Glosses and footnotes galore, a manuscript page from the 11th century showing glosses on the Satires by the ancient Roman poet Juvenal. The main text of the poem seems submerged in glosses and commentaries. (St. Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, Cod. Sang. 871)
It has been said that all philosophy is a series of footnotes to Plato. The claim may be traced back t…
