George Metochites
Encyclopedia
George Metochites was an archdeacon in Constantinople during the 1270’s and early 1280’s, and an important, fervent supporter of the Union of the Greek and Latin Churches that was agreed to at the Second Council of Lyons (1274).
’ History in the year 1273 as one of a small group of clerics who backed the Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos
’s negotiations for ecclesial union with Rome. Following the Council of Lyons, he served for a time as Michael’s ambassador at the papal courts of Gregory X, Innocent V, John XXI, and Nicholas III; among other things, he argued, unsuccessfully, for a joint Greek-Latin crusade
against the Turks. After the Union of Lyons was dissolved following the Emperor Michael’s death (December 1282), Metochites, along with the patriarch John Bekkos and the archdeacon Constantine Meliteniotes, found himself in political disfavor; antiunionist councils at Constantinople in 1283 and 1285 reduced him to lay status and charged him with heresy; and he spent some 45 years — by far the greater portion of his life — in prison for remaining loyal to his unionist beliefs. His son, Theodore Metochites
, who did not share his father’s views on union with Rome, gained great wealth and influence under the Emperor Andronikos II
, and was a renowned Byzantine humanist; among his pupils was Nikephoros Gregoras, the historian and anti-palamite
theologian. It seems likely that the younger Metochites kept his father supplied with books and writing material; at all events, the elder Metochites wrote a number of books during those 45 years, giving theological and historical justifications for ecclesial union. His books have received little scholarly attention, in part because of the strange, difficult style of Greek in which they are written.
in the seventeenth century; they are reprinted in J.-P. Migne’s
Patrologia Graeca vol. 141. These include his works Against Maximus Planudes
and Against Manuel Moschopoulos, both of which argue that the Latin teaching that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son goes against neither reason nor the tradition of the Greek fathers. Another work on the same subject is titled On the Procession of the Holy Spirit; François Combefis
(1605–1679), who translated a brief passage from it, claimed that it was the best thing of its kind ever written. Of this five-volume work, only two excerpts have ever been published; they are also found in Migne’s P.G. vol. 141. Metochites also wrote various historical works relating to the schism of the Churches, in which he discusses the schism’s origins, earlier attempts to heal it, the immediate preliminaries to the Union of Lyons, the Union’s implementation in Byzantium, and the backlash against it that followed Michael VIII’s death; these writings were edited by Joseph Cozza-Luzi under the title Historia dogmatica (“Dogmatic history”) and published in vols. VIII and X of A. Mai’s
Nova Patrum Bibliotheca (Rome, 1871 and 1905). Cozza-Luzi supplied a Latin translation for Book One of this Dogmatic History; the other two books remain untranslated. A main object of Metochites’ diatribes in his Dogmatic History is Patriarch Gregory II
of Cyprus, who replaced Bekkos, and whom Metochites depicts as a scoundrel and a heretic.
To date, no translations of the works of George Metochites exist in any modern language. That is unfortunate, because he remains one of the main sources of historical information for the period in which he lived, and he was personally acquainted with most of the major actors in Byzantium at a critical moment of its history.
Life
Of Metochites’ early years, nothing is known. He first appears in George PachymeresGeorge Pachymeres
Georgius Pachymeres , a Byzantine Greek historian and miscellaneous writer, was born at Nicaea, in Bithynia, where his father had taken refuge after the capture of Constantinople by the Latins in 1204...
’ History in the year 1273 as one of a small group of clerics who backed the Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos
Michael VIII Palaiologos
Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus reigned as Byzantine Emperor 1259–1282. Michael VIII was the founder of the Palaiologan dynasty that would rule the Byzantine Empire until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453...
’s negotiations for ecclesial union with Rome. Following the Council of Lyons, he served for a time as Michael’s ambassador at the papal courts of Gregory X, Innocent V, John XXI, and Nicholas III; among other things, he argued, unsuccessfully, for a joint Greek-Latin crusade
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
against the Turks. After the Union of Lyons was dissolved following the Emperor Michael’s death (December 1282), Metochites, along with the patriarch John Bekkos and the archdeacon Constantine Meliteniotes, found himself in political disfavor; antiunionist councils at Constantinople in 1283 and 1285 reduced him to lay status and charged him with heresy; and he spent some 45 years — by far the greater portion of his life — in prison for remaining loyal to his unionist beliefs. His son, Theodore Metochites
Theodore Metochites
Theodore Metochites was a Byzantine statesman, author, gentleman philosopher, and patron of the arts. From c. 1305 to 1328 he held the position of personal adviser to emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos.- Life :...
, who did not share his father’s views on union with Rome, gained great wealth and influence under the Emperor Andronikos II
Andronikos II Palaiologos
Andronikos II Palaiologos , Latinized as Andronicus II Palaeologus, was Byzantine emperor from 1282 to 1328. He was the eldest surviving son of Michael VIII Palaiologos and Theodora Doukaina Vatatzina, grandniece of John III Doukas Vatatzes...
, and was a renowned Byzantine humanist; among his pupils was Nikephoros Gregoras, the historian and anti-palamite
Gregory Palamas
Gregory Palamas was a monk of Mount Athos in Greece and later the Archbishop of Thessaloniki known as a preeminent theologian of Hesychasm. The teachings embodied in his writings defending Hesychasm against the attack of Barlaam are sometimes referred to as Palamism, his followers as Palamites...
theologian. It seems likely that the younger Metochites kept his father supplied with books and writing material; at all events, the elder Metochites wrote a number of books during those 45 years, giving theological and historical justifications for ecclesial union. His books have received little scholarly attention, in part because of the strange, difficult style of Greek in which they are written.
Writings and Editions
Some of George Metochites’ writings were edited from the Greek and given a Latin translation by Leo AllatiusLeo Allatius
Leo Allatius was a Greek scholar, theologian and keeper of the Vatican library....
in the seventeenth century; they are reprinted in J.-P. Migne’s
Jacques Paul Migne
Jacques Paul Migne was a French priest who published inexpensive and widely-distributed editions of theological works, encyclopedias and the texts of the Church Fathers, with the goal of providing a universal library for the Catholic priesthood.He was born at Saint-Flour, Cantal and studied...
Patrologia Graeca vol. 141. These include his works Against Maximus Planudes
Maximus Planudes
Maximus Planudes, less often Maximos Planoudes , Byzantine grammarian and theologian, flourished during the reigns of Michael VIII Palaeologus and Andronicus II Palaeologus. He was born at Nicomedia in Bithynia, but the greater part of his life was spent in Constantinople, where as a monk he...
and Against Manuel Moschopoulos, both of which argue that the Latin teaching that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son goes against neither reason nor the tradition of the Greek fathers. Another work on the same subject is titled On the Procession of the Holy Spirit; François Combefis
François Combefis
François Combefis was a French Dominican patrologist. He published previously unedited works by saint John Chrysostom.-Life:...
(1605–1679), who translated a brief passage from it, claimed that it was the best thing of its kind ever written. Of this five-volume work, only two excerpts have ever been published; they are also found in Migne’s P.G. vol. 141. Metochites also wrote various historical works relating to the schism of the Churches, in which he discusses the schism’s origins, earlier attempts to heal it, the immediate preliminaries to the Union of Lyons, the Union’s implementation in Byzantium, and the backlash against it that followed Michael VIII’s death; these writings were edited by Joseph Cozza-Luzi under the title Historia dogmatica (“Dogmatic history”) and published in vols. VIII and X of A. Mai’s
Angelo Mai
Angelo Mai was an Italian Cardinal and philologist. He won a European reputation for publishing for the first time a series of previously unknown ancient texts. These he was able to discover and publish, first while in charge of the Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan and then in the same role at the...
Nova Patrum Bibliotheca (Rome, 1871 and 1905). Cozza-Luzi supplied a Latin translation for Book One of this Dogmatic History; the other two books remain untranslated. A main object of Metochites’ diatribes in his Dogmatic History is Patriarch Gregory II
Patriarch Gregory II of Constantinople
Gregory II of Cyprus was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople between 1283-1289.His name was originally George. His parents were middle class but of noble origin. He moved to Nicosia as a teenager seeking further education...
of Cyprus, who replaced Bekkos, and whom Metochites depicts as a scoundrel and a heretic.
To date, no translations of the works of George Metochites exist in any modern language. That is unfortunate, because he remains one of the main sources of historical information for the period in which he lived, and he was personally acquainted with most of the major actors in Byzantium at a critical moment of its history.
Metochites’ style
Leo Allatius describes Metochites’ writing style in the following terms:in omnibus dura, compositio aspera, nullo fuco, nullo lenocinio mollita, sententiæ graves, argumenta ad probandum id quod voluit firma, sed elocutione et impositione nominum horrida et confragosa.
“... [his writing is] altogether difficult, harsh in composition, softened by no false dye or meretricious adornment, with sober, somber opinions, and solid arguments for proving what he has in mind, but terrible and crabbed in his elocution and choice of words.”