HesychasmandHagiographyinLate

Byzantium:TheHagiographicaluvre
ofPhilotheosKokkinos
HomeGroupsAllUsers
Level:
Doctoral
CEUThesisauthor:
MihailMitrea
Status:
Ongoing
Yearofenrollment:
2011/2012
Durationofthesisproject:
Sep,2011Dec,2012
Thesissupervisor:
NielsGaul
CEUunit:
DepartmentofMedievalStudies
Degree:
DoctorofPhilosophyinMedievalStudies
Thesisabstract:
Mydissertationproject,entitledHagiographyandHesychasminLateByzantium:TheHagiographical
uvreofPhilotheosKokkinos,seekstoofferthefirstsystematichistoricalcontextualizationandliterary
analysisofthesaintslivescomposedbyPhilotheosKokkinos(ca.1300ca.1377/8).Anativeof
Thessalonikiofundistinguishedbackground,studentof(worldly)rhetoric,andAthonitemonk,Kokkinos
pursuedadistinguishedecclesiasticalcareerculminatinginhisappointmentasmetropolitanofThracian
Herakleia(13471353)andtwotenuresaspatriarchofConstantinople(13531354;13641376).He
composednumeroustheologicaltreatises,hymns,liturgicalcompositions,andlivesofsaintsoldand
contemporary,whichsoughttoshape,andwereshapedby,theseminalanddifficultdecadesofByzantine
historyfollowingthegreatcivilwar(134254).InthehandsofKokkinos,hagiographyturnedintoa
powerfulandexibletoolwhichawaitsproperinterpretation.
Throughoutitsmillennialexistence,Byzantiumwitnessednumerousdoctrinalcontroversiesanddebates,
whichconstitutedthepoliticaljustasmuchasthetheologicalprocessinByzantiumand,perhaps,attimes
involvedandinterestedlarge(r)partsofsociety.Thecontroversythatcametotheforeinthewakeofthe
civilwarsinfourteenthcenturyByzantium(132128,134147)isknownasthehesychastdebate.It
focusedonthetranscendentbeingofGodandHisoperationsoractivitiesintheworld.Thesameperiod
witnessedanimpressiverevivalofhagiographicalproduction,withnumerousByzantinepepaideumenoi
(i.e.,thosewhohavereceivedaneducation),statesmen,ecclesiastics,etc.,tryingtheirpenatthisgenre
andemployingitforpromotingtheircompetingpoliticalandreligiousagendas;amongthemitsufficesto
mentionthespokesmanofthehesychastcamp,GregoryPalamas(ca.1294/61355/7);NikephorosGregoras
(12951358/1361),aferventantihesychast;Philotheos,metropolitanofSelymbria(d.1389);and
PhilotheosKokkinoshimself.AnoteworthyfeatureoflateByzantinehagiographyisthefactthatalmost
eightypercentofitconsistsofnewversionsofvitaeandenkomiaofsaintsfromearliercenturies(Gr.
metaphrasis),or,asTalbotputit,oldwineinnewbottles.This,however,didnotpreventsuchvitaefrom

carryingcontemporarymessages.Thus,forinstance,inhismetaphrasisoftheLifeofPetertheAthonite
(BHG1506),composedmostlikelyin1332/3,Palamaskeptthecontentandstructureoftheoriginaltenth
centuryvita(BHG1505),butaddedalongrhetoricalprefaceandepilogue,aswellasprolixpassages
describingthehesychastexperienceandpractice.Palamasthuswoveintothishagiographicalnarrativethe
veryfirstcontoursofthehesychastdoctrinewhichhewouldlaterdeepenanddevelopinhistheological
andpolemicalwritings.AnotherexampleisGregorasnewVitaoftheEmpressTheophano(BHG1795),
thewifeofLeoVI(r.886912),whichseemstocontainaveiledcritiqueofthehesychastdoctrineandof
contemporaryecclesiasticaldisorder;thesearebuttwoexamplesofhesychastdiscourseandpolemic
promotedandfoughtonhagiographicalgrounds.Despiteitsobviousrichness,thePalaiologan
hagiographicalcorpusingeneralisaneglectedsubject.
Thesizeandsignicanceofhishagiographicaluvrenotwithstanding,PhilotheosKokkinoshasreceived
particularlylittlescholarlyattention.Hecomposedfivevitaeofcontemporaryhesychastsaints:Gregory
Palamas(BHG718),SabasTziskos(theYounger)(BHG1606),IsidoreIBoucheiras(BHG962),
GermanosMaroules(BHG2164),andNikodemostheYounger(BHG2307);andnumerousothersofsaints
frompreviouscenturies:DemetriosofThessaloniki(BHG547d),AnysiaofThessaloniki(BHG146),
Febronia(BHG659g),Onuphrios(BHG1380),Phokas(BHG1537d),JohnChrysostom(BHG881h),the
ThreeHierarchs(BHG748),theTwelveApostles(BHG160h),AllSaints(BHG1617g),etc.Myresearch
projectseekstoofferaninterpretationofthislargehagiographicaluvreinthreeinterrelatedsteps:(1)a
thoroughexaminationofthematerialbackground;(2)acomparativeanalysisofstyleandcontent;(3)an
interpretationofseminalfeaturessuchasKokkinosconstructionofhesychastspaceandanovel,hesychast
anthropologyderivingfromunprecedentedamountsofpsychologicaldetail.
(1)Myrststepdealswiththepracticalitiesofmedievaldiscoursecirculation,takingKokkinos
communicationstrategiesasanexample:howdidhepropagateatheologicalidealacrosssocietyinapre
modernworldwithouthavingaccesstoprinting,pamphlets,etc.?Whatwerehisways,whathislimits?
Hereacarefulexaminationofthemanuscriptcirculation,whichdenedthematerialboundariesof
Kokkinoshesychastdiscourse,canprovideanswers:whocopied,read,andstoredmanuscriptscontaining
Kokkinosvitae?Isthereanyevidenceoforaldisseminationofhisvitae?,etc.Tothisend,Ianalyze
systematicallyallcontemporaryandnearcontemporarymanuscriptscarryingKokkinoshagiographical
writings.
(2)Inthesecondstep,IexamineKokkinoshagiographicalstyle,bothonitsowntermsandcomparatively.
Forone,onceKokkinosassumedthecontest(agon),ashecalledit,ofwritingavita,headjustedhis
vocabularyandstyle(linguisticregister,intertextuality,etc.)soasthemeetthecultural(spiritual)horizon
ofhisaudience,beiturbanormonastic.Theprefacestohisvitaestressedabinitiothelegitimacyofhis
hagiographicalendeavor,mostlikelywithaviewtounderminingpotentialcompetitors(hagiographers).
However,equallycarefulattentionneedstobepaidtothecharacteristicsdistinguishingKokkinoswork
fromthatofcontemporariessuchasPhilotheosofSelymbria,NikephorosGregoras,orMakarios
Chrysokephalos.Whilehishagiographicalactivityclearlyfunctionedalongthepoliticotheologicallines
commontotheperiod,italsosignicantlyexpandedthetoolboxofhagiographicaldiscourse.E.g.,inthe
hithertouneditedEnkomiononAlltheSaints(BHG1617g)ofwhichIamcurrentlypreparingacritical
edition,prefacinghishagiographicalcorpusasitwere,Kokkinosformulatedahagiographicalprogramme
andstrategyofsupportinghesychasmsimilartoPalamas.However,hisfiveextensivevitaeofleading
figuresofthehesychastmovementseminallyintroducednewelementstohagiographicaldiscourse:
Kokkinosprefacestothesevitaerevealapsychologicalfinessewhichsetshimapartfromother
contemporarywriters.ThisappearstobealandmarkofKokkinoshagiographicalmethod/programme,as
heenlivenedhisvitaewithextensivebiographicaldetailsandexcursusesonthechildhoodandeducationof
hissaints,numerousdialogues,sympatheticdescriptionsofdifferentafflictedindividuals,etc.Moreover,
Kokkinosincorporatedverbatimparagraphsfromdifferentletters,documents,writingsofhisheroes
(especiallyinthevitaofPalamas),thusgivingthemavoice;especiallythesefeaturesaccountforthe
prolixityofKokkinoshagiographicalcompositions.Finallyandincidentally,allthesesaintlyfigures
featuredsomeconnectiontoKokkinoshometownofThessaloniki.Inadditiontothese,Philotheos

compliedwithcontemporarytrendsandcomposednumerousmetaphraseisofvitae,logoi,andenkomiaof
earliersaints,someofwhichremainunedited.Infusingthesewithhesychastterminology/vocabulary,
Kokkinosequallyemployedtheseoldsaintstopromote,legitimize,andendorsehesychasm,possiblyin
ordertoofferhisreadersmorereadilyfamiliarmodelsthanthenewhesychastsaintscouldprovide;
again,someofthesefeaturedaconnectionwithKokkinoshometown,Thessaloniki.
(3)TheresearchIhaveconductedthusfarhasrevealedthatinmostofhishagiographicalcompositions,
Kokkinos,awelltrainedrhetoricianeducatedinthehouseoftherhtrThomasMagistros(ca.1280
ca.1347/8),pennedpanegyricaldescriptionsofhispatrisofThessalonikifollowingtherulesofrhetoric.I
wouldarguethatthereasonwhyhedidthiswastoinvent/styleandpromoteThessalonikiasthespiritual
capitaloftheByzantineempire.Furthermore,Philotheosdepictedhisheroesastravellingwidely
throughouttheByzantineempire(especiallyinthevitaeofSabasandPalamas),butalsobeyondits
confines.Thus,Iwouldarguethatthroughhissaints,PatriarchKokkinosmappedthegeographyof
sainthood,i.e.,ahesychastspace,andconferredprestigeandsupremacytohisownpatriarchalsee;
moreover,hechartedthecoordinatesofaByzantineempirewhich,inspiteofstrugglingwithpolitical
fragility,ashrunkenterritorialmap,extendedfarbeyonditspoliticalboundariesduetoitsspiritual
ambassadors.AsasecondtopicemergingfromaclosereadingofKokkinossvitae,throughhis
hagiographicalprogramme,notonlydidKokkinospromotethecauseofhesychasm,but,evenmore
importantly,hetranslatedthehesychasttheologyintoanthropologicalmodels,i.e.,saints,onecould
imitate.
Inconclusion,mydissertationprojectwillexemplifytheimportanceofhagiographicaldiscoursein
fourteenthcenturyByzantinepoliticsandtheologybyshiftingthefocusofpreviousscholarshipwhich
almostentirelyequatedhesychasmwiththefigureofGregoryPalamasandhistheology,whowasmerely
thetipoftheicebergtotheequallyseminalfigureofPhilotheosKokkinos.Indoingsoitwillhighlight
theseminalroleofKokkinosinorchestratingthesocietalbreakthroughofhesychasttheology;his
hagiographicalcreationofhesychastspacewithapotentialinuence,thisremainstobedetermined,on
thelateByzantinecommonwealth(orcertainofitsfacets);aswellastheinventionofanewhesychast
anthropology/anthropologicalmodel.

HesychasmandHagiographyinLate
Byzantium:TheHagiographicaluvre
ofPhilotheosKokkinos
Level:
Doctoral
CEUThesisauthor:
MihailMitrea
Status:
Ongoing
Yearofenrollment:
2011/2012
Durationofthesisproject:
Sep,2011Dec,2012
Thesissupervisor:
NielsGaul
CEUunit:
DepartmentofMedievalStudies

Degree:
DoctorofPhilosophyinMedievalStudies
Thesisabstract:
Mydissertationproject,entitledHagiographyandHesychasminLateByzantium:TheHagiographical
uvreofPhilotheosKokkinos,seekstoofferthefirstsystematichistoricalcontextualizationandliterary
analysisofthesaintslivescomposedbyPhilotheosKokkinos(ca.1300ca.1377/8).Anativeof
Thessalonikiofundistinguishedbackground,studentof(worldly)rhetoric,andAthonitemonk,Kokkinos
pursuedadistinguishedecclesiasticalcareerculminatinginhisappointmentasmetropolitanofThracian
Herakleia(13471353)andtwotenuresaspatriarchofConstantinople(13531354;13641376).He
composednumeroustheologicaltreatises,hymns,liturgicalcompositions,andlivesofsaintsoldand
contemporary,whichsoughttoshape,andwereshapedby,theseminalanddifficultdecadesofByzantine
historyfollowingthegreatcivilwar(134254).InthehandsofKokkinos,hagiographyturnedintoa
powerfulandexibletoolwhichawaitsproperinterpretation.
Throughoutitsmillennialexistence,Byzantiumwitnessednumerousdoctrinalcontroversiesanddebates,
whichconstitutedthepoliticaljustasmuchasthetheologicalprocessinByzantiumand,perhaps,attimes
involvedandinterestedlarge(r)partsofsociety.Thecontroversythatcametotheforeinthewakeofthe
civilwarsinfourteenthcenturyByzantium(132128,134147)isknownasthehesychastdebate.It
focusedonthetranscendentbeingofGodandHisoperationsoractivitiesintheworld.Thesameperiod
witnessedanimpressiverevivalofhagiographicalproduction,withnumerousByzantinepepaideumenoi
(i.e.,thosewhohavereceivedaneducation),statesmen,ecclesiastics,etc.,tryingtheirpenatthisgenre
andemployingitforpromotingtheircompetingpoliticalandreligiousagendas;amongthemitsufficesto
mentionthespokesmanofthehesychastcamp,GregoryPalamas(ca.1294/61355/7);NikephorosGregoras
(12951358/1361),aferventantihesychast;Philotheos,metropolitanofSelymbria(d.1389);and
PhilotheosKokkinoshimself.AnoteworthyfeatureoflateByzantinehagiographyisthefactthatalmost
eightypercentofitconsistsofnewversionsofvitaeandenkomiaofsaintsfromearliercenturies(Gr.
metaphrasis),or,asTalbotputit,oldwineinnewbottles.This,however,didnotpreventsuchvitaefrom
carryingcontemporarymessages.Thus,forinstance,inhismetaphrasisoftheLifeofPetertheAthonite
(BHG1506),composedmostlikelyin1332/3,Palamaskeptthecontentandstructureoftheoriginaltenth
centuryvita(BHG1505),butaddedalongrhetoricalprefaceandepilogue,aswellasprolixpassages
describingthehesychastexperienceandpractice.Palamasthuswoveintothishagiographicalnarrativethe
veryfirstcontoursofthehesychastdoctrinewhichhewouldlaterdeepenanddevelopinhistheological
andpolemicalwritings.AnotherexampleisGregorasnewVitaoftheEmpressTheophano(BHG1795),
thewifeofLeoVI(r.886912),whichseemstocontainaveiledcritiqueofthehesychastdoctrineandof
contemporaryecclesiasticaldisorder;thesearebuttwoexamplesofhesychastdiscourseandpolemic
promotedandfoughtonhagiographicalgrounds.Despiteitsobviousrichness,thePalaiologan
hagiographicalcorpusingeneralisaneglectedsubject.
Thesizeandsignicanceofhishagiographicaluvrenotwithstanding,PhilotheosKokkinoshasreceived
particularlylittlescholarlyattention.Hecomposedfivevitaeofcontemporaryhesychastsaints:Gregory
Palamas(BHG718),SabasTziskos(theYounger)(BHG1606),IsidoreIBoucheiras(BHG962),
GermanosMaroules(BHG2164),andNikodemostheYounger(BHG2307);andnumerousothersofsaints
frompreviouscenturies:DemetriosofThessaloniki(BHG547d),AnysiaofThessaloniki(BHG146),
Febronia(BHG659g),Onuphrios(BHG1380),Phokas(BHG1537d),JohnChrysostom(BHG881h),the
ThreeHierarchs(BHG748),theTwelveApostles(BHG160h),AllSaints(BHG1617g),etc.Myresearch
projectseekstoofferaninterpretationofthislargehagiographicaluvreinthreeinterrelatedsteps:(1)a
thoroughexaminationofthematerialbackground;(2)acomparativeanalysisofstyleandcontent;(3)an
interpretationofseminalfeaturessuchasKokkinosconstructionofhesychastspaceandanovel,hesychast
anthropologyderivingfromunprecedentedamountsofpsychologicaldetail.
(1)Myrststepdealswiththepracticalitiesofmedievaldiscoursecirculation,takingKokkinos
communicationstrategiesasanexample:howdidhepropagateatheologicalidealacrosssocietyinapre

modernworldwithouthavingaccesstoprinting,pamphlets,etc.?Whatwerehisways,whathislimits?
Hereacarefulexaminationofthemanuscriptcirculation,whichdenedthematerialboundariesof
Kokkinoshesychastdiscourse,canprovideanswers:whocopied,read,andstoredmanuscriptscontaining
Kokkinosvitae?Isthereanyevidenceoforaldisseminationofhisvitae?,etc.Tothisend,Ianalyze
systematicallyallcontemporaryandnearcontemporarymanuscriptscarryingKokkinoshagiographical
writings.
(2)Inthesecondstep,IexamineKokkinoshagiographicalstyle,bothonitsowntermsandcomparatively.
Forone,onceKokkinosassumedthecontest(agon),ashecalledit,ofwritingavita,headjustedhis
vocabularyandstyle(linguisticregister,intertextuality,etc.)soasthemeetthecultural(spiritual)horizon
ofhisaudience,beiturbanormonastic.Theprefacestohisvitaestressedabinitiothelegitimacyofhis
hagiographicalendeavor,mostlikelywithaviewtounderminingpotentialcompetitors(hagiographers).
However,equallycarefulattentionneedstobepaidtothecharacteristicsdistinguishingKokkinoswork
fromthatofcontemporariessuchasPhilotheosofSelymbria,NikephorosGregoras,orMakarios
Chrysokephalos.Whilehishagiographicalactivityclearlyfunctionedalongthepoliticotheologicallines
commontotheperiod,italsosignicantlyexpandedthetoolboxofhagiographicaldiscourse.E.g.,inthe
hithertouneditedEnkomiononAlltheSaints(BHG1617g)ofwhichIamcurrentlypreparingacritical
edition,prefacinghishagiographicalcorpusasitwere,Kokkinosformulatedahagiographicalprogramme
andstrategyofsupportinghesychasmsimilartoPalamas.However,hisfiveextensivevitaeofleading
figuresofthehesychastmovementseminallyintroducednewelementstohagiographicaldiscourse:
Kokkinosprefacestothesevitaerevealapsychologicalfinessewhichsetshimapartfromother
contemporarywriters.ThisappearstobealandmarkofKokkinoshagiographicalmethod/programme,as
heenlivenedhisvitaewithextensivebiographicaldetailsandexcursusesonthechildhoodandeducationof
hissaints,numerousdialogues,sympatheticdescriptionsofdifferentafflictedindividuals,etc.Moreover,
Kokkinosincorporatedverbatimparagraphsfromdifferentletters,documents,writingsofhisheroes
(especiallyinthevitaofPalamas),thusgivingthemavoice;especiallythesefeaturesaccountforthe
prolixityofKokkinoshagiographicalcompositions.Finallyandincidentally,allthesesaintlyfigures
featuredsomeconnectiontoKokkinoshometownofThessaloniki.Inadditiontothese,Philotheos
compliedwithcontemporarytrendsandcomposednumerousmetaphraseisofvitae,logoi,andenkomiaof
earliersaints,someofwhichremainunedited.Infusingthesewithhesychastterminology/vocabulary,
Kokkinosequallyemployedtheseoldsaintstopromote,legitimize,andendorsehesychasm,possiblyin
ordertoofferhisreadersmorereadilyfamiliarmodelsthanthenewhesychastsaintscouldprovide;
again,someofthesefeaturedaconnectionwithKokkinoshometown,Thessaloniki.
(3)TheresearchIhaveconductedthusfarhasrevealedthatinmostofhishagiographicalcompositions,
Kokkinos,awelltrainedrhetoricianeducatedinthehouseoftherhtrThomasMagistros(ca.1280
ca.1347/8),pennedpanegyricaldescriptionsofhispatrisofThessalonikifollowingtherulesofrhetoric.I
wouldarguethatthereasonwhyhedidthiswastoinvent/styleandpromoteThessalonikiasthespiritual
capitaloftheByzantineempire.Furthermore,Philotheosdepictedhisheroesastravellingwidely
throughouttheByzantineempire(especiallyinthevitaeofSabasandPalamas),butalsobeyondits
confines.Thus,Iwouldarguethatthroughhissaints,PatriarchKokkinosmappedthegeographyof
sainthood,i.e.,ahesychastspace,andconferredprestigeandsupremacytohisownpatriarchalsee;
moreover,hechartedthecoordinatesofaByzantineempirewhich,inspiteofstrugglingwithpolitical
fragility,ashrunkenterritorialmap,extendedfarbeyonditspoliticalboundariesduetoitsspiritual
ambassadors.AsasecondtopicemergingfromaclosereadingofKokkinossvitae,throughhis
hagiographicalprogramme,notonlydidKokkinospromotethecauseofhesychasm,but,evenmore
importantly,hetranslatedthehesychasttheologyintoanthropologicalmodels,i.e.,saints,onecould
imitate.
Inconclusion,mydissertationprojectwillexemplifytheimportanceofhagiographicaldiscoursein
fourteenthcenturyByzantinepoliticsandtheologybyshiftingthefocusofpreviousscholarshipwhich
almostentirelyequatedhesychasmwiththefigureofGregoryPalamasandhistheology,whowasmerely
thetipoftheicebergtotheequallyseminalfigureofPhilotheosKokkinos.Indoingsoitwillhighlight

theseminalroleofKokkinosinorchestratingthesocietalbreakthroughofhesychasttheology;his
hagiographicalcreationofhesychastspacewithapotentialinuence,thisremainstobedetermined,on
thelateByzantinecommonwealth(orcertainofitsfacets);aswellastheinventionofanewhesychast
anthropology/anthropologicalmodel.