E05880: Romanos the Melodist composes his kontakion /canticum (hymn) 59, On All the *Martyrs (S01151). Written in Greek at Constantinople, in the mid-6th c.
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posted on 2018-06-25, 00:00authored byBryan
Romanus the Melodist, Canticum 59, On All the Martyrs (CPG 7570)
‘‘Like the first fruit of nature to the planter of creation, The world offers you, Lord, the god-bearing martyrs. By their supplications, in deep peace Keep your Church and your state, Through the Mother of God, Oh greatly merciful One.’
‘From each city have they come together, and our fellow townspeople have they become. From all over the world they are visiting, and the world they are bringing along to us, Sharing in our celebration. In a dance with the upper creation is the lower one joining along, For the angels are now with us crying aloud: “Truly wonderful are you in your saints [Ps. 67:36], Oh greatly merciful One!”’
Place of evidence - City name in other Language(s)
Constantinople
Constantinople
Κωνσταντινούπολις
Konstantinoupolis
Constantinopolis
Constantinople
Istanbul
Cult activities - Liturgical Activity
Service for the Saint
Cult activities - Non Liturgical Practices and Customs
Saint as patron - of a community
Source
Romanos the Melodist was born to a Jewish family in Emesa of Syria, and moved to Constantinople under Anastasius (491-518), where he joined the clergy of the church of Mary in the Kyros quarter. He is the earliest and most important author of Kontakia (cantica), which he seems to have composed between 536 and 555.
The Kontakia/Cantica were sermons in verse, accompanied by music, which became very popular in the Greek Church between the 6th and 9th centuries. They have a metrical form, and were probably chanted from the pulpit by the preacher, joined by the choir or the congregation in the refrain. Their music is now lost.
Discussion
Apparently written for a feast of All Saints or a celebration of a group of martyrs, this hymn opens with a proemium which became popular and was widely used in Byzantine liturgy.
Bibliography
Text:
Maas, P., and Trypanis, C.A., Sancti Romani Melodi Cantica. Cantica Genuina (Oxford, 1963).