(1) The Greek text is contained only in the two manuscripts, Patmiensis 263 (Π), saec. x, foll. 213–26 (description in Sakkelion's Catalogue of the Patmos Manuscripts (1890), pp. 127–30), and Vaticanus Graecus 742 (Υ), saec. xiv, foll. 2–23 (description in Devreesse's Codices Vaticani Graeci, III (1950), p. 256). In Υ the maxims form a continuous text with punctuation but no paragraphing; from time to time the copyist gives to certain initial letters the dignity of red ink and capitals, beginning at fol. 6ν with the τ of ταṽτα in 121b. Prior to this he leaves blank spaces, no doubt originally intending to add the red capitals later, though in fact he unaccountably omitted to do so, so that several words are left acephalous. Frequently the scribe fails to find the correct beginning and end of his aphorisms, and thus divides them wrongly (121b is a good instance). But I have not burdened the apparatus by noting these blunders unless there is some doubt about the true text. Iota subscript is often omitted in Υ.

Υ has been freshly collated by me both at the Vatican Library and with the help of microfilms. For collations of Π Elter used a copy of Π made by a monk of Patmos for H. Schenkl. For this edition Π has been collated by Mr Lloyd-Jones, and in many places Elter's statements have been silently corrected.