inspirer rather than the author of that hymn, which is worthy of a place in every book of devotional
poetry.^460
Romanus, deacon in Berytus, afterwards priest in Constantinople, is one of the most original
and fruitful among the older poets. Petra ascribes to him twenty-five hymns. He assigned him to
the reign of Anastasius I. (491–518), but Christ to the reign of Anastasius II. (713–719), and Jacobi
with greater probability to the time of Constantinus Pogonatus (681–685).^461
Theodore Of The Studium (a celebrated convent near Constantinople) is distinguished for
his sufferings in the iconoclastic controversy, and died in exile, 826, on the eleventh of November.
He wrote canons for Lent and odes for the festivals of saints. The spirited canon on Sunday of
Orthodoxy in celebration of the final triumph of image-worship in 842, is ascribed to him, but must
be of later date as he died before that victory.^462
Joseph Of The Studium, a brother of Theodore, and monk of that convent, afterwards
Archbishop of Thessalonica (hence also called Thessalonicensis), died in prison in consequence
of tortures inflicted on him by order of the Emperor Theophilus (829–842). He is sometimes
confounded (even by Neale) with Joseph Hymnographus; but they are distinguished by Nicephorus
and commemorated on different days.^463
Theoctistus Of The Studium (about 890) is the author of a "Suppliant Canon to Jesus," the
only thing known of him, but the sweetest Jesus-hymn of the Greek Church.^464
Joseph, called Hymnographus (880), is the most prolific, most bombastic, and most tedious
of Greek hymn-writers. He was a Sicilian by birth, at last superintendent of sacred vessels in a
church at Constantinople. He was a friend of Photius, and followed him into exile. He is credited
with a very large number of canons in the Mencaea and the Octoechus.^465
(^460) Christ and Daniel ignore Stephen. Neale calls the one and only hymn which he translated, "Idiomela in the Week
of the First Oblique Tone," and adds: "These stanzas, which strike me as very sweet, are not in all the editions of the Octoechus."
He ascribes to him also a poetical composition on the Martyrs of the monastery of Mar Sâba (March 20), and one on the
Circumcision. "His style," he says, "seems formed on that of S. Cosmas, rather than on that of his own uncle. He is not deficient
in elegance and richness of typology, but exhibits something of sameness, and is occasionally guilty of very hard metaphors."
(^461) Christ, 131-140, gives his "Psalm of the Holy Apostles," and a Nativity hymn. Comp. p. li. sq. Jacobi (p. 203 sq.)
discusses the data and traces in Romanus allusions to the Monotheletic controversy, which began abouta.d.630. He gives a
German version in part of the beautiful description of the benefits of redemption, p. 221 sq.
(^462) Christ, p. 101 sq.; Daniel, III. 101-109. Neale has translated four odes of Theodorus Studita, one on the judgment-day
(ὁκύριοςε ρχεται). Pitra has brought to light from MSS. eighteen of his poems on saints. See his Operain Migne " Patr. Gr."
99.
(^463) Christ, p. xlvii.: "Nicephorus duos Iosephos hymnorum scriptores recenset, quorum alterum Studiorum monasterii
socium, alterum peregrinum dicit. Priorem intelligo Iosephum fratrem minorem Theodori, Studiorum antistitis, cuius
memoriae dies XIV. mensis Iulii consecratus est. Is ob morum integritatem et doctrina laudem Thessalonicensis ecclesiae
archiepiscopus electus a Theophilo rege (829-842), qui in cultores imaginum saeviebat, in vincula coniectus et omni
tormentorum genere adeo vexatus est, ut in carcere mortem occumberet. Alterius losephi, qui proprieὑμνόγραφοςaudit,
memoriam die III. mensis Aprilis ecclesia graeca concelebrat. Is peregrinus (ξένος) ab Nicephoro dictus esse dicitur, quod ex
Sicilia insula oriundus erat et patria ab Arabibus capta et vastata cum matre et fratribus primum in Peloponnesum, deinde
Thessalonicem confugit, qua in urbe monarchorum disciplnae severissimae sese addixit."
(^464) English translation by Neale. See below, p. 473.
(^465) Christ, 242-253; Daniel, III. 112-114; Neale, p. 120-151; Bässler, p. 23, 165; Schaff, p. 240 sq. Joseph is also the author
of hymns formerly ascribed to Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem, during the Monotheletic controversy, as Paranikas has
shown (Christ, Prol., p. liii.).