Symeon Metaphrastes
Symeon Metaphrastes (also: Simon Logothetes or Symeon Logothetes ; Middle Greek Συμεὼν ὁ Μεταφραστής, Συμεὼν ὁ Λογοθέτης ) († before 1025) is a Byzantine author and author of a saint immensely popular second half of the 10th century Greek life collection of 148.
Life
Symeon Metaphrastes is the most famous of all Byzantine hagiographs . Its dating was long disputed, the spectrum of hypotheses ranged from the 9th century to the 14th century. Today, however, the date is 10/11. Century generally recognized. Little is known about his life. He was a layman and worked in a senior position under Emperor Basil II, but fell out of favor for unknown reasons. He may become a monk towards the end of his life. He died without being able to complete his hagiographic work and experience its success.
A world chronicle (in several versions) handed down, the Logothetenchronik , is sometimes ascribed to him; but this is very controversial.
The main work of Symeon Metaphrastes, a hagiographic menologium , is a collection of spiritual biographies of Christian saints in ten volumes, which was only completed and published posthumously. Mostly these are older texts linguistically revised by Symeon, in individual cases originals that have been adopted; he wrote only a few vitae himself. The oldest Greek manuscript dates from 1042. From 1081 an almost complete Georgian translation is documented.
Other works, the authenticity of which is uncertain, are canonical works, poems and letters, but these are of lesser importance.
The Orthodox Church honors him as a saint whose feast day is November 9th. Symeon Metaphrastes is also known to many Orthodox Christians because part of the prayers for preparation before communion and thanksgiving after communion is attributed to him.
Web links
- Writings based on Mignes Patrologia Graeca
- Symeon. In: Prosopography of the Middle Byzantine Period (2013). Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter (accessed Nov. 2, 2018).
literature
- Christian Høgel: Symeon Metaphrastes. Rewriting and Canonization. Museum Tusculanum Press, Copenhagen 2002, 204 pages, ISBN 87-7289-675-2 .
- Bernadette Martin-Hisard: Remarques sur la tradition géorgienne du Ménologe de Syméon Métraphraste. In: Dali Citunaṥvili (ed.): Kavkasia agmosavletsa da dasavletrs soris. Tbilisi 2012, pp. 226-238.
Individual evidence
- ↑ See for example: Small prayer book for Orthodox Christians. 3rd expanded and improved edition 2006, Monastery of St. John the Forerunner, Chania, ISBN 960-88698-6-2 , pp. 147, 150f., 154.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Symeon Metaphrastes |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Simon Logothetes; Symeon Logothetes; Συμεὼν ὁ Μεταφράστης (Greek); Συμεὼν ὁ Λογοθέτης |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Byzantine author and author of a collection of holy lives |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 10th century |
| DATE OF DEATH | 11th century |