Paris, BnF, grec 2423: Α Newly Discovered Witness to Ps.-Proclus’/Ps.-Libanius’ Treatise on Letter-Writing in a Byzantine Amplified Recension

Abstract

This paper argues that folios 112r–117r of Paris, BnF, grec 2423, hitherto thought to belong to Περὶ διαλέκτων by Gregory of Corinth, actually contain a separate work titled Πρόκλου περὶ ἐπιστολιμαίου χαρακτῆρος. The text combines a late antique treatise on letter-writing, preserved in the so-called ps.-Libanius and ps.-Proclus versions, with a Byzantine supplement transmitted in multiple versions. The study introduces this previously overlooked manuscript witness and demonstrates its importance for the textual history of both works. It first surveys the late antique and Byzantine versions and modern scholarship, then describes the manuscript section itself. Next, it analyzes the manuscript’s place within the manuscript tradition through evidence relating to content, structure, and textual readings. The paper concludes by considering the implications of this witness for the reception history of the ps.-Proclus/ps.-Libanius treatise.