158 Part Two: Epigrams in Context
Dedicatory Epigrams
As there are many dedicatory epigrams, a few specimens only must suffice
here. I shall begin with an epigram by John Geometres (Cr. 319, 6–9):
Tën parq6non kaò s0ma kaò tën kard5an
Ö s0ma kaò no ̄n to¦ß pönoiß ™óqarm6noß
\Iz1nnhß Çgraven 4móz ½znn7ein.
crysöß, l5qoi g‰ßº 9 dê t6cnh so ̄, Löge.“His body and spirit worn out by hardships, John depicted her who is
immaculate in body and soul, so as to regain his health and good spirits. Gold
and stones belong to the earth, but the art is thine, O Word”. The donor is
probably John Geometres himself since in many poems written at the end of
his life, the poet complains about his bad health^24. In 985–986 Geometres was
forced by order of Basil II to abandon active service in the military. Infuriated
because of the injustice done to him, but also secretly hoping to regain his
former position, the poet wrote many poems against his opponents at the
court, in which he ventilates his anger in bitter words and repeatedly states
that he is suffering, both physically and mentally, from the envy of others^25.
The last verse of the epigram reveals to us what the portrait of the Theotokos
he had donated was made of: crysöß and l5qoi, gold and stones – in other words,
a mosaic with the Virgin in full colour and the background glittering with
golden tesserae. He had this mosaic made in the hope of regaining his health.
In the epigram Geometres cleverly contrasts the immaculate nature of the
Holy Virgin with his own afflictions: whereas she is not affected by any form
of corruption and decay, he is a sinner subjected to the corroding effects of our
earthly existence. However, by using the passive voice (™óqarm6noß) and indi-
cating the agent (to¦ß pönoiß), he distances himself in a certain sense from the
corruption of body and soul he confesses to have fallen prey to. It was not
really his fault; if only circumstances had been different, he would not have
committed sinful acts and his health would not have suffered. He donates the
mosaic to the Holy Virgin because she is the mother of Christ, who is men-
tioned in the last verse: being so close to the Word Incarnate, she must surely
be able to mediate on behalf of Geometres and explain to her Son that he does
not deserve to suffer as much as he does. The invocation of the Logos in the last
verse also serves to strengthen the appeal by referring back to the epigram
itself. Geometres donates a mosaic depicting the Theotokos, but the logos
inscribed on it, the epigram, makes clear how this particular mosaic should be
(^24) See Cr. 287, 17–18; 292, 2; 295, 23–28; 336, 28–31; 338, 30 – 339, 22; and 351, 8–11.
(^25) See LAUXTERMANN 1998d: 367–373.