Links to the Letters of Gregory of Cyprus
August 11, 2018
The corpus of Letters of Gregory II of Cyprus, Patriarch of Constantinople from 1283 to 1289, was edited by Sophronios Eustratiadis and published in the journal Ἐκκλησιαστικὸς Φάρος between the years 1908 and 1910. It is hard to come by, so, earlier this year, I uploaded to archive.org parts 3 through 5 of this corpus (parts 1 and 2 could already be found online). Below I supply links to all of the letters individually. Someone may perhaps find these links useful.
- Letter 1 : To the bishop of Neocaesarea
- Letter 2 : To the logothete Akropolites
- Letter 3 : To the monk Jasites
- Letter 4 : To the same
- Letter 5 : To Meliteniotes
- Letter 6 : To the bishop of Neocaesarea
- Letter 7 : To Demetrios Beaskos, of Thessalonika
- Letter 8 : To the most honorable kyr John the Mystic
- Letter 9 : To kyr Isaac, Metropolitan of Ephesus
- Letter 10 : To Xiphilinos
- Letter 11 : To the bishop of Neocaesarea
- Letter 12 : To Theognostos, kyr John the physician
- Letter 13 : To the physician Theognostos, in thanks
- Letter 14 : To the chartophylax of Thessalonika, Staurakios
- Letter 15 : To Theognostos
- Letter 16 : To the bishop of Neocaesarea
- Letter 17 : To the same
- Letter 18 : To the same
- Letter 19 : To the same
- Letter 20 : To Staurakios
- Letter 21 : To the same
- Letter 22 : To the same
- Letter 23 : To the same
- Letter 24 : To the bishop of Neocaesarea
- Letter 25 : To the same
- Letter 26 : To the same
- Letter 27 : To Meliteniotes
- Letter 28 : To Staurakios
- Letter 29 : To Athanasios Chatzykes
- Letter 30 : To Skoutariotes
- Letter 31 : To the bishop of Neocaesarea
- Letter 32 : To the same
- Letter 33 : To the same
- Letter 34 : To the same
- Letter 35 : To Pediasimos, chartophylax of Achreidon
- Letter 36 : To the bishop of Neocaesarea
- Letter 37 : To the bishop of Priene
- Letter 38 : To the logothete Akropolites
- Letter 39 : To the same
- Letter 40 : To one of the preachers (?)
- Letter 41 : To the same
- Letter 42 : To the koiaistor, kyr Nikephoros Choumnos
- Letter 43 : To the bishop of Neocaesarea
- Letter 44 : To the same
- Letter 45 : To the same
- Letter 46 : To the same
- Letter 47 : To the deacon Kallistos
- Letter 48 : From the same, to himself, as though from someone else
- Letter 49 : To the bishop of Neocaesarea
- Letter 50 : From the same, as though to himself from someone else
- Letter 51 : To the bishop of Neocaesarea
- Letter 52 : To the logothete of the crowds (?), Pepagomenos
- Letter 53 : The great logothete to the patriarch
- Letter 54 : To the great logothete
- Letter 55 : To the same
- Letter 56 : To the same
- Letter 57 : To the bishop of Neocaesarea and to Choumnos
- Letter 58 : To Skoutariotes
- Letter 59 : To the bishop of Neocaesarea
- Letter 60 : To the great logothete
- Letter 61 : To the same
- Letter 62 : To the bishop of Neocaesarea
- Letter 63 : To Saponopoulos
- Letter 64 : To the same
- Letter 65 : To the same
- Letter 66 : To Meliteniotes
- Letter 67 : To the bishop of Neocaesarea
- Letter 68 : To the same
- Letter 69 : To Pachymeres
- Letter 70 : To the bishop of Neocaesarea
- Letter 71 : To the monk Jasites
- Letter 72 : To Meliteniotes
- Letter 73 : To the monk kyr Methodios
- Letter 74 : To the monk Agathon Koreses
- Letter 75 : To Meliteniotes
- Letter 76 : To Staurakios
- Letter 77 : To the same
- Letter 78 : To George (in) Marmara
- Letter 79 : To John Theognostos
- Letter 80 : To Saponopoulos
- Letter 81 : To Xiphilinos
- Letter 82 : To Staurakios
- Letter 83 : To the doctor Theognostos
- Letter 84 : To the monk Theodosios in Cyzicus
- Letter 85 : To the same
- Letter 86 : To Saponopoulos
- Letter 87 : To the bishop of Neocaesarea
- Letter 88 : To Meliteniotes
- Letter 89 : To the monk Agathon in Koreses and to the bishop of Neocaesarea
- Letter 90 : To Meliteniotes
- Letter 91 : To Mouzalon and the other homilists
- Letter 92 : To the rhetor Holobolos
- Letter 93 : To the one in charge of requests
- Letter 94 : To the same
- Letter 95 : To the same
- Letter 96 : To the rhetor Holobolos
- Letter 97 : To Meliteniotes
- Letter 98 : To the one in charge of requests
- Letter 99 : To Staurakios
- Letter 100 : To the monk kyr Methodios
- Letter 101 : To the same
- Letter 102 : To John Phakrases
- Letter 103 : To Meliteniotes
- Letter 104 : To Doukaites
- Letter 105 : To Pachymeres, blamed for not writing for pleasure
- Letter 106 : To Staurakios
- Letter 107 : To the doctor Theognostos
- Letter 108 : To the chief secretary, the bishop of Neocaesarea
- Letter 109: To the most wise great Logothete
- Letter 110 : To Meliteniotes
- Letter 111 : To the great logothete George Akropolites
- Letter 112 : To the great logothete
- Letter 113 : To the monk Jasites
- Letter 114 : To kyr John the doctor, known of God
The letters of the same most holy Patriarch, published during his patriarchate:
- Letter 115 : To the great Logothete
- Letter 116 : The great Logothete to the patriarch
- Letter 117 : The patriarch to the same
- Letter 118 : The great Logothete to the patriarch
- Letter 119 : The patriarch to the same
- Letter 120 : To the same
- Letter 121 : To the monks in Ostradio, John Cheilas and Daniel
- Letter 122 : To the rhetor Holobolos
- Letter 123 : To the great Logothete
- Letter 124 : To the same
- Letter 125 : To the same
- Letter 126 : To the monk Daniel Glykes
- Letter 127 : To the great Logothete
- Letter 128 : To the same
- Letter 129 : To the same
- Letter 130 : To the same
- Letter 131 : To the Sebastokrator, kyr John
- Letter 132 : To the emperor kyr Andronikos Palaiologos
- Letter 133 : To the same
- Letter 134 : To the same
- Letter 135 : To the great Logothete
- Letter 136 : To the same
- Letter 137 : To the emperor
- Letter 138 : To the same
- Letter 139 : To the great Logothete
- Letter 140 : To the same
- Letter 141 : To the great Logothete: concerning the Diapatus
- Letter 142 : To the Emperor
- Letter 143 : To the same
- Letter 144 : To the great Logothete
- Letter 145 : To the same
- Letter 146 : To the emperor
- Letter 147 : To the monk Athanasios Lependrinos
- Letter 148 : To the same, who was still making peace
- Letter 149 : To the great Logothete
- Letter 150 : To the same
- Letter 151 : To the same
- Letter 152 : To the monk
- Letter 153 : To the great Logothete
- Letter 154 : To the same
- Letter 155 : To the same
- Letter 156 : The great Logothete to the patriarch
- Letter 157 : The patriarch to the same
- Letter 158 : To the protovestiarius’s wife, and to her sister, by way of consolation
- Letter 159 : To the great Logothete
- Letter 160 : To the same
- Letter 161 : To the protosevastus and the protovestiarius
- Letter 162 : To the same
- Letter 163 : To the same
- Letter 164 : To the same
- Letter 165 : To the same
- Letter 166 : To the same
- Letter 167 : To the physician Theognostos
- Letter 168 : To the protovestiarius
- Letter 169 : To Akropolites, the logothete of the Assessors
- Letter 170 : To the great Logothete
- Letter 171 : To a certain well-known monk
- Letter 172 : To the great Logothete
- Letter 173 : To the same
- Letter 174 : To the same
- Letter 175 : To the same
- Letter 176 : To Cheilas
- Letter 177 : To the same great Logothete
- Letter 178 : To the bishop of Ephesus (John Cheilas)
- Letter 179 : To the same
- Letter 180 : To the great Logothete
- Letter 181 : To the same
- Letter 182 : To the same
- Letter 183 : The patriarch to the protovestiarius
- Letter 184 : To the same
- Letter 185 : To the same
- Letter 186 : The protovestiarius to the patriarch
- Letter 187 : To Raoulaine
Letters 188-197; also, “Proclamation of his orthodoxy by those who supported him”
- Letter 188 : To the same
- Letter 189 : To the same
- Letter 190 : From the most holy patriarch
- Letter 191 : To one of the archpriests
- Letter 192 : To Meliteniotes
- Letter 193 : To the same
- Letter 194 : To the bishop of Neocaesarea
- Letter 195 : To one of the preachers
- Letter 196 : (untitled)
- Letter 197 : To Meliteniotes
- Proclamation of his orthodoxy by those who supported him
A quick translation of an article on Metrophanes of Smyrna
August 10, 2018
R. Janin’s article on Metrophanes of Smyrna in the Dictionnaire de Théologie Catholique, vol. 10/2 (Paris, 1923), cols. 1627-1628:
https://archive.org/stream/dictionnairedet10vaca#page/162
Metrophanes of Smyrna
Metrophanes of Smyrna: metropolitan of that city (9th century). He was born probably at Constantinople. Baronius, Annales, an. 843, n. 2 and 3, following John the Curopalate, reports that his mother had been the woman who, by a payment of money, had been successfully persuaded by the adversaries of Patriarch Methodius to accuse the latter of having formerly violated her. Nothing is known either about Metrophanes’ childhood or about his youth. He was already Metropolitan of Smyrna when St. Ignatius was deposed in 857. He showed himself an implacable adversary of Photius and placed himself at the head of the bishops who remained faithful to Ignatius; they excommunicated the intruder, who excommunicated them in turn (Baronius, an. 859, n. 54, and 860, n. 1). This courageous attitude earned Metrophanes the harsh attentions of Michael III. This prince had him first thrown in prison, then exiled. After the first deposition of Photius (867), Metrophanes was able to retake possession of his see. He attended the Eighth Ecumenical Council (869) and took an active part in its deliberations. During the fourth session (13 October), he put forward the motion of the patrician Baanes, the imperial commissary, demanding that two bishops, ordained by Methodius and partisans of Photius, be introduced into the assembly so that they might there learn the reason for their condemnation. The pontifical legates were opposed to this, but he ended up having his way. During the same session, he professed that he himself had been momentarily deceived by Photius who pretended to have been recognized by the pope and by the eastern patriarchs (Mansi, Concil., vol. X, cols. 55-73, passim; Baronius, Annales, an. 869, n. 27-28). During the sixth session (25 October), he gave an important speech and refuted the arguments of Zacharias, metropolitan of Chalcedon, a partisan of Photius (Mansi, ibid., cols. 89 sq.). At the end of the council, he was one of two bishops designated to read solemnly, at Hagia Sophia, the fathers’ profession of faith (Mansi, col. 179 A; Baronius, an. 869, n. 29-30). In 870, Metrophanes wrote, at the request of the patrician Manuel, Logothete of the Course or prefect of the imperial posts, an exposé of Photius’s conduct (Mansi, col. 413-420; Baronius, an. 870, n. 44-51). It was perhaps in the years following this that Photius wrote an ambiguous letter to Metrophanes (published by A. Papadopoulos-Kerameus, Ss. Patris Photii … Epistolae XLV, St. Petersburg, 1896, pp. 18-19). Upon the death of St. Ignatius, Metrophanes did not want to recognize Photius as patriarch and refused, under the pretext of illness, to attend the council held during the winter of 879-880 to pacify the Church. After the third warning, John VIII’s legates declared him cut off from the Church (Mansi, vol. XVII A-XVIII A, cols. 496 sq.). At this council of 879 there was seated a certain Nicetas with the title of Metropolitan of Smyrna; he must have been ordained by Photius during Metrophanes’ exile. All trace of Metrophanes is lost after 880. The date of his death is unknown, nor is it known if he was able to retake possession of his see after Photius’s second deposition (886). Certain manuscripts of his works give him the title of saint and even that of martyr; nevertheless, no service seems to have been composed for his veneration.
The works of Metrophanes of Smyrna are quite numerous and varied. John Bekkos, in his Epigraph VIII, PG 141, 692 (L. Allatius, Graecia orthodoxa, 1648, vol. II, p. 605), cites the beginning of his commentary on the first epistle of St. John. A Georgian translation exists of his commentary on Ecclesiastes, K. S. Kekelidze, Thargmanebay Eklesiastisay Mitrophane zmwrnel metropolitisay (Commentarii in Ecclesiastem Metrophanis, metropolitae Smyrnensis), Tiflis, 1920; the Greek text has not yet been reported. Allatius, De libris ecclesiasticis graecis, n. 67, says that Metrophanes is the author of the canons to the Holy Trinity that are sung in the office of Sunday (Fabricius, Bibliotheca graeca, 1722, vol. v, p. 49; A. Papadopoulos-Kerameus, Ἱεροσολυμιτικὴ βιβλιοθήκη, vol. I, ms. 249, p. 320, vol. II, mss. 257, 434, and 468, pp. 383, 548, and 559); from him are also sticharia on the same subject (A. Papadopoulos-Kerameus, op. cit., vol. II, ms. 434, p. 548); diverse hymns (ibid., vol. II, ms. 106 and 342, pp. 118, 464); canons and sticharia in honor of the Holy Virgin (Theotocarion, ed. Venice, 1808, pp. 15, 47, 65, 91, and 105; A. Papadopoulos-Kerameus, vol. II, ms. 435, pp. 547-548). He also left an instruction on the manner of transcribing hymns (A. Papadopoulos-Kerameus, vol. II, ms. 106, p. 188). We spoke above about his letter to the patrician Manuel on Photius’s conduct; it is found in Latin in Baronius, op. cit., an. 870, n. 44-51, in Greek and in Latin in Mansi, op. cit., vol. XVI, cols. 413 E-420. B. Georgiades has published (in Ἐκκλησιαστικὴ Ἀλήθεια, vol. 3, 1882-1883, pp. 298-302) a panegyric by Metrophanes on St. Polycarp; another by the same author on the archangels likewise appeared in the same review, vol. 7 (1887, 2nd ed.), pp. 386-393. Finally, a treatise against the Latins on the subject of the procession of the Holy Spirit has been attributed to Metrophanes: L. Allatius, De Ecclesiae occidentalis et orientalis perpetua consensione, 1648, vol. II, c. 6, col. 575; but J. Hergenröther, Photii liber de Spiritus Sancti mystagogia, Ratisbon, 1857, has proven that this work is by Photius.
Baronius, Annales ecclesiastici, ann. 843, n. 2 and 3; 859, n. 54; 860, n. 1; 869, n. 27-30; 870, n. 44-51; Mansi, Concil., vol. XVI, cols. 55-73, 89 sq., 179; vol. XVII a-XVIIIa, cols. 496 sq.; Fabricius, Bibliotheca graeca, 1721, vol. X, p. 540.