We now proceed to the classical period of Greek church poetry.
In the front rank of Greek hymnists stands St. John Of Damascus, surnamed Mansur (d. in
extreme old age about 780). He is the greatest systematic theologian of the Eastern church and
chief champion of image-worship against iconoclasm under the reigns of Leo the Isaurian (717–741),
and Constantinus Copronymus (741–775). He spent a part of his life in the convent of Mar Sâba
(or St. Sabas) in the desolate valley of the Kedron, between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea.^449 He was
thought to have been especially inspired by the Virgin Mary, the patron of that Convent, to consecrate
his muse to the praise of Christ. He wrote a great part of the Octoechus, which contains the Sunday
services of the Eastern church. His canon for Easter Day is called "the golden Canon" or "the queen
of Canons," and is sung at midnight before Easter, beginning with the shout of joy, "Christ is risen,"
and the response, "Christ is risen indeed." His memory is celebrated December 4.^450
Next to him, and as melodist even above him in the estimation of the Byzantine writers, is
St. Cosmas Of Jerusalem, called the Melodist. He is, as Neale says, "the most learned of the Greek
poets, and the Oriental Adam of St. Victor." Cosmas and John of Damascus were foster-brothers,
friends and fellow-monks at Mar Sâba, and corrected each other’s compositions. Cosmas was
against his will consecrated bishop of Maiuma near Gaza in Southern Palestine, by John, patriarch
of Jerusalem. He died about 760 and is commemorated on the 14th of October. The stichos prefixed
to his life says:
"Where perfect sweetness dwells, is Cosmas gone;
But his sweet lays to cheer the church live on."^451Menaea and the Octoechus bear the name of Anatolius, but Christ conjectures thatστιχηρὰ ἀνατολικάis a generic name, like
κατανυκτικάandνεκρώσιμα.(^449) See a description of this most curious structure in all Palestine, in my book Through Bible Lands (N. Y. 1879), p. 278
sqq.
(^450) The poetry of John of D. in his Opera ed. Le Quien (Par. 1712), Tom. I. 673-693; Poëtae Graeci veteres (Colon.
1614), Tom. II. 737 sqq.; Christ, Anthol. gr. Prol. XLIV. sqq., p. 117-121, and p. 205-236. Vormbaum, in Daniel, III. 80-97,
gives six of his odes in Greek; Bässler, 162-164, two (and two in German, 21, 22); Neale nine English versions. The best of his
hymns and canons areΕἰς τὴν χριστου̑ γέννησιν(orεἰς τὴν θεογονίαν),Εἰς τὰ θεοφάνεια, Εἰς τὴν κυριακὴν του̑ Πάσχα, Εἰς τὴν
πεντεκοστήν, Εἰς τὴν ἀνάληψιν του̑ Χριστου̑,Εὐχή, ̓Ιδιόμελα ἐν ἀκολουθία του̑ ἐξοδιαστικου̑, Εἰς τὴν κοίμησιν τη̑ς θεοτόκου..
The last begins with this stanza (Christ, p. 229):
̓Ανοίξω τὸ στόμα μου,
καὶ πληρωθήσεται πνεύματος·
καὶ λόγου ἐπεύξομαι τῃ̑ βασιλίδι μητρί·
καὶ ὀφθήσομαι φαιδρω̑ςπανηγυρίζων·
καὶ ᾄσω γηθόμενος ταύτης τὰ θαύματα.
(^451) Gallandi, Bibl. Patrum, XIII. 234 sqq.; Christ, XLIX sq., 161-164. Christ calls him "princeps melodorum graecorum,"
and gives ten of his canons and several triodia; Daniel (III. 55-79) twelve odes. Among the best are Εἰς τὴν του̑ Χριστου̑ γέννησιν,
Εἰς τὰ θεοφάνεια, Εἰς τὴν πεντηκοστήν, Πρὸς Χριστόν, Εις τὴν ὕψωσιν του̑ σταυρου̑, Εἰς τὸ μέγα σάββατον.Neale has reproduced
eight odes of Cosmas and a cento on the Transfiguration. The Nativity hymn begins (Christ p. 165):
Χριστὸς γεννα̑ται· δόξασατε·
Χριστὸς ἐξ οὐρανω̑ν· ἀπαντήσατε·
Χριστὸς ἐπὶ γη̑ς · ὑψώθητε·
ᾄσατε τῳ̑ κυρίῳ πα̑σα ἡ γη̑,
καὶ ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ
ἀνυμνήσατε, λαοί,
ὅτι δεδοξασται.