Sophronius, patriarch of Jerusalem (629), celebrated in Anacreontic metres the praises ofChrist, the apostles, and martyrs, and wrote idiomela with music for the church service^455
Maximus The Confessor (580–662), the leader and martyr of the orthodox dyotheletic
doctrine in the Monotheletic controversy, one of the profoundest divines and mystics of the Eastern
Church, wrote a few hymns.^456
Germanus (634–734), bishop of Cyzicus, then patriarch of Constantinople (715), was
deposed, 730, for refusing to comply with the iconoclastic edicts of the Emperor Leo the Isaurian
(717–741), and died in private life, aged about one hundred years. He is "regarded by the Greeks
as one of their most glorious Confessors" (Neale). Among his few poetical compositions are stanzas
on Symeon the Stylite, on the prophet Elijah, on the Decollation of John the Baptist, and a canon
on the wonder-working Image in Edessa.^457
Andrew Of Crete (660–732) was born at Damascus, became monk at Jerusalem, deacon at
Constantinople, archbishop of Crete, took part in the Monotheletic Synod of 712, but afterwards
returned to orthodoxy. In view of this change and his advocacy of the images, he was numbered
among the saints. He is regarded as the inventor of the Canons. His "Great Canon" is sung right
through on the Thursday of Mid-Lent week, which is called from that hymn. It is a confession of
sin and an invocation of divine mercy. It contains no less than two hundred and fifty (Neale says,
three hundred) stanzas.^458
John of Damascus reduced the unreasonable length of the canons.
Another Andrew, called jAndreva" Puro " or Purrov", is credited with eight idiomela in the
Menaea, from which Christ has selected the praise of Peter and Paul as the best.^459
Stephen The Sabaite (725–794) was a nephew of John of Damascus, and spent fifty-nine
years in the convent of Mar Sâba, which is pitched, like an eagle’s nest, on the wild rocks of the
Kedron valley. He is commemorated on the 13th of July. He struck the key-note of Neale’s exquisite
hymn of comfort, "Art thou weary," which is found in some editions of the Octoechus. He is the
(^455) Christ, XXVII, XXXV, LIII, 43-47 (ἀνακρεόντικα), and 96 (ἰδιόμελατω̑νΘεοφανείων). Daniel, III. 20-46, gives thirteen
pieces of Sophronius from Pet. Metranga, Spicilegium Romanum, 1840, Tom. IV.
(^456) Poetae Gr. vet. Tom. II. 192 sqq. Daniel, III. 97-103, gives three hymns, among them a beautiful
υ μνοςἱκετήριοςειςΧριστόνChrist omits Maximus.
(^457) See his Operain Migne’s "Patrol. Graeca" Tom. 98 (1865); and his poems in Christ, XLIII. 98 (ἰδιόμελονon the Nativity);
Daniel, III. 79, a hymn in praise of Mary, beginningΣαλπίσωμεν ἐν σάλπιγγι ἀσμάτων, and ending with ascribing to her
almighty power of intercession:
Οὐδεν γὰρ ἀδύνατον τῃ̑ μεσιτείᾳ σου.
(^458) Fr. Combefisius first edited the works of Andreas Cretensis, Par. 1644. Christ, 147-161, gives the first part of "the
great canon" (about one-fourth), and a new canon in praise of Peter. The last is not in the Menaeabut has been brought to
light from Paris and Vatican MSS. by Card. Pitra. Daniel, III. 47-54, has seven hymns of Andreas, of which the first is on the
nativity, beginning:
Εὐφραίνεσθε δίκαιοι·
Οὐρανοὶ ἀγαλλια̑σθε·
Σκιρτήσατε τὰ ὅρη,
Του̑ Χριστου̑ γεννηθέντος.ͅ
Neale translated four: Stichera for Great Thursday; Troparia for Palm Sunday; a portion of the Great Canon; Stichera
for the Second Week of the Great Fast. His Operain Migne’s " Patrol. Gr." T. 97(1860), p. 1306sqq.
459
Christ, p. xlii. sq. and 83, αὐτόμελονειςτοὺςἀποστ.ΠέτρονκαὶΠαυ̑λον.See Men., June 29.