Hagiography of the Macedonian Period and Symeon Metaphrastes
(2025) p.315-327- Abstract
- The chapter examines the flourishing hagiographical production during the Macedonian age, a period marked by intense rewriting of earlier Greek hagiography. This rewriting culminated in the Metaphrastic menologion, compiled by Symeon Metaphrastes in the late tenth century. Following the end of the iconoclastic controversy until Symeon, a clear progression is attested from an initial monastic interest in hagiography to a broader interest at the imperial court, accompanied by a shift towards a high-style, clearly rhetorical hagiography. Notably, Symeon—a high-ranking court official—and other prominent rewriters were all laymen. This rewriting movement was tied to the concept of metaphrasis, which in itself also denoted translation. The... (More)
- The chapter examines the flourishing hagiographical production during the Macedonian age, a period marked by intense rewriting of earlier Greek hagiography. This rewriting culminated in the Metaphrastic menologion, compiled by Symeon Metaphrastes in the late tenth century. Following the end of the iconoclastic controversy until Symeon, a clear progression is attested from an initial monastic interest in hagiography to a broader interest at the imperial court, accompanied by a shift towards a high-style, clearly rhetorical hagiography. Notably, Symeon—a high-ranking court official—and other prominent rewriters were all laymen. This rewriting movement was tied to the concept of metaphrasis, which in itself also denoted translation. The entire process can be described as a literalization of hagiography, in which the main concern of rewriters seems to have been the use of an elevated style that aligned with the classicizing aesthetic of other high-status literature. (Less)
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https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/226f6829-3fd1-4d97-a54d-db6c9d1e535b
- author
- Høgel, Christian LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025
- type
- Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
- publication status
- published
- subject
- host publication
- The Routledge Handbook of Rewriting in Byzantium
- editor
- Signes Codoñer, Juan ; Hinterberger, Martin and Pérez Martín, Inmaculada
- pages
- 13 pages
- publisher
- Routledge
- ISBN
- 9781032228211
- 9781003274339
- DOI
- 10.4324/9781003274339-24
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 226f6829-3fd1-4d97-a54d-db6c9d1e535b
- date added to LUP
- 2026-01-22 18:15:27
- date last changed
- 2026-02-18 14:08:29
@inbook{226f6829-3fd1-4d97-a54d-db6c9d1e535b,
abstract = {{The chapter examines the flourishing hagiographical production during the Macedonian age, a period marked by intense rewriting of earlier Greek hagiography. This rewriting culminated in the Metaphrastic menologion, compiled by Symeon Metaphrastes in the late tenth century. Following the end of the iconoclastic controversy until Symeon, a clear progression is attested from an initial monastic interest in hagiography to a broader interest at the imperial court, accompanied by a shift towards a high-style, clearly rhetorical hagiography. Notably, Symeon—a high-ranking court official—and other prominent rewriters were all laymen. This rewriting movement was tied to the concept of metaphrasis, which in itself also denoted translation. The entire process can be described as a literalization of hagiography, in which the main concern of rewriters seems to have been the use of an elevated style that aligned with the classicizing aesthetic of other high-status literature.}},
author = {{Høgel, Christian}},
booktitle = {{The Routledge Handbook of Rewriting in Byzantium}},
editor = {{Signes Codoñer, Juan and Hinterberger, Martin and Pérez Martín, Inmaculada}},
isbn = {{9781032228211}},
language = {{eng}},
pages = {{315--327}},
publisher = {{Routledge}},
title = {{Hagiography of the Macedonian Period and Symeon Metaphrastes}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003274339-24}},
doi = {{10.4324/9781003274339-24}},
year = {{2025}},
}