Makarios Melissenos

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Makarios Melissenos ( medium Greek Μακάριος Μελισσηνός ), born as Makarios Melissourgos ( medium Greek Μακάριος Μελισσουργός * unknown in Morea , † 1585 in Naples ) was a Greek scholar and Metropolitan Bishop of Monemvasia . In historical studies , both names of Makarios are often used as a double name (ie: Makarios Melissenos-Melissourgos ) in order to identify the name change made by Makarios himself. He is most likely identical with the person referred to as Pseudo-Sphrantzes who developed the so-called Chronicon Maius and brought it into circulation.

Life

Makarios Melissourgos was born in Morea to a wealthy landowning family, but the exact year of birth is unknown. As an adult he became the Metropolitan Bishop of Monemvasia. The city was one of the last places on the Greek mainland to come under Turkish control (from 1540). As a result of a failed uprising against Ottoman rule after the Battle of Lepanto , Melissourgos was forced to flee in 1571. He first settled in Naples , but seems to have stayed in Spain at times.

He began working as a scholar in Naples and wrote several works including a list of the bishops of Monemvasia and a history and description of the Greek city. In addition to his own works, however, he also brought plagiarism and forgeries into circulation. He seems to have copied a whole series of chrysobulls of the Byzantine palaeologists emperors , with authentic copies including bulls invented by himself .

He also compiled a list of the members of the Greek Melissenoi family , who had repeatedly held important positions in the Byzantine Empire since the 9th century and were also related to the Byzantine ruling house of the Komnenen . He used these and other texts together with his brother Theodoros to prove an alleged relationship between their own family and the Melissenoi and to present Melissourgos as a Greek modification of the name. The descendants of Makarios and Theodoros continued this claim. Makarios nephew, Nikephoros Melissourgos , even developed a coat of arms to further verify the relationship between the Melissourgoi and the Melissenoi.

Makarios Melissenos died in Naples in 1585.

Chronicon Maius

One of the most popular works by Makarios Melissourgos is the so-called Chronicon Maius. This is a revised and expanded version of the chronicle originally written by Georgios Sphrantzes in the 15th century (the so-called Chronicon Minus). Further additions in the Chronicon Maius are probably taken from texts by the Greek historians George Akropolites and Nikephoros Gregoras . Presumably he worked for this with the Greek Andreas Darmarios , who also lived in exile in Italy . They put the work into circulation under Sphrantze's name.

Melissourgos added an extensive chapter 3, in which the siege and conquest of Constantinople in 1453 is described in detail (in the original the corresponding section is kept very brief). The added parts originate likely a Greek translation of the original in Latin written eyewitness account of Leonardo di Chios . Melissourgos also used his composition to further check the plausibility of false claims regarding his surname . At one point he replaced a nobleman named by Sphrantzes with a fictional ancestor of himself.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ cf. Philippides / Hanak p. 151
  2. ↑ In Philippides / Hanak the passage is translated into English: 'He [sc. Constantin XI] told me the he wished to join in marriage my daughter to that young man Nikolaos Melissenos, the son of Nikephoros Melissenos, who was also called Melissourgos. ' In the original text of the Sphrantze, however, Nikolaos Goudeles is mentioned.

literature

personal data
SURNAME Melissenos, Makarios
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Melissourgos, Makarios (maiden name); Melissenos-Melissourgos, Makarios (full name); Pseudo-Sphrantzes, Makarios; Variant = medium, Makarios (grcS)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Greek scholar and metropolitan bishop
DATE OF BIRTH 15th century or 16th century
PLACE OF BIRTH Morea
DATE OF DEATH 1585
Place of death Naples