Atroparion (Greekτροπάριον, plural:troparia,τροπάρια;Georgian:ტროპარი,tropari;Church Slavonic:тропа́рь,tropar) inByzantine music and in thereligious music ofEastern Orthodox Christianity is a shorthymn of onestanza, or organised in more complex forms as series of stanzas.
The word probably derived from a diminutive of the Greektropos ('something repeated', 'manner', 'fashion'), since the earliest function of the troparion was a refrain during the recitation of the cantica (biblical odes) and thepsalms, as such the term was used as a synonym ofhypakoe. The early meaning oftroparion was related to the monastic hymn bookTropologion or Troparologion. Hence its forms were manifold, they could be simple stanzas like apolytikia,theotokia, but also more elaborated homiletic poems likestichera composed in psalmodic hexameters (probably fromstichos, "verse"), or in a more complex meter like the odes composed in cycles calledcanon. Since these Tropologia in their earliest form were organised according to theOctoechos, troparia were always chanted according to a melos of one of the eight tones used in the Eastern liturgical tradition (Gr.echos, Sl. glas). Today, since the redefinition of theOctoechos according to thehyphos of Constantinople, the monodic form of Orthodox chant distincts the troparic (apolytikia, theotokia, kontakia, etc.), the heirmologic (related to the hymns of theHeirmologion), and the sticheraricmelos (related to the hymns of theSticherarion) according to its modal formulas and its tempo.[citation needed]
In casual, unqualified use,troparion usually refers to theapolytikion (Greek:ἀπολυτίκιον), or 'dismissal hymn', a troparion chanted near the end ofVespers which establishes the overall theme for the liturgical day, for which it is called the "troparion of the day". It is chanted again at the beginning ofMatins, read at each of theLittle Hours, and chanted at theDivine Liturgy following theLittle Entrance.[citation needed]
A troparion in honor of theTrinity is called aTriadicon (Greek:Τριαδικόν, Slavonic:Troíchen). Often the penultimate in a series of troparia will be a triadicon, usually preceded by, "Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit." There are also special Triadica ("Hymns to the Trinity") which are chanted afterAlleluia at the beginning of Matins on weekdays ofGreat Lent, which differ according to the tone of the week and the day of the week.[citation needed]
A troparion to the Mother of God (Theotokos) is called aTheotokion (Greek:Θεοτοκίον, Slavonic:Bogoródichen); plural:Theotokia (Θεοτοκία). Theotokia will often occur at the end of a series of troparia, usually preceded by "Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen." If a Theotokion makes reference to theCrucifixion of Jesus, it is called astavrotheotokion (Greek:σταυροθεοτοκίον, Slavonic:krestobogoródichen).
The stanzas of aCanon are troparia, as are the verses interspersed between theBeatitudes at the Divine Liturgy.[citation needed]
A famous example, whose existence is attested as early as the 4th century, is theVespers hymn,Phos Hilaron, "Gladsome Light"; another,O Monogenes Yios, "Only Begotten Son", ascribed toJustinian I (527 - 565), occurs in the introductory portion of the Divine Liturgy. Perhaps the earliest set of troparia of known authorship are those of themonk Auxentios (first half of the 5th century), mentioned in his biography but not preserved in any later Byzantine order of service.[citation needed]
At the present time, troparia occur at the following points in the Divine Services:
*Inmonarchies where Eastern Orthodoxy was thestate religion, this troparion was often used as anational anthem with the name of the ruler occurring here.
The originalGreek text at this point uses one of two alternative forms:toisbasileusi kata barbaron, 'to the Emperors over the barbarians' when referring to an Orthodox Christian sovereign, ortois eusebesi kat' enantion, 'to the pious ones against their adversaries', otherwise.
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