AD, Byzantine, Monastery of the Pantocrator Lib. Ms. 61, ff. 30v, 42v, [68v,] 65v, 109r, 89r and 151v, Mount Athos.

pp.217-218 Vol. 1: Mail defences, migifars or zardīyah coifs, chashmak or sirash aventails,35 or girībān throat-covering gorgets,36 all appear in the pictorial sources and seem to have been quite widespread (Figs. 122, 146, 220B, 292, 422, 428, 430, 435, 445, 446, 447 and 507).

35. Mubārakshāh, op. cit., p. 252; Firdawsī, op. cit., pp. 59 and 725; Ayyuqī, op. cit., verse 710.
36. Firdawsī, op. cit., p. 818.

But which of the various forms of mighfar corresponded most closely to the contemporary Byzantine skaplion is difficult to say, although one may assume that the mighfar and skaplion did fulfill the same function. They may even have had similar origins and probably embraced the same variety of structural materials37 (Figs. 201, 220A, 228, 236, 251, 625 and 636).

37. Haldon, "Some Aspects of Byzantine Military Technology from the 6th to the 10th centuries," p. 21; Aussaresses, op. cit., pp. 48-49.
...
p.355 Vol. 2: From Byzantium, however, there is some evidence that the increasing Iranianization, not to say Turkification, of their eastern foes had been noted. One magnificent 9th century Psalter shows various "enemy" troops, such as Jewish soldiers guarding the Tomb of Christ, wearing helmets and armour and carrying weapons all of which show strong Transoxanian characteristics (Fig. 201). Earlier styles, including the baldric, also appear in this manuscript. It is, however, possible that a strong Central Asian influence, either direct or via the Caliphate, was already being felt in 9th century Byzantine military equipment.



This is probably from Pantocrator 61. David Nicolle has it from Byzantine Psalter Bib. Nat. Ms. Grec. 20, but it does not appear in the BnF's digital copy.
The lower case text and blue uppercase captions match Mount Athos Psalter, MS. Pantocrator 61 rather than Bib. Nat. Ms. Grec. 20.

Death of Absalom (Mount Athos Psalter, MS. Pantocrator 61?)


Referenced as figure 203 in The military technology of classical Islam by D Nicolle
203. Manuscript, Psalter, late 9th century AD, Byzantine, Bib. Nat. Ms. Grec. 20, Paris (War).



See also the Chludov Psalter, Byzantine, Moscow, Historical Museum MS 129, 9th century
Other Illustrations of Byzantine Costume & Soldiers
9th century Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers








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