Symeon the Metaphrast | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Venerable,Hagiographer,Logothete | |
| Born | 886-912 (900) Constantinople (modern-dayIstanbul,Turkey) |
| Residence | Constantinople |
| Died | November 28, 987 Constantinople |
| Honored in | Eastern Orthodox Church |
| Canonized | 11th century, Constantinople byEastern Orthodox Church |
| Feast | November 9/November 28 |
| Attributes | Pen, Scroll, Religious habit |
| Major works | Menologium |
Symeon orSimeon (diedc. 1000), distinguished asSymeon Metaphrastes (Latin) orSymeon the Metaphrast (Ancient Greek:Συμεών ὁ Μεταφραστής,Symeṓn ho Metaphrastḗs), was aByzantinewriter andofficial regarded as asaint in theEastern Orthodox Church. Hisfeast day is celebrated on 9 or 28 November.[1][2] He is best known for his 10-volumeGreekmenologion, a collection of saints' lives.[3]
About Symeon's life few details are known.[3] He lived in the second half of the 10th century.Ephrem Mtsire puts him at the peak of his career in the sixth year ofBasil II (982).Yahya of Antioch also makes him a contemporary of Basil II and PatriarchNicholas II of Constantinople (984–991).[4] In the 15th century,Mark Eugenikos wrongly called Symeon amegas logothetes. The hagiographer actually lived a generation later than the historianSymeon Logothete.[1]
Symeon wrote mainlyhymnody andhagiography. He composedkanones,stichera and a hymn to theTrinity. He also compiled excerpts of theChurch Fathers, particularlyBasil the Great. His most important work by far, however, is the menologion, whichAlbert Ehrhard labelled "a revolution in the field of hagiography".[1] According to tradition, it was commissioned by Basil II.[2]
Symeon's menologion is a product of theencyclopedism characteristic of theMacedonian Renaissance. He did not merely collect and arrange pre-existing saint's lives, but also reworked them, standardizing their language and embellishing their rhetorical style to bring them in line with theAtticism of the day.[1] His nickname comes from this act ofmetaphrasis. The content of the lives was not altered, however, and historical errors were left intact.[2] Symeon arranged them according to their feast days in theEastern Orthodox liturgical calendar.[1] There are about 150 distinct lives.[5]
For his menologion, Symeon received praise fromNikephoros Ouranos andMichael Psellos addressed to him an encomium. It was widely read in monasteries. The standard edition came in ten volumes. Numerousilluminated copies were produced in the 11th century.[1] Working independently,Father Delehaye andAlbert Ehrhard compiled works attributed to Symeon. They were at a loss for the provenance of some of his materials and their relation to other standard hagiographies. In particular, Delehaye found that Symeon or his immediate sources sparsely added materials of their own drawn from other places.[6]
Some orthodox prayers of preparation before Holy Communion[7] and prayers of thanksgiving after Holy Communion were composed by him.[8]
Venerable Symeon the Metaphrast is venerated in theEastern Orthodox Church.[9]Michael Psellos compiled Symeon's biography (c. 1050) and he composed a liturgical office for him.[10]
