§ 151. Eustathius of Thessalonica.
I. Eustathius: Opera omnia in Migne, Patrol. Gr. Tom. CXXXV. col. 517; CXXXVI. col. 764
(reprint of L. F. Tafel’s ed. of the Opuscula. Frankfort, 1832, and appendix to De Thessalonica.
Berlin, 1839. Tafel published a translation of Eustathius’ ’ jEpivskeyi" bivou monacikou'.
Betrachtungen über den Mönchstand. Berlin, 1847. The valuable De capta Thessalonica narratio
was reprinted from Tafel in a vol. of the "Corpus scriptorum historiae Byzantinae" (Bonn, 1842,
pp. 365–512), accompanied with a Latin translation.
II. The funeral orations by Euthymius of Neopatria and Michael Choniates in Migne, Patrol. Gr.
CXXXVI. col. 756–764, and CXL. col. 337–361. Fabricius: Bibliotheca Graeca, ed. Harless,
XI. 282–84. Neander, IV. 530–533, and his essay, Characteristik des Bustathius von Thessalonich
in seiner reformatorischen Richtung, 1841, reprinted in his "Wissenschaftliche Abhandlungen,"
Berlin, 1851, pp. 6–21, trans. in Kitto’s "Journal of Sacred Literature," vol. IV., pp. 101 sqq.
Eustathius, archbishop of Thessalonica and metropolitan, the most learned man of his day, was
born in Constantinople, and lived under the Greek emperors from John Comnenus to Isaac II.
Angelus, i.e., between 1118 and 1195. His proper name is unknown, that of Eustathius having been
assumed on taking monastic vows. His education was carried on in the convent of St. Euphemia,
but he became a monk in the convent of St. Florus. He early distinguished himself for learning,
piety and eloquence, and thus attracted the notice of the Emperor Manuel, who made him
successively tutor to his son John, deacon of St. Sophia and master of petitions, a court position.
In the last capacity he presented at least one petition to the Emperor, that from the
Constantinopolitans during a severe drought.^960
To this period of his life probably belong those famous commentaries upon the classic
authors,^961 by which alone he was known until Tafel published his theological and historical works.
But Providence designed Eustathius to play a prominent part in practical affairs, and so the Emperor
Manuel appointed him bishop of Myra,^962 the capital of Lycia in Asia Minor, and ere he had entered
on this office transferred him to the archbishopric of Thessalonica (1175). He was a model bishop,
pious, faithful, unselfish, unsparing in rebuke and wise in counsel, "one of those pure characters
so rarely met among the Greeks—a man who well knew the failings [superstition, mock-holiness
and indecorous frivolity] of his nation and his times, which he was more exempt from than any of
his contemporaries.^963 His courage was conspicuous on several occasions. The Emperor Manuel
in a Synod at Constantinople in 1180 attempted to have abrogated the formula of adjuration,
"Anathema to Mohammed’s God, of whom he says that he neither begat nor was begotten," which
(^960) Manuel was warlike and dissolute and ground the people down under heavy taxes. The petition alluded to is given in
Migne, CXXXV. col. 925-932. Cf Gibbon, Harpers’ ed. V. 81, 82.
(^961) Homer, Dionysius Periegetes the geographer, Pindar and probably Aristophanes. His "vast commentary" on Homer
is a perfect storehouse of classical learning and Homeric criticism, and has unique value from its numerous extracts of lost
scholia. It was first published and beautifully printed, at Rome, 1542-50. 4 vols. Perhaps tidings of its prospective issue had
reached Zwingli; for his friend James Amman writes to him from Milan on April 19, 1520, evidently in answer to his queries:
Commentaria Eustothii in Homerum Mediolani non extant, nec satis compertum habes, num Romae an vel alibi excusa sint;
nemo id me edocere potest. Zwingli, Opera, VII. 131. The Proaemium to Pindar, all that is now extant, is given in Migne,
CXXXVI. col. 369-372 Greek only). The commentary on Dionysius Periegetes was first printed by Robert Stephens, Paris,
1547.
(^962) See hisAllocatio ad Imperatorem cum esset Myrorum metropolita electus in Migne, CXXXV. col. 933-973.
(^963) Neander, IV. 530-531.