Why did Renaissance scholars compare different manuscripts of the same ancient work?

Renaissance scholars compared different manuscripts of the same ancient work primarily to improve the accuracy and usability of texts that had become corrupted over centuries of transmission.123

During the Middle Ages, the process of copying manuscripts was often haphazard, leading to texts that were frequently debased or filled with errors. Renaissance humanists sought to recover the authentic heritage of classical antiquity to serve modern needs, which required them to engage in classical scholarship—a set of specialized techniques including the comparison of variant manuscripts to identify and correct faulty or doubtful passages.123

By collating these sources, scholars aimed to move beyond the subjective, often arbitrary corrections made by earlier copyists and readers. While early humanists sometimes made frivolous or unmarked conjectures, the practice of comparing manuscripts eventually evolved into a more systematic effort to control sources and establish texts based on the best available evidence. This work was foundational to the development of philology, as it allowed scholars to better understand the style, meaning, and context of ancient authors.2143