Vox Patrum

The Lament for the Missing Girl in Byzantine Hagiography Focused on Women

Angel Narro — 2026-03-15

This article examines the hagiographic motif of the lament for a missing girl, tracing its origins and evolution from the Acts of Paul and Thecla through various Byzantine hagiographic texts, including both the Life of Eugenia and its metaphrastic version, the Life of Apollinaria, and the Life of Euphrosyne. It explores how this motif, initially secondary in the APTh, becomes central in later texts and demonstrates direct textual and thematic connections between these works. The analysis highlights the continuity and adaptation of literary and rhetorical elements, emphasizing their significance in the development of Byzantine hagiography.

Monasticism of Byzantine Africa in Narrative Sources

Arkadiusz Urbaniec — 2026-03-15

The object of the present article is to collect and analyse passages from narrative sources concerning monasticism in the Byzantine prefecture of Africa in the sixth to seventh centuries, in an attempt to determine the nature and extent of the monastic movement in the area. Due to the fragmentary nature of the surviving source base and its concentration around events of a political nature and relating to Christological controversies, the narrative texts (including the works of Procopius of Caesarea, the chronicle of Victor of Tonnona, and hagiographic literature) were also confronted with epistolographic and normative material, allowing for a more complete picture of the subject under study. The analysis has shown that there is no apparent continuity in the existence of monastic foundations between the Late Roman period, Vandal rule and Byzantine times; moreover, the information appearing in the sixth and seventh centuries basically concerns only monasteries and monks active in the area of Africa Proconsularis. The largest amount of data is provided by the Greek sources, which refer mainly to the situation in the first half of the seventh century and the Monothelite controversy, showing Africa as a place of settlement for numerous Eastern monks, but without mentioning the Latin-speaking monastic structures that had existed there before. The picture obtainable from the narrative of Byzantine monasticism in the area is therefore fragmentary and in many places hypothetical.

Everyday Life of an Imperial Official in the Light of the Selected Insignia of the "Notitia Dignitatum"

Jacek Wiewiorowski — 2026-03-15

The text analyzes severel illustrations of Notitia Dignitatum from around 400 AD, which contain the insignia of a few of the top palace officials of the Eastern and Western Roman Empires: comites sacrarum largitionum, comites rerum privatarum and castrenses sacri palatii. The emblems visualize their competences and position within the imperial administration, while also depict objects that they could encounter in their daily lives. Those objects are identified by the author by using more sources and taking into account the findings of other researchers. He concludes that the illustrations in Notitia dignitatum could be beneficial for the study of daily life in late antiquity. All the primary copies of Notitia Dignitatum, which contained the insignia mentioned above, and several copies made on their basis, were considered in the text.
Key words Notitia dignitatum;

"He was a peasant, had a wife and children, but he was not inferior in the things of God because of that" – the institution of marriage in the "Ecclesiastical History" of Sozomen of Bethelia

Sławomir Bralewski — 2026-03-15

Sozomen of Bethelia, the author of the Ecclesiastical History, included in his work a number of reflections on various secondary topics related to the course of the lives of the heroes of his narrative. One of them was undoubtedly the institution of marriage. In this article, starting from Sozomen's observations about Spyridon, Bishop of Trimithus in Cyprus, I have attempted to reconstruct the general picture of this institution as it functioned in the Christian environment of Sozomen's times. To this end, I have analyzed the historian's loose thoughts on marriage scattered throughout the work. In doing so, I have also tried to establish his views on marriage.

Nocturnal Illumination of the Dome of the Holy Wisdom Church in Constantinople: Reconstruction of the Lighting System According to Paul the Silentiary ("Descriptio Sanctae Sophiae", 806–835)

Magdalena Garnczarska — 2026-03-15

Lighting was one of the most vital aspects of everyday life in the Byzantine Empire. This problem also affected churches. This was even more so when one considers that a dark church was deemed unsuitable for worship – the house of God should be well illuminated. For example, Procopius of Caesarea made this clear when he explained why Emperor Justinian I had to rebuild so many temples. The most prominent church in the empire had to serve as a model in all aspects. There is no shortage of written (or artistic) sources on the issue of the lighting of this church. Among them, verses 806-835 from the “Ekphrasis of the Divine Wisdom Church” (Ἔκφρασις τοῦ ναοῦ τῆς ἁγίας Σοφίας) by Paul the Silentiary hold a special place. In this article, I assume that light in Byzantine culture was not only a practical necessity but also a theological and aesthetic medium of divine manifestation, and that Paul’s ekphrasis combines poetic erudition with an extraordinary precision of description, rarely found in such texts. The aim is to examine this fragment in detail to reconstruct the evening lighting system of Hagia Sophia’s dome in Justinian’s time and to explore its symbolic and artistic significance. By doing so, the study demonstrates how a literary source can provide both insight into architectural solutions and evidence of the ideological message conveyed by the illuminated sacred space.

Zeno and Anthemius Shared a Single Home, or a Neighbourly Dispute in Constantinople

Teresa Wolińska — 2026-03-15

The article discusses a dispute between two prominent inhabitants of Constantinople, Zeno the Rhetor and Anthemius of Tralles. Anthemius kept teasing his neighbour in a very particular way, by a forced fake earthquake, made with steam boilers, as well as by using mirrors and resonating devices to simulate storms. Although the story may appear invented at first sight, a deeper analysis of the only source from which it is known, i.e. History by Agathias Scholasticus, as well as taking a closer look at Anthemius’ written works may suggest that the events described may have happened indeed. Anthemius is known mainly as the designer of Hagia Sophia. Yet, he was also a mathematician and engineer, familiar with the works of ancient scholars, such as Heron of Alexandria, Apollonius of Perga and Diocles. He himself wrote several treatises. He seems to have had enough knowledge and skills to haunt Zeno in the manner described, taking revenge for a lost court case. It seems likely that he wanted to test shock resistance of the building at the same time. Thanks to that he was a recognized expert on quakes, which he could artificially induce. Agathias, who himself experienced an earthquake, was skeptical to that. The description of the dispute between Zeno and Anthemius allowed him to show his erudition and to portray a symbolic clash between the legal and rhetorical knowledge on the one hand and the technical skills on the other.

The Life of St. Symeon Stylites the Younger of the Admirable Mountain as a Paratext in One of the Manuscript Copies of the "Novgorod Fourth Letopis"

Zofia Brzozowska — 2026-03-15

Symeon Stylites the Younger (521–592), also known in the Byzantine-Orthodox tradition as St. Symeon of the Admirable Mountain, is probably one of the most famous and best-documented Syrian ascetics. Many hagiographic works devoted to him have been preserved in Syrian, Arabic, Georgian, Greek and Church Slavic literatures. The corpus of Greek texts is quite extensive and includes two long biographies, several abridged lives and their redactions for the needs of Byzantine liturgical books. Both versions of the Greek extensive life (BHG 1689 and 1690) and several versions of the prologue life were translated into Church Slavic. This article presents a variant of the life of St. Symeon Stylites the Younger taken from the verse prologue, written on the last, free page of the mid-16^th-century manuscript containing the Novgorod Fourth Letopis (historical work from the 15^th century) as a gloss-paratext. This shows the extraordinary durability of the Byzantine hagiographic tradition in the culture of the Eastern Slavs until the 16^th century.

Byzantine Liturgical Poetry on Selected Examples from the 6th to the 9th Century

Agnieszka Heszen — 2026-03-15

This article presents the interdependence of hymnography and Byzantine liturgy in the period from the sixth to the ninth century. The texts preserved in the liturgical books associated with the period of Lent and Holy Week and songs included in the books of the Menaia were examined in order to show the functioning of hymns in the different liturgical cycles, the annual variable and the stable one of the memories of the saints. Excerpts from Romanos Melodos’ kontakions On the Ten Maidens and On the Harlot were compared with Kassia’s the Nun troparion dedicated to the same figure, followed by several stanzas from the Great Penitential Canon of Andrew of Crete with the Canon for Holy Saturday, by Kassia. The troparion On Basil the Great was selected from the book Menaia. This juxtaposition of poetic genres, intended for mornings or vespers liturgy, made it possible to look at the liturgical functions of the hymns, their structure, structure and poetics, subordinated to the services celebrated, and at the same time constructed in an elaborate literary form. The article combines issues of liturgy with philological and literary analysis and demonstrates the importance of extant liturgical books for the study of Christian hymnography.

Image of Late Antique Rome and the Popes in the "Chronicle" of George the Monk

Rafał Kosiński — 2026-03-15

The purpose of this article is to analyse the picture of late antique Rome and the papacy as outlined in the ninth century in the pages of the Chronicle of George the Monk. As a result, it can be concluded that the Byzantine chronicler's interest in Rome drastically declines as Emperor Constantine begins to reside in Constantinople. With the return of Emperor Theodosius I from Italy to the Bosporus, George the Monk pays little attention to events in the West, the only exception being the emphasised leading role of the Bishop of Rome within the pentarchy system, especially during the subsequent Councils. However, this applies only to the version of the so-called vulgata, while the version known from the manuscript Coislinianus 305 ignores almost completely the role of the pope in the ecclesial system of the empire.

Byzantine School in the 10th Century in the Light of the "Anonymi Professoris Epistulae"

Grzegorz Pakowski — 2026-03-15

Sources that allow for a reconstruction of the daily life of students and teachers in tenth-century Constantinople remain scarce. A notable exception is a collection of 122 letters preserved in a single codex at the British Library. Since the opening of the manuscript is missing and the remaining text lacks identifying details, the author is commonly referred to as the Anonymous Professor. His correspondence offers a window into his professional world: his interactions with students, disputes with rival teachers, dealings with imperial and Church dignitaries, and his constant struggle to secure a livelihood. This collection is an invaluable resource for understanding the era’s social fabric. Despite a critical edition, several studies, and a doctoral dissertation, the text has yet to be fully translated into any major language. By analyzing these letters, one can draw significant conclusions regarding the author’s work and the Byzantine educational system. This article aims to present these findings to a Polish audience.

The Social Importance of the Bogomil Movement in the Light of the Sermon by Cosmas the Priest. Source Facts and Historiographical Speculations, an Attempt at Assessment

Jan Wolski — 2026-03-15

The social significance of the Bogomil movement in its earliest phase has been the subject of much analysis in the academic literature. Despite the poor source base, many hypotheses have been formulated in this regard. By reaching out to the primary studies of the topic, I attempt to trace the reasoning presented in them and assess the quality of the arguments used. Most of the claims concerning the social significance of Bogomilism turn out to be detached from the sources.

“Emas non quod opus est, sed quod necesse est?” Soldiers’ Pay and its Purchasing Power in the Byzantine Army in the 9th-10th Centuries

Szymon Wierzbiński — 2026-03-15

The issue of the earnings of Byzantine soldiers is one of the most frequently discussed topics. A topic that still raises controversy is the financial situation of thematic soldiers, who are often omitted in available sources. The aim of this text is an attempt to determine the amount of earnings and purchasing power of thematic soldiers in the period of the 9th - 10th centuries. The analysis consists in confrontation of sources and a response to the current state of research. The main conclusion of the text is that the financial situation of theme soldiers was varied and depended on whether the recruit derived his main income from the soldiers' land or was a volunteer with no better prospects for life. In the latter case, only the veteran status allowed one to achieve income sufficient to support a family.

Holy Shepherds in Orthodox Art. An Unsuccessful Attempt to Create Patron Saints of Everyday Works

Piotr Ł. Grotowski — 2026-03-15

Herding was an important component of the medieval Mediterranean society economy. Peasants involved in this activity needed celestial protectors, whose support could facilitate their life and daily duties. Among the crowd of martyrs, they found saints - such as Mamas, Tryphon, Blasios of Caesarea - who according to their Lives occupied with herding. From the mid-eleventh century one can observe the firsts attempts to create specific iconography of the group. Their ties with agriculture were underlined by the introduction of attributes such as a shepherd's crook and subsequently the animal (usually lamb, goat or an ox) depicted in the saint's hand. Such kind of images gained some popularity, especially in rural communities of the insular milieu. However, Holy Shepherds as a group never reached official ecclesiastical acceptance and in time faded as a separated category. An exception was St. Mamas, whose images compounded of oriental (a lion) and herding (lamb or goat) motifs remained popular, especially in Cyprus, where his sanctuary (Morphou) was also created. In turn in Russian folk tradition appeared beliefs that associated Sts. Florus and Laurus (originally stonemasons) with horses. They found reflection in art in the form of the icons on which Archangel Michael gives the reins of stallions to the brothers as a sign of their supernatural power over these animals. This vernacular iconography was also rejected by the Church authorities and the Holy Synod of 1722 condemned such depictions as unorthodox.

The Last Moments of the Inhabitants of Constantinople in Greek Vernacular Laments About the Capture of the City in 1453

Michał Bzinkowski — 2026-03-15

In my article, based on selected fragments of laments written in vernacular Greek between the 15th and 16th centuries (Ανακάλημα της Κωνσταντινόπολης, Άλωσις Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, Θρήνος της Κωνσταντινουπόλεως), I focus on images of the suffering of the population of Constantinople during its conquest by the Turks in 1453. By juxtaposing passages containing dramatic descriptions of the enslavement and humiliation of the conquered population, I try to show what poetic devices the anonymous poets used to convey the horror of the situation. By quoting the accounts of the last Byzantine historians Doukas and Kritoboulos, I also try to shed some light on the question of the interrelation of post-Byzantine vernacular texts and those written in learned classical Greek. The comparative and linguistic analysis carried out in the article demonstrates not only the mutual dependence between the historians' accounts and the anonymous laments, but shows that any picture of Byzantium from a Greek perspective without considering the context of vernacular literature is incomplete.

Theodulf of Orleans, Poems (selected) (Translation into Polish)

Tadeusz Gacia — 2026-03-15

This work is a Polish translation, preceded by an introduction, of seven selected poems by Theodulf of Orleans—four panegyric works dedicated to rulers, and three with Christian themes. These works demonstrate that Theodulf was a court poet, simultaneously a politician and promoter of the Carolingian Renaissance; a theologian fighting for dogmatic truth (the Filioque), but also a liturgist, mystic, and poet of nature. The translation is accompanied by essential, brief explanations.

Rev. Prof. dr hab. Bogdan Częsz RIP (16.04.1944-31.12.2025)

Paweł Wygralak — 2026-03-15