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Revue des études byzantines Hymnography in a form of rhetoric: an interesting “

Revue des études byzantines Hymnography in a form of rhetoric: an interesting “marriage” of genres in a late Byzantine hymnographic ethopoiia Alexandra Zervoudaki Citer ce document / Cite this document : Zervoudaki Alexandra. Hymnography in a form of rhetoric: an interesting “marriage” of genres in a late Byzantine hymnographic ethopoiia. In: Revue des études byzantines, tome 69, 2011. pp. 49-79; doi : 10.3406/rebyz.2011.4928 http://www.persee.fr/doc/rebyz_0766-5598_2011_num_69_1_4928 Document généré le 24/01/2017 Abstract In codex Scorialensis graecus [ 403] X IV 8 was discovered a kanon, perhaps of Meletios Galesiotes, dedicated to the Adoration of the Magi, where the hymnographer employs the form of an ethopoiia. Consequently arises the question whether the text was a hymnographic ethopoiia or a kanon chanted in church. We can assume that it was a liturgical text, to which the author tried to add a dramatic character, providing signs of his educational background. The use of the dialogues by the hymnographer elaborates the narration of the Gospel. The kanon creates an imaginary story of the journey of the Magi, using psychological parameters and trying to sketch out their personality and emotions or even creating characters. The form of an ethopoiia describes better the motives, the actions, the character and the feelings of the holy figures and expresses a desire to add a “ dramatic” dimension in the kanon. Résumé Dans le Scorialensis gr. 403 (X IV 8), a été découvert un canon, qui est peut-être de Mélétios le Galésiote, dédié à l’Adoration des mages, dans lequel l’hymnographe utilise la forme de l’éthopée. La question se pose alors de savoir si le texte était une éthopée hymnographique ou un canon chanté à l’église. Nous pouvons supposer que c’était un texte liturgique, auquel l’auteur a essayé d’ajouter un caractère dramatique, donnant des indices de son niveau intellectuel. L’utilisation des dialogues par l’hymnographe enjolive le récit de l’Évangile. Le canon crée une histoire imaginaire du voyage des mages, en utilisant des facteurs psychologiques et en essayant d’esquisser leur personnalité et leurs émotions ou même en créant des personnages. La forme de l’éthopée décrit mieux les motivations, les actions, le caractère et les sentiments des saints personnages et exprime le désir d’ajouter une dimension “ dramatique” dans le canon. HYMNOGRAPHY IN A FORM OF RHETORIC: AN INTERESTING “MARRIAGE” OF GENRES IN A LATE BYZANTINE HYMNOGRAPHIC ETHOPOIIA Alexandra ZERVOUDAKI In this article I shall present an interesting unedited hymnographic text that I discovered some years ago 1 in codex Scorialensis graecus [403] X IV 8, f. 15v-19v 2. What attracted my attention is that the text is not a usual hymnographic kanon but is given in the form of an ethopoiia (lat. sermocina- tio, character-drawing) 3, as indicated in its title. As I am going to discuss fur- ther, what is really interesting is that in some folios of the manuscript, one can clearly see indications of characters in different ways just as if it had to deal with a theatrical play. The manuscript, consisted of two parts, written by different scribes in dif- ferent periods, contains in the ﬁrst part (until f. 180v, dated in 1276, as indi- cated in f. 135v) a collection of liturgical kanons by Meletios, kyr Eugenios, Methodios, John patriarch of Jerusalem, Andrew of Crete, Joseph the hymno- grapher, Nicolaos, Euthymios Syncellus, Theophanes, Constantine (Porphyrogennetos?), George of Nicomedeia, George Skylitzes and Symeon Metaphrastes, a big number of which is still unedited, and a number of stichera and kathismata. It also includes dedicational verses, written by Revue des Études Byzantines 69, 2011, p. 49-79. 1. While I was preparing my Ph.D. thesis on Theophanes Graptos’ life and work (A. ZERVOUDAKI, Θεοφάνης ο Γραπτός. Βίος και έργο, Rethymnon 2003) and checking on a kanon under the name of Theophanes in codex Scorialensis gr. [403] X IV, I came across the kanon under discussion. I feel the need to express my thanks to both the director and the staff of the Biblioteca Real de El Escorial for their willing assistance to my survey. I also want to thank prof. I. Vassis, as well as Dr. D. Skrekas and M. Patedakis, lecturer at the University of Crete, for their valuable observations on this work. 2. See G. DE ANDRÉS, Catálogo de los Códices Griegos de la Real Biblioteca de El Escorial, II, Madrid 1965, p. 333-337, here 335. 3. On ethopoiia as rhetorical genre, see M. HAGEN, Ἠθοποιΐα. Zur Geschichte eines rhetorischen Begriffs, Erlangen 1966, and Ethopoiia. La présentation des caractères entre fic- tion scolaire et réalité vivante à l’époque impériale et tardive, ed. E. AMATO and J. SCHAMP, Salerno 2005. See also A. KAZHDAN and I. ŠEVČENKO, Ethopoiia, ODB 2, p. 734-735; H. LAUSBERG, Handbuch der literarischen Rhetorik, I, Munich 1973, p. 407-411; H. HUNGER, Die hochsprachliche profane Literatur der Byzantiner, I, Munich 1978, p. 108-116. Meletios (Galesiotes) and kyr Eugenios 4 (only in one case). In the second part of the manuscript (which was written during the 11th or the 12th century) one can also ﬁnd a calendar (menologion) in the form of kanon by Christopher of Mitylene 5 and another calendar by Sergios the monk. 6 The majority of the kanons in the ﬁrst part are dedicated to Christ, to Virgin Mary, to the Guardian Angel or to doctor Saints among other martyrs or saints, as saints Merkourios, Basil the Great, Phokas and others. However, the most interesting text due to its unique form is a kanon dedicated to the Adoration of the Magi: Mode IV plagal ᾎσμα ἀναπέμψωμεν, inc. Δός μοι/ λόγον Λόγε τοῦ Θεοῦ... 7 This text is unique not just because it is a ﬁne mixture of hymnography and rhetoric, but because it achieves a “marriage” between a liturgical text and a text for educational use, such as ethopoiia, which being a progymnasma is a preliminary exercise in rhetorical composition. In the rubric of the kanon (f. 15v-16), written on the celebration of the day after Christmas and devoted to the Adoration of the Magi (celebrated on December 26), we read the fol- lowing lines (v. 1-9): Kanon in the form of an ethopoiia which describes how the Magi saw the star and what they said when they saw it, how, because of it, they have understood that an incomparable king was born and how they have rushed to its quest, how they have met and discussed with the Jews and Herod in Jerusalem and how, after having seen the son of God, who was born for us to give life to mortal people, with his wholly unblemished mother, they have worshiped him, having the acrostic: The Magi are coming to Christ following the star. So far we have not discovered any similar text. Nevertheless this “mixture of genres” is not surprising at all, since the rhetorical progymnasmata, like ethopoiia or ekphrasis (description), may be found in a rhetorical speech or historical texts, and hence were taught from teachers of rhetoric. After all, the mixture of genres is not rare and we often run across unique compositions. In hagiography, for example, an author may use the material and the rules of ALEXANDRA ZERVOUDAKI 50 4. In the manuscript the hymnographer is mentioned as kyr Eugenios. Maybe he is Eugenios of Palermo, who was a high-ranking officer of the Sicilian court, admiral, translator and poet. See E. JAMESON, Admiral Eugenius of Sicily. His Life and Work, London 1957; M. GIGANTE, Il tema dell’instabilità della vita nel primo carme di Eugenio di Palermo, Byz. 33, 1963, p. 325- 356; IDEM in I Bizantini in Italia, ed. G. CAVALLO et ALII, Milan 1982, p. 628-630 and Versus Iambici, ed. M. GIGANTE, Palermo 1964. 5. See I calendari in metro innografico di Cristoforo Mitileneo, ed. E. FOLLIERI, I-II, Brussels 1980. 6. For the Byzantine calendars in verse, see J. DARROUZÈS, Les calendriers byzantins en vers, REB 16, 1958, p. 59-84. 7. For a brief and selective presentation of this kanon concerning the use of dialogue as a dramatic feature, see A. ZERVOUDAKI, Ο διάλογος στη λειτουργική ποίηση του κανόνα, Αριάδνη 13, 2007, p. 49-78. Byzantine rhetoric. 8 Equally, Byzantine hagiography and hymnography always turn to the Bible 9 or corresponding hagiographical texts as the main source for the laudation of God or a saint. However, one of the most striking examples of such a mixture is the Divine Liturgy, consisting of hymno- graphic, hagiographic and rhetoric elements. 10 1. – THE AUTHOR This kanon, as mentioned above, is transmitted in one manuscript alone, the Scorialensis manuscript, a ﬂorilegium of kanons. The ﬁrst folios of this codex contain kanons composed by a Meletios, perhaps Galesiotes (c. 1209- 1286), known as Homologetes (the Confessor), because of his resistance against the Church Union signed by Michael VIII Palaiologos. 11 According to his own testimony, as preserved in codex Metochion Panagiou Taphou gr. 36, his work amounts on 20 000 (political) verses. From this work today we know only of a part, which is found assembled in a collection composed between 1276 and 1280, while he was exiled in Skyros, entitled A Gathering HYMNOGRAPHY IN uploads/Litterature/ ethopoiia.pdf