Synopses & Reviews
This book is an introduction to, and selected translations of, seventeen sung sermons of Romanos. While R. J. Schork reviews Romanos's life and times, his emphasis is on the hymns themselves as inspired and inspirational pieces of religious poetry. Their topics range from episodes in the Old Testament to the life, death, and resurrection of Christ; another piece portrays the heroism of a famous group of Christian martyrs. A brief hymn shows the form as it was developing, and another is the most complex surviving example of Byzantine pulpit poetry. In addition, Schork focuses special attention on the poet's pervasive and sensitive treatment of various women, including Eve, the Virgin Mary, Potiphar's Wife, and the Sinful Woman who anointed Christ's feet.
Synopsis
"Smooth translations of one of the most influential--and for us today potentially the most accessible--of the literary figures of Byzantium. . . . The poetry is a marvel."--Nancy P. Sevcenko, associate editor of The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium
"A valuable path of access to one of the most underappreciated poets in the Greek tradition. . . . A real service not only to Byzantinists who have long regarded Romanos as a too-well-kept secret in the history of Greek poetry, but also to generalists and scholars in Western and international literature, liturgics, Christian art, and Near Eastern Studies . . . who can now encounter a vigorously pious, slightly cantankerous, and genuinely artistic voice from one of the great moments of cultural history."--David F. Bright, Emory University
Romanos the Melodist, a sixth-century deacon in Constantinople, is regarded as the premier poet of the Greek-speaking Christian church. His kontakia are elaborate, dramatic hymns designed to be sung before a congregation on major feast days. Their brilliant rhetoric and imagery are the avenue for deft commentary on scriptural texts and moral instructions.
This book is an introduction to, and selected translations of, seventeen sung sermons of Romanos. While R. J. Schork reviews Romanos's life and times, his emphasis is on the hymns themselves as inspired and inspirational pieces of religious poetry. Their topics range from episodes in the Old Testament to the life, death, and resurrection of Christ; another piece portrays the heroism of a famous group of Christian martyrs. A brief hymn shows the form as it was developing, and another is the most complex surviving example of Byzantine pulpit poetry. In addition, Schork focuses special attention on the poet's pervasive and sensitive treatment of various women, including Eve, the Virgin Mary, Potiphar's Wife, and the Sinful Woman who anointed Christ's feet.
The translations and commentary make these contemporary re-creations accessible to a general audience interested in literature, the history of the Christian church, ingenious interpretation of scripture, and, especially, Romanos's unique poetic form.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. [221]-225) and index.
About the Author
R. J. Schork is professor of classics at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. He is the author of more than fifty articles in professional journals, including Studia Patristica, Byzantion, German Quarterly, American Journal of Philology, and Milton Quarterly.