By Archimandrite Michael Stathakis
Before Easter (March 28) of 1182, the new shepherd of Athens arrived from Constantinople in Piraeus, who had unwittingly assumed a role that he would never have imagined...
Saint Michael Choniates was chosen by lot to navigate the Argo of the Attica Church and its people to the Symplegades Rocks and to train the crew of the fleet to escape danger and sail to the land where the golden fleece is treasured.
Saint Michael was the last Byzantine citizen and official of Attica and the courageous captain of this ship. About twenty-three years after his enthronement Attica was ravaged by the Franks and did not know freedom again until 1821. The prelate gave the last legacies for the people to resist the next six hundred and seventeen years of slavery that followed.
So the new pastor from Piraeus ascends the steps of the Sacred Rock of Athens, cheered by the "overly friendly" residents of the closed city, so that he can be enthroned in the Parthenon cathedral, which was dedicated to the ever-virgin and light-giving Virgin Mary!
The new Metropolitan of Athens assumed his new duties coming from the Queen of Cities, where he held the crucial position of Secretary to the Patriarch. On the episcopal throne of Constantinople was Theodosios I Borradiotes, with whom Saint Michael was connected by a deep spiritual friendship. The letters exchanged between the two men show the respect of Saint Michael towards the Patriarch, as he was his benefactor and the one who introduced him to the great office of the priesthood.
In his enthronement speech, Choniates describes to us the circumstances he faced alongside the Patriarch, but also in what manner and with what morals the latter managed very difficult situations.
Before we see what Choniates mentions, let us recall a little the historical context in which Patriarch Theodosios, who was of Armenian or Syrian origin, and became a monk at the Borradi Monastery on the Asian coast of the Bosphorus and was elected patriarch in 1178, acted and reacted. His tenure on the patriarchal throne lasted until 1183. During this time Theodosios had to deal with the complications created by the political instability of the death of Manuel I Komnenos (1180) and the accession to the throne of his minor successor, Alexios II Komnenos (1180-1183). Despite the fact that, as a learned and pious monk, Theodosios won the love of the people of Constantinople, he was unable to prevent the events.
Theodosios clashed with the emperor Manuel I Komnenos when he wanted to remove the anathema against Muhammad during the proselytism of the Muslims, but reconciled with him in May 1180. Sensing that his end was near, the emperor appointed him to the council of regency of the minor Alexios II. Patriarch Theodosios granted asylum to the daughter of Manuel I, Maria Komnenos, and her husband, Rennier of Montferrat, and to many other members of the aristocracy who were involved in a conspiracy against Alexios Komnenos in 1181. With his support and the activity of Maria the Porphyrogenita, the asylum turned into a general rebellion that lasted about three months, and the patriarch had to prevent the army from breaching the asylum, but eventually interceded with the empress, Maria of Antioch, to end the rebellion. Seeking his eviction from the patriarchate, Alexios accused him of supporting the rebellion and succeeded in his temporary removal to the Terebinthos Monastery and then to the Monastery of Christ Pantepoptos. Before the end of the year, however, under the pressure of public opinion as well as the aristocracy, Theodosios was restored to the patriarchal throne, in fact according to Choniates his return to the patriarchate lasted a whole day due to the enthusiasm of the crowd that had gathered to welcome him.
The neutralization of Alexios in 1182, the massacre of the Latins of Constantinople by the rebellious mob (April 1182) and the accession of many aristocrats to the party of Andronikos Komnenos forced the patriarch to give his approval for his entry into the Queen City, as a guarantor of normality. In fact, Theodosios, at the urging of the new regent, re-crowned Alexios II as emperor on May 16, 1182. However, the patriarch did not trust Andronikos Komnenos at all. Conversely, Andronikos Komnenos understood that the patriarch, enjoying the love of the people of Constantinople, was one of the obstacles he had to overcome in order to ascend the throne of the empire himself. Thus, after the assassination of Maria the Porphyrogenita and Empress Maria of Antioch, Theodosios was forced to abdicate the patriarchal throne when he realized that he had lost the support of the synod over the issue of the marriage of Manuel I's illegitimate son, Alexios, to the illegitimate daughter of Andronikos, Irene, who was the granddaughter of his brother, the long-deceased emperor. The resignation of the patriarch opened the way for the ascension to the throne of Andronikos I Komnenos and for the assassination of Alexios II (autumn 1183).
Below is an excerpt from the enthronement speech of Choniates:
"9. I was already from my early teenage years a fervent lover of knowledge, and for its sake I emigrated and, like the blessed Jacob, I suffered much in foreign lands and a multitude of bitterness, and I was always held by the desire not to fail in my childhood dreams; And in order to conquer my coveted beauty, to achieve beauty and finally to harmonize it upon myself, I paid many precious prices. 10. But as soon as I was distracted from the books, I was hired by the first shepherd, as Peter did Clement and Timothy was by Paul, and I found myself in the need to face countless dangers which I need not enumerate. I am thinking of the very dangers that he for the Church suffered, something for which, of course, he had been chosen by God so that he could, as if he had been ready for a long time, be a champion of truth and an ally of the righteous, but next to him myself, as was natural, I was struck by the heavy seas being a small boat towed by a large wrecked boat. 11. He was always the indomitable breakwater never accessible to all kinds of winds, over which the angry waves raged one after another. However, I myself did not manage to remain unscathed by the high tide, but as I stood on the breakwater, I too was finally overwhelmed by the rushing waters. He was always the good shepherd, keeping watch in the night, offering even his soul for the salvation of his flock. I myself did not lie down snoring, but only vigilant and ready to fight, as some pure-bred puppy would do, urging his shepherd by barking fervently against his enemies. Accordingly, I neither met with any offensive fortune while I was in the city of Constantine, nor did I occupy myself with any matters at all unimportant. On the contrary, I would venture to assert that our own affairs were of more concern to the world than the affairs of each one's private life.”
Bibliography:
C. Brand, Byzantium Confronts the West, 1180-1204, Cambridge Mass. 1968, 25, 29, 35-37, 41, 43-44, 48.
The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, ed. A. Kazhdan, New York – Oxford 1991, 2052.
M. Angold, Church and Society under the Comneni, 1081-1261, Cambridge 1995, 116-120.
Saint Michael Choniates was chosen by lot to navigate the Argo of the Attica Church and its people to the Symplegades Rocks and to train the crew of the fleet to escape danger and sail to the land where the golden fleece is treasured.
Saint Michael was the last Byzantine citizen and official of Attica and the courageous captain of this ship. About twenty-three years after his enthronement Attica was ravaged by the Franks and did not know freedom again until 1821. The prelate gave the last legacies for the people to resist the next six hundred and seventeen years of slavery that followed.
So the new pastor from Piraeus ascends the steps of the Sacred Rock of Athens, cheered by the "overly friendly" residents of the closed city, so that he can be enthroned in the Parthenon cathedral, which was dedicated to the ever-virgin and light-giving Virgin Mary!
The new Metropolitan of Athens assumed his new duties coming from the Queen of Cities, where he held the crucial position of Secretary to the Patriarch. On the episcopal throne of Constantinople was Theodosios I Borradiotes, with whom Saint Michael was connected by a deep spiritual friendship. The letters exchanged between the two men show the respect of Saint Michael towards the Patriarch, as he was his benefactor and the one who introduced him to the great office of the priesthood.
In his enthronement speech, Choniates describes to us the circumstances he faced alongside the Patriarch, but also in what manner and with what morals the latter managed very difficult situations.
Before we see what Choniates mentions, let us recall a little the historical context in which Patriarch Theodosios, who was of Armenian or Syrian origin, and became a monk at the Borradi Monastery on the Asian coast of the Bosphorus and was elected patriarch in 1178, acted and reacted. His tenure on the patriarchal throne lasted until 1183. During this time Theodosios had to deal with the complications created by the political instability of the death of Manuel I Komnenos (1180) and the accession to the throne of his minor successor, Alexios II Komnenos (1180-1183). Despite the fact that, as a learned and pious monk, Theodosios won the love of the people of Constantinople, he was unable to prevent the events.
Theodosios clashed with the emperor Manuel I Komnenos when he wanted to remove the anathema against Muhammad during the proselytism of the Muslims, but reconciled with him in May 1180. Sensing that his end was near, the emperor appointed him to the council of regency of the minor Alexios II. Patriarch Theodosios granted asylum to the daughter of Manuel I, Maria Komnenos, and her husband, Rennier of Montferrat, and to many other members of the aristocracy who were involved in a conspiracy against Alexios Komnenos in 1181. With his support and the activity of Maria the Porphyrogenita, the asylum turned into a general rebellion that lasted about three months, and the patriarch had to prevent the army from breaching the asylum, but eventually interceded with the empress, Maria of Antioch, to end the rebellion. Seeking his eviction from the patriarchate, Alexios accused him of supporting the rebellion and succeeded in his temporary removal to the Terebinthos Monastery and then to the Monastery of Christ Pantepoptos. Before the end of the year, however, under the pressure of public opinion as well as the aristocracy, Theodosios was restored to the patriarchal throne, in fact according to Choniates his return to the patriarchate lasted a whole day due to the enthusiasm of the crowd that had gathered to welcome him.
The neutralization of Alexios in 1182, the massacre of the Latins of Constantinople by the rebellious mob (April 1182) and the accession of many aristocrats to the party of Andronikos Komnenos forced the patriarch to give his approval for his entry into the Queen City, as a guarantor of normality. In fact, Theodosios, at the urging of the new regent, re-crowned Alexios II as emperor on May 16, 1182. However, the patriarch did not trust Andronikos Komnenos at all. Conversely, Andronikos Komnenos understood that the patriarch, enjoying the love of the people of Constantinople, was one of the obstacles he had to overcome in order to ascend the throne of the empire himself. Thus, after the assassination of Maria the Porphyrogenita and Empress Maria of Antioch, Theodosios was forced to abdicate the patriarchal throne when he realized that he had lost the support of the synod over the issue of the marriage of Manuel I's illegitimate son, Alexios, to the illegitimate daughter of Andronikos, Irene, who was the granddaughter of his brother, the long-deceased emperor. The resignation of the patriarch opened the way for the ascension to the throne of Andronikos I Komnenos and for the assassination of Alexios II (autumn 1183).
Below is an excerpt from the enthronement speech of Choniates:
"9. I was already from my early teenage years a fervent lover of knowledge, and for its sake I emigrated and, like the blessed Jacob, I suffered much in foreign lands and a multitude of bitterness, and I was always held by the desire not to fail in my childhood dreams; And in order to conquer my coveted beauty, to achieve beauty and finally to harmonize it upon myself, I paid many precious prices. 10. But as soon as I was distracted from the books, I was hired by the first shepherd, as Peter did Clement and Timothy was by Paul, and I found myself in the need to face countless dangers which I need not enumerate. I am thinking of the very dangers that he for the Church suffered, something for which, of course, he had been chosen by God so that he could, as if he had been ready for a long time, be a champion of truth and an ally of the righteous, but next to him myself, as was natural, I was struck by the heavy seas being a small boat towed by a large wrecked boat. 11. He was always the indomitable breakwater never accessible to all kinds of winds, over which the angry waves raged one after another. However, I myself did not manage to remain unscathed by the high tide, but as I stood on the breakwater, I too was finally overwhelmed by the rushing waters. He was always the good shepherd, keeping watch in the night, offering even his soul for the salvation of his flock. I myself did not lie down snoring, but only vigilant and ready to fight, as some pure-bred puppy would do, urging his shepherd by barking fervently against his enemies. Accordingly, I neither met with any offensive fortune while I was in the city of Constantine, nor did I occupy myself with any matters at all unimportant. On the contrary, I would venture to assert that our own affairs were of more concern to the world than the affairs of each one's private life.”
Bibliography:
C. Brand, Byzantium Confronts the West, 1180-1204, Cambridge Mass. 1968, 25, 29, 35-37, 41, 43-44, 48.
The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, ed. A. Kazhdan, New York – Oxford 1991, 2052.
M. Angold, Church and Society under the Comneni, 1081-1261, Cambridge 1995, 116-120.
Σπυρίδων Λάμπρος, Μιχαήλ Ακομινάτου του Χωνιάτου – Τα Σωζόμενα, τόμος Α΄, Αθήνα, 1880, σ. 93-106
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
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