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OG CR 121 121. Codex Berinensis, a Florentine copy of an ancient Roman medical treatise, is undated but contains clues to when it was produced. Its first 80 pages are by a single copyist, but the remaining 20 pages are by three different copyists, which indicates some significant disruption. Since a letter in handwriting identified as that of the fourth copyist mentions a plague that killed many people in Florence in 1148, Codex Berinensis was probably produced in that year. Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the hypothesis that Codex Berinensis was produced in 1148? (A) Other than Codex Berinensis, there are no known samples of the handwriting of the first three copyists. (B) According to the account by the fourth copyist, the plague went on for 10 months. (C) A scribe would be able to copy a page of text the size and style of Codex Berinensis in a day. (D) There was only one outbreak of plague in Florence in the 1100s. (E) The number of pages of Codex Berinensis produced by a single scribe becomes smaller with each successive change of copyist.
Argument Evaluation Situation Th e Florentine copy of an ancient Roman work is undated but provides clues as to the time it was produced. Th e first 80 pages of Codex Berinenis are the work of one copyist. Th e fact that the last 20 pages are the work of a succession of three diff erent copyists is an indication of serious turmoil at the time the copying was done. Since a letter in the fourth copyist’s handwriting reveals that a plague killed many people there in 1148, Codex Berinenis was probably produced in that year. Reasoning Which information supports the hypothesis dating the Codex to 1148? Consider the basis of the hypothesis: the succession of copyists indicating the work was significantly disrupted, and the fourth copyist’s letter indicating the plague of 1148 caused serious loss of life. From this it is argued that the plague of 1148 was the reason for the multiple copyists and that the work can thus be dated to that year. What if there were multiple plagues? In that case, Codex Berinensis could have been produced at another time. If instead only one plague occurred in the 1100s, the elimination of that possibility supports the hypothesis that the work was done in 1148. A Examples of the copyists’ handwriting might help date Codex Berinensis; the absence of handwriting samples does not help support 1148 as the date. B Th e length of the plague, while it may account for the succession of copyists, does not help support the particular year the work was done. C Th e amount of work a copyist could achieve each day does not provide any information about the year the work appeared. D Correct. Th is statement properly identifies a circumstance that supports the hypothesis. E Th e productivity or tenure of the various copyists is irrelevant to establishing the date. |
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