Holiness and Power: Constantinopolitan Holy Men and Authority in the 5th Century
The book examines the origins, development, and the role of the monastic movement in the capital of Byzantium. It was in the 5th century that a certain pattern of the functioning of monastic circles evolved within the specific framework of the ecclesiastical structures of Constantinople, which was a political and ecclesiastical centre of the Eastern Roman Empire. The bulk of the book is devoted to an analysis of the written accounts of the lives of the four Constantinopolitan holy men: Hypatios, Alexander Akoimetos, Daniel the Stylite, and Markellos Akoimetos. The analysis proves that the model of relationship between the holy man and the secular authority would change less than the one between the holy man and the ecclesiastical authority. The authors often cast the holy man in the role of "father", who was a kind of patron to the Emperor and his apparatus of government. On the other hand, one can observe a gradual change of the model of the relationship between the holy man and the ecclesiastical authorities from the initial opposition to a fully harmonious partnership. All the "Lives" focus on the idea of the third kind of authority existing alongside the two others; this type of authority is called religious and charismatic.

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Holiness and Power: Constantinopolitan Holy Men and Authority in the 5th Century
The book examines the origins, development, and the role of the monastic movement in the capital of Byzantium. It was in the 5th century that a certain pattern of the functioning of monastic circles evolved within the specific framework of the ecclesiastical structures of Constantinople, which was a political and ecclesiastical centre of the Eastern Roman Empire. The bulk of the book is devoted to an analysis of the written accounts of the lives of the four Constantinopolitan holy men: Hypatios, Alexander Akoimetos, Daniel the Stylite, and Markellos Akoimetos. The analysis proves that the model of relationship between the holy man and the secular authority would change less than the one between the holy man and the ecclesiastical authority. The authors often cast the holy man in the role of "father", who was a kind of patron to the Emperor and his apparatus of government. On the other hand, one can observe a gradual change of the model of the relationship between the holy man and the ecclesiastical authorities from the initial opposition to a fully harmonious partnership. All the "Lives" focus on the idea of the third kind of authority existing alongside the two others; this type of authority is called religious and charismatic.

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Holiness and Power: Constantinopolitan Holy Men and Authority in the 5th Century

Holiness and Power: Constantinopolitan Holy Men and Authority in the 5th Century

by Rafal Kosinski
Holiness and Power: Constantinopolitan Holy Men and Authority in the 5th Century
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Holiness and Power: Constantinopolitan Holy Men and Authority in the 5th Century

Holiness and Power: Constantinopolitan Holy Men and Authority in the 5th Century

by Rafal Kosinski

Overview

The book examines the origins, development, and the role of the monastic movement in the capital of Byzantium. It was in the 5th century that a certain pattern of the functioning of monastic circles evolved within the specific framework of the ecclesiastical structures of Constantinople, which was a political and ecclesiastical centre of the Eastern Roman Empire. The bulk of the book is devoted to an analysis of the written accounts of the lives of the four Constantinopolitan holy men: Hypatios, Alexander Akoimetos, Daniel the Stylite, and Markellos Akoimetos. The analysis proves that the model of relationship between the holy man and the secular authority would change less than the one between the holy man and the ecclesiastical authority. The authors often cast the holy man in the role of "father", who was a kind of patron to the Emperor and his apparatus of government. On the other hand, one can observe a gradual change of the model of the relationship between the holy man and the ecclesiastical authorities from the initial opposition to a fully harmonious partnership. All the "Lives" focus on the idea of the third kind of authority existing alongside the two others; this type of authority is called religious and charismatic.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9783110417074
Publisher: De Gruyter
Publication date: 01/15/2016
Series: Millennium-Studien / Millennium Studies , #57
Pages: 284
Product dimensions: 6.69(w) x 9.45(h) x (d)
Age Range: 18 Years

About the Author

Rafał Kosiński, University of Białystok, Poland.

Table of Contents

List of Abbreviations xi

Introduction 1

The Holy Man in Late Antiquity 6

1 Peter Brown's Thesis and Its Development 6

2 Hagiography - Primary Sources for the Research on the Holy Man 11

3 Constantinople: an Outline of the Specific Characteristics of Early Con-stantinopolitan Monasticism 17

Part I Life of Hypatios

1 Characteristics of the Source 23

1.1 The Author 23

1.2 The Purpose of the Work and Dates 26

1.3 Originality and Borrowings 30

1.4 Structure 31

1.5 Hypatios - Narratio Hagiographica 32

2 Analysis 41

2.1 Hypatios' Relations with Secular Authority 41

2.1.1 Relations with the Emperors and Members of the Imperial Family 42

2.1.2 Relations with Officials and the Aristocracy 47

2.1.2.1 Controversial Situations 50

2.1.2.2 Borderline Cases 56

2.1.2.3 Positive Relations 59

2.1.2.4 Jonas of Halmyrissos' Relations with the Power Elite of Constantinople; Rouphinos 62

2.2 Relations Between Hypatios and Church Authority 66

2.2.1 Deaconess 66

2.2.2 Priests 67

2.2.3 Hypatios as a Priest 69

2.2.4 Bishops 70

Part II Life of Alexander Akoimetos

1 Characteristics of the Source 87

1.1 Dates 87

1.2 The Author 89

1.3 Structure 90

1.4 Biographical Data in the Narratio Hagiographica 91

1.5 Alexander's Trial and Expulsion from Constantinople 98

2 Analysis 101

2.1 Alexander's Relations with the Authorities from the Beginning of His Activity up until His Arrival at Antioch 101

2.2 Alexander's Conflict with the Authorities of Antioch 103

2.3 Alexander in Constantinople 106

Digression Messalian Tendencies in the VH and VAI 109

Part III Life of Daniel the Stylite

1 Characteristics of the Source 119

1.1 The Author, Dates, and the Purpose of the Work 119

1.2 Structure 123

1.3 Biographical Data 123

2 Analysis 129

2.1 Daniel's Relations with the Emperors 129

2.2 Daniel's Relations with the Empresses 163

2.3 Encounter with Gubazes, King of Lazica 168

2.4 Encounter with Olybrius, the Later Emperor in the West (472) 170

2.5 Daniel's Relations with Figures of Authority, Officers, and Imperial Officials 171

2.6 Daniel's Relations with Bishops 189

2.7 Daniel's Relations with the Low-Ran king Clergy and Monks 204

Part IV Life of Markellos Akoimetos

1 Characteristics of the Source 211

1.1 Dates 211

1.2 The Author and the Purpose of the Work 214

1.3 Originality and Borrowings; Structure 216

1.4 Biographical Data in the Narratio Hagiographica 216

2 Analysis 221

2.1 Markellos Akoimetos and Secular Authority 221

2.1.1 Markellos vs. Aspar and His Sons 221

2.1.2 Relations with Imperial Officials and Prominent Figures 227

2.2 Markellos' Relations with Church Authority 228

Part V The Hagiographical Ideal of the Relationship between the Holy Man and Authority and the Historical Basis for Such Relations

1 Secular Authority 235

2 Church Authority 240

3 Charismatic Authority 243

Bibliography 245

Index of People 267

Index of Places 269

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