Nuove acquisizioni sul testo del Carmen de metris di Giovanni Tzetzes

John Tzetzes’ Carmen de metris is one of the earliest surviving treatises on Greek metrics and among the oldest from the Byzantine era. It was edited by John-Anthony Cramer in 1836 based on only five manuscripts, whereas today as many as twenty are known. The collatio and the recensio of the available witnesses reveal significant differences from Cramer’s edition. This study highlights the presence of additional verses: in most cases, these are authorial verses omitted either by Cramer or by the recentiores he used. However, some verses represent later additions to the textual tradition. The restored text not only re-establishes the logical coherence of Tzetzes’ statements but also provides a clearer understanding of his metrical doctrine.