The First Canon of the Feast of the Transfiguration (August 6)

The First Canon of the Feast of Transfiguration (August 6)

Composed by Kosmas the Jerusalemite, Bishop of Maiouma (†c. 794)

Πρῶτος Κανών, οὗ ἡ  Ἀκροστιχίς. Χριστὸς ἐνὶ σκοπιῇ σέλας ἄπλετον εἴδεος ἧκε. Ποίημα Κοσμᾶ Μοναχοῦ. ᾨδὴ α' Ἦχος δ' «Χοροὶ Ἰσραήλ, ἀνίκμοις ποσί, πόντον ἐρυθρόν, καὶ ὑγρὸν βυθὸν διελάσαντες, ἀναβάτας τριστάτας, δυσμενεῖς ὁρῶντες ἐν αὐτῷ ὑποβρυχίους, ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει ἔμελπον· ᾌσωμεν τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν, ὅτι δεδόξασται». Ῥήματα ζωῆς τοῖς φίλοις Χριστός, καὶ περὶ τῆς θείας δημηγορῶν βασιλείας ἔφη· Ἐν ἐμοὶ τὸν Πατέρα ἐπιγνώσεσθε, φωτὶ ὡς ἐξαστράψω ἀπροσίτῳ, ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει μέλποντες· ᾌσωμεν τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν, ὅτι δεδόξασται. Ἰσχὺν τῶν ἐθνῶν κατέδεσθε, φίλοι Μαθηταί, θαυμασθήσεσθε δὲ τῷ πλούτῳ αὐτῶν, ὅτι δόξης πληροῦσθε, ὡς ὀφθήσομαι, λαμπρότερος ἡλίου ἐξαστράπτων, ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει μέλποντες· ᾌσωμεν τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν, ὅτι δεδόξασται. Σήμερον Χριστὸς ἐν ὄρει Θαβώρ, λάμψας ἀμυδρῶς, θεϊκῆς αὐγῆς ὡς ὑπέσχετο, Μαθηταῖς παρεγύμνου χαρακτῆρα· σελασφόρου δὲ πλησθέντες θείας αἴγλης, ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει ἔμελπον· ᾌσωμεν τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν, ὅτι δεδόξασται. ᾨδὴ γ'  «Τόξον δυνατῶν ἠσθένησε, καὶ οἱ ἀσθενοῦντες, περιεζώσαντο δύναμιν· διὰ τοῦτο ἐστερεώθη, ἐν Κυρίῳ ἡ καρδία μου». Ὅλον τὸν Ἀδὰμ φορέσας Χριστέ, τὴν ἀμαυρωθεῖσαν ἀμείψας ἐλάμπρυνας πάλαι φύσιν, καὶ ἀλλοιώσει τῆς μορφῆς σου ἐθεούργησας. Στύλῳ πυριμόρφῳ καὶ νεφέλῃ πάλαι, ὁ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ἄγων, σήμερον ἐν τῷ ὄρει Θαβὼρ ἀρρήτως, ἐν φωτὶ Χριστὸς ἐξέλαμψεν. ᾨδὴ δ' «Εἰσακήκοα τὴν ἔνδοξον οἰκονομίαν σου Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός, ὅτι ἐτέχθης ἐκ τῆς Παρθένου, ἵνα ἐκ πλάνης ῥύσῃ τοὺς κραυγάζοντας· Δόξα τῇ δυνάμει σου Κύριε». Νόμον ἐν Σινᾷ τῷ γράμματι, διατυπούμενος, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός, ἐν τῇ νεφέλη πυρί, καὶ γνόφῳ καὶ ἐν θυέλλῃ, ὤφθης ἐποχούμενος· Δόξα τῇ δυνάμει σου Κύριε. Ἴνα πιστώσῃ τὴν ἔνδοξον, οἰκονομίαν σου, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός, ὡς προϋπάρχων πρὸ τῶν αἰώνων, καὶ ὁ αὐτὸς ἐν νέφει τὴν ἐπίβασιν θείς, ἐν τῷ Θαβὼρ ἀρρήτως ἐξέλαμψας. Συλλαλοῦντες παρειστήκεισαν δουλοπρεπῶς, σοὶ τῷ Δεσπότῃ Χριστῷ, οἷς ἐν πυρὸς ἀτμίδι καὶ γνόφῳ, καὶ λεπτοτάτῃ αὔρᾳ προσωμίλησας· Δόξα τῇ δυνάμει σου Κύριε. Κατεμήνυον τὴν ἔξοδον, τὴν ἐν Σταυρῷ σου ἐν Θαβὼρ παρόντες, ὁ ἐν πυρὶ σε καὶ βάτῳ πάλαι, προκατιδὼν Μωσῆς, καὶ ὁ μετάρσιος δίφρῳ, ἐν πυρίνῳ Ἠλίας Χριστέ. ᾨδὴ ε' «Ὁ τοῦ φωτὸς διατμήξας τὸ πρωτόγονον χάος, ὡς ἐν φωτὶ τὰ ἔργα ὑμνεῖ σε Χριστέ, τὸν Δημιουργόν, ἐν τῷ φωτί σου τὰς ὁδοὺς ἡμῶν εὔθυνον». Προσενωπίῳ σοι ὧραι ὑπεκλίθησαν· φῶς γὰρ καὶ πρὸ ποδῶν, ὑψίδρομον σέλας Χριστέ, ἥλιος εἶκε μορφὴν βροτείαν, ὡς ἀμεῖψαι εὐδόκησας. Ἰδοὺ Σωτὴρ ἀνεβόων, Μωϋσῆς καὶ Ἠλίας τῶν Μαθητῶν, ἐν ὄρει ἁγίῳ Θαβὼρ ἐνηχουμένων, Χριστὸς ὃν πάλαι, προηγγείλαμεν ὄντα Θεόν. Ἡ ἀναλλοίωτος φύσις, τῇ βροτείᾳ μιχθεῖσα, τῆς ἐμφεροῦς ἀΰλου Θεότητος, φῶς παραγυμνοῦσα τοῖς Ἀποστόλοις, ἀπορρήτως ἐξέλαμψε. Σὲ τὸ ἀΐδιον φέγγος, ἐν πατρῴᾳ τῇ δόξῃ, οἱ Μαθηταί, ὡς εἶδον ἐκλάμψαν Χριστέ, σοὶ ἀνεβόων· Ἐν τῷ φωτί σου, τὰς ὁδοὺς ἡμῶν εὔθυνον. ᾨδὴ ς' «Ἐν τῷ θλίβεσθαί με, ἐβόησα πρὸς Κύριον, καὶ ἐπήκουσέ μου, ὁ Θεὸς τῆς σωτηρίας μου». Λαμπηδόνος πλέον, ἡλίου φῶς τρανότερον, ἐν Θαβὼρ ἐκλάμψας, ὁ Χριστὸς ἡμᾶς ἐφώτισεν. Ἀνελθὼν ἐν ὄρει, Θαβὼρ μετεμορφώθης Χριστέ, καὶ τὴν πλάνην πᾶσαν, ἀμαυρώσας φῶς ἐξέλαμψας. Σὲ Θεὸν ἐπέγνων, οἱ ἔνδοξοι Ἀπόστολοι, ἐν Θαβὼρ Χριστὲ δέ, ἐκπλαγέντες γόνυ ἔκλιναν. ᾨδὴ ζ' «Ἀβραμιαῖοι ποτέ, ἐν Βαβυλῶνι Παῖδες, καμίνου φλόγα κατεπάτησαν, καὶ ὑμνοῦντες ἔψαλλον· ὁ τῶν Πατέρων Θεὸς εὐλογητὸς εἶ». Περιχυθέντες φωτί, τῆς ἀπροσίτου δόξης, Θαβὼρ ἐν ὄρει οἱ Ἀπόστολοι, Χριστὲ ἀνεβόησαν· ὁ τῶν Πατέρων Θεὸς εὐλογητὸς εἶ. Λαίλαπι θείας ἠχῆς, καὶ δροσοβόλῳ νεφέλῃ, Χριστὲ καὶ αἴγλῃ σου ἡδόμενοι, οἱ Ἀπόστολοι ἔψαλλον· ὁ τῶν Πατέρων Θεὸς εὐλογητὸς εἶ. Ἐν ἀπροσίτῳ φωτί, ὡς σὲ κατεῖδε Πέτρος, Θαβὼρ ἐν ὄρει ἐξαστράψαντα, Χριστὲ ἀνεβόησεν· ὁ τῶν Πατέρων Θεὸς εὐλογητὸς εἶ. Τῷ ἀρχηγῷ τῆς γῆς, Χριστῷ συνόντες παῖδες, οἱ Ζεβεδαίου ὡς ἀπέπεμψε, μορφῆς φῶς ἑβρόντησαν· ὁ τῶν Πατέρων Θεὸς εὐλογητὸς εἶ. ᾨδὴ η' «Οἱ ἐν Βαβυλῶνι Παῖδες, τῷ θείῳ πυρπολούμενοι ζήλῳ, τυράννου καὶ φλογὸς ἀπειλήν, ἀνδρείως κατεπάτησαν, καὶ μέσον πυρὸς ἐμβληθέντες, δροσιζόμενοι ἔψαλλον· Εὐλογεῖτε πάντα τὰ ἔργα Κυρίου τὸν Κύριον». Νεύματι τὸ πᾶν ὁ φέρων, ποσὶν ἀχράντοις ὄρους ἐπέβη Θαβώρ, ἐν ᾧ ἡλίου μᾶλλον αὐγῆς, ἐξαστράψας τὸ πρόσωπον, νόμου προκρίτους, καὶ τῆς χάριτος ἔδειξε μέλποντας· Εὐλογεῖτε πάντα τὰ ἔργα Κυρίου τὸν Κύριον. Ἐν τῇ ἀπροσίτῳ δόξῃ, κατ' ὄρος ἐκφανθὲν ἀπορρήτως Θαβώρ, τὸ ἄσχετον καὶ ἄδυτον φῶς, τοῦ Πατρὸς τὸ ἀπαύγασμα, τὴν κτίσιν φαιδρῦναν, τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐθέωσε μέλποντας· Εὐλογεῖτε πάντα τὰ ἔργα Κυρίου τὸν Κύριον. Ἱεροπρεπῶς ἑστῶτες, Μωσῆς τε καὶ Ἠλίας ἐν ὄρει Θαβώρ, τῆς θείας χαρακτῆρα, τρανῶς ὑποστάσεως βλέποντες, Χριστὸν ἐν πατρῴᾳ, ἐξαστράψαντα δόξῃ, ἀνέμελπον·Εὐλογεῖτε πάντα τὰ ἔργα Κυρίου τὸν Κύριον. Διὰ τῆς ἐν γνόφῳ θείας ὀμφῆς, τὸ πρόσωπον ποτὲ ἐδοξάσθη Μωσῆς, Χριστὸς δὲ ὡς ἱμάτιον, φῶς καὶ δόξαν ἀναβάλλεται· φωτὸς αὐτουργὸς γὰρ πεφυκὼς καταυγάζει τοὺς μέλποντας· Εὐλογεῖτε πάντα τὰ ἔργα Κυρίου τὸν Κύριον. Ἐκ φωτογενοῦς νεφέλης, Χριστὸν οἱ μαθηταὶ ἀμπεχόμενον, ὁρῶντες ἐν Θαβώρ, καὶ πρηνεῖς ἐπὶ γῆς κατανεύσαντες, τὸν νοῦν ἐλλαμφθέντες, σὺν Πατρὶ τοῦτον ὕμνουν καὶ Πνεύματι· Εὐλογεῖτε πάντα τὰ ἔργα Κυρίου τὸν Κύριον. ᾨδὴ θ' «Ὁ τόκος σου ἄφθορος ἐδείχθη, Θεὸς ἐκ λαγόνων σου προῆλθε, σαρκοφόρος, ὃς ὤφθη ἐπὶ γῆς, καὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις συνανεστράφη, σὲ Θεοτόκε· διὸ πάντες μεγαλύνομεν». Σύντρομοι καινῇ φωτοχυσίᾳ, ἀθρόως οἱ Μαθηταὶ ἐλλαμφθέντες, πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἑώρων, καὶ πρηνεῖς εἰς γῆν καταπεσόντες, σοὶ τῷ Δεσπότῃ τῶν ἁπάντων προσεκύνησαν. Ἦχος ἐκ νεφέλης ἀνεπέμπετο, θεόκτυπος βεβαιῶν τὸ θαῦμα· ὁ Πατὴρ γὰρ τῶν φώτων. Οὗτός ἐστιν Υἱὸς ὁ ἀγαπητός μου, τοῖς Ἀποστόλοις ἀνεβόα, οὗ ἀκούετε. Καινὰ κατιδόντες καὶ παράδοξα, φωνῆς πατρικῆς ἐνωτισθέντες, ἐν Θαβὼρ οἱ τοῦ Λόγου ὑπηρέται, ἐκμαγεῖον τοῦ ἀρχετύπου. Οὗτος ὑπάρχει ἀνεβόων ὁ Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν. Εἰκὼν ἀπαράλλακτε τοῦ Ὄντος, ἀκίνητε σφραγὶς ἀναλλοίωτε, Υἱὲ Λόγε σοφία καὶ βραχίων, δεξιὰ Ὑψίστου σθένος, σὲ ἀνυμνοῦμεν, σὺν Πατρί τε καὶ τῷ Πνεύματι.

First Canon, whose Acrostic is Christ from a mount peak sent forth the boundless light of His countenance. Ode 1 Tone 4 The choirs of Israel passed with foot unwet through the Red Sea and the watery deep; and beholding the riders and the captains of the enemy swallowed by the waters, they cried out for joy: Let us sing to our God, for gloriously has He been glorified! Delivering to His friends words of life concerning the Kingdom of God, Christ said to them: When I shall shine forth with unapproachable light, you shall know that the Father is in Me, and shall cry out for joy: Let us sing unto our God, for He has been glorified. O my disciples and friends, you shall eat the strength of the Gentiles and their riches shall be your boast: for when I shall appear shining brighter than the sun, you shall be filled with glory and cry out for joy: Let us sing unto our God, for He has been glorified. Today as He has promised Christ, shining on Mount Tabor, dimly disclosed to His disciples the image and reflection of the divine brightness; and filled with godlike and light-bearing splendor, they cried out for joy: Let us sing unto our God for He has been glorified. Ode 3 The bow of the mighty has grown feeble. The weak have girded themselves with strength. Therefore my heart is established in the Lord. Thou hast put Adam on entire, O Christ, and changing the nature grown dark in past times, Thou hast filled it with glory and made it godlike by the alteration of Thy form. In the past Christ led Israel in the wilderness with the pillar of fire and the cloud; and today ineffably He has shone forth in light upon Mount Tabor. Ode 4 I have heard of Thy glorious dispensation, O Christ our God: How Thou wast born of the Virgin to deliver from error those who cry aloud to Thee: Glory to Thy power, O mighty Lord! Thou, O Christ our God, hast delivered the written Law upon Mount Sinai, and hast appeared there riding upon the cloud, in the midst of fire and darkness and tempest. Glory to Thy power, O Lord. As a pledge of Thy glorious dispensation, Thou hast ineffably shone forth on Tabor, O Christ our God, Who wast before the ages and Whose chariot is the clouds. Those with whom Thou hast conversed of old in fiery vapor, in darkness and the lightest of winds, stood before Thee in the manner of servants, O Christ our Master, and talked with Thee. Glory to Thy power, O Lord. Moses who in past times foresaw Thee in the fire of the burning bush, and Elijah who was taken up in a chariot of fire, were present on Tabor and made known there Thy death upon the Cross. Ode 5 Thou hast parted the light from the primeval chaos, that Thy works might sing to Thee in light, O Christ, their Maker and Redeemer: Do Thou direct our paths in Thy light! The seasons bowed down before Thy face: for at Thy feet the sun laid its light and its bright rays which fill the heavens, when Thou, O Christ, vouchsafed to change Thy mortal form. Behold the Savior, cried Moses and Elijah on Tabor the Holy Mountain, and their words rang in the ears of the disciples. Lo, here is Christ Whom we in ancient times proclaimed as God. The nature that knows no change, being mingled with the mortal nature, shone forth ineffably, unveiling in some small measure to the apostles the light of the immaterial Godhead. When they saw Thee, O Christ the eternal Light, shining forth in the glory of the Father, the disciples cried aloud to Thee: Direct our paths in Thy light. Ode 6 In my affliction I cried out unto the Lord, and the God of my salvation heard me. The Savior Christ, Light shining forth on Tabor more brightly than the brilliance of the sun, has enlightened us. Going up into Tabor Thou wast transfigured, O Christ, and darkening all error Thou hast made Thy Light shine forth. On Tabor, O Christ, the glorious apostles recognized Thee as God and bent their knees before Thee in their amazement. Ode 7 Once in Babylon the children, sons of Abraham, trampled upon the flame of the furnace, and they sang to Thee this song of praise: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou! On Mount Tabor, O Christ, the apostles, bathed in the light of Thy unapproachable glory, cried aloud: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou. The apostles delighted in the whirlwind of the divine voice, in the cloud that shed dew, and in Thy shining majesty, O Christ; and they sang: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou. As Peter looked upon Thee, O Christ, shining forth on Mount Tabor in unapproachable light, he cried aloud: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou. The children of Zebedee were with Christ, the Prince of life, when light went forth from His Person, and they thundered out: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou. Ode 8 Once in Babylon the children, burning with zeal for God, bravely trampled upon the threat of the tyrant and the fire: thrown into the midst of the flames but refreshed with dew, they sang: Bless the Lord, all works of the Lord! Thou, Who dost uphold all things by Thy will, hast gone up with Thine undefiled feet into Mount Tabor. There Thy face shone with a splendor brighter than the light of the sun, and in its radiance stood the elect of the Law and of Grace, singing: O all you works of the Lord, bless the Lord. When the infinite Light that knows no evening, even the brightness of the Father that gives splendor to creation, ineffably appeared in unapproachable glory on Mount Tabor, it made men godlike as they sang: O all you works of the Lord, bless the Lord. Standing in reverence on Mount Tabor, Moses and Elijah clearly beheld the express image of the divine Person, even Christ, shining forth as lightning with the glory of the Father, and they sang:O all you works of the Lord, bless the Lord. The face of Moses once shone with glory because of the divine voice he heard in the darkness; but Christ covers Himself with light and glory as with a garment. For He, Who is by nature Himself the Author of light, shines upon those who sing: O all you works of the Lord, bless the Lord. The disciples, looking on Mount Tabor upon Christ wrapped in a cloud of light, fell on their faces to the ground, and with their minds enlightened they sang this hymn of praise to Him, and to the Father and the Spirit: O all you works of the Lord, bless the Lord. Ode 9 Your birth-giving was incorruptible! God came forth from your body and appeared on earth in flesh, dwelling among men. Therefore, we magnify you, O Theotokos. The disciples, struck with fear and illuminated with the sudden stream of strange light, looked at one another and fell face downwards upon the ground, worshipping Thee the Master of all. A divine voice came forth from the cloud confirming the wonder. For the Father of lights called to the apostles: This is My beloved Son. Hear Him. On Tabor the ministers of the Word looked upon strange and marvelous wonders, and hearing the voice of the Father, they cried out: This is the imprint of the archetype, even our Savior. O unchanged Image of the One Who Is, O Seal that cannot be removed or altered, Son and Word, Wisdom and Arm, Right Hand and Strength of the Most High, Thee do we sing with the Father and the Spirit.

This insert is a gift from our Byzantine School.  We invite you to join us on the last Wednesday of each month at 6 pm, as we explore the selection of liturgy “specials” for each week, and other issues related to the liturgical services of our Church. Next mtg – 08/27/14. Please consult the Sunday Bulletin for our regular announcements, or contact Tasos Ioannides, ioanniam@uc.edu or (513)556-3137.  Translation Source:  http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/preob_e.htm (Bishop Alexander Mileant and Reader Michael Bishop)

Dear Eugenia and Polychronius,

To add further to the discussion on St. Kassiana, I am contributing the
following translation and personal thoughts.

Here is an excerpt translated from *A Historical Survey of the Hymnographers
& Hymnography of the Greek Church*, by the renowned hagiologist and church
historian Archbishop Philaret (Gumilevsky) of Chernigov (St. Petersburg:
Tuzov Press, 1902), pp. 272-275:

Kassia, Kassiana, Eikasia. In manner of life a pious nun; by education, a
learned woman; by birth, a noble virgin. She lived at the beginning of the
9th century, during the reign of Emperor Theophilus and his successor.
Kodinus, describing the antiquities of Constantinople, mentions the
monastery of Eikasia, which was founded by this virgin nun. ³The Monastery
of Eikasia,² he writes, ³was built by the virgin Eikasia, a pious nun,
beautiful of face and of mind.² Zonaras describes the circumstances which
led to Cassia¹s forsaking the world and building the monastery.
³Theophilus,² he writes, ³intending to choose a consort for himself,
summoned eleven beautiful virgins, among whom was the virgin Kassia, who
surpassed the others in beauty, and was as learned as she was nobly born.
Theophilus examined them, holding in his hand a golden apple which he would
give to the one who pleased him most. When he came to Eikasia he said,
marveling at her beauty: ŒAll that is evil hath come from a woman.¹
Eikasia, meekly, her cheeks blushing red with chastity, replied: ŒBut from a
woman all that is more sublime hath come.¹ Defeated by the words of the
virgin, Theophilus walked away and gave the golden apple to Theodora, a
native of Paphlagonia. Not having gained a royal marriage, Eikasia
established the monastery which bears her name, in which she lived for
herself and for the Lord. Excelling in her education, she wrote letters in
which there is no trace of pedantry or pleasantry. Thus did she reach the
end of her life, having betrothed herself to the heavenly King instead of an
earthly king, and having inherited the heavenly kingdom instead of an
earthly kingdom.² Leo Grammaticus records the same incident in his history
of Theophilus.
Kodinus says that during the reigns of Theophilus and his son, Michael,
Kassia composed many canons, stichera and other works, which are quite
marvelous. The same is said by the early 11th century anonymous author who
describes events of the past.
In the services of the Church we no longer see canons ascribed to Kassia,
except for one canon only, that of Great Saturday, which, however, was
reworked by Mark, Bishop of Otranto. This is what Theodore Prodromos writes
of the latter circumstance in his explanation of the canon of Great
Saturday: ³Through Ode V, this canon is the work of Mark, Bishop of Otranto;
but Odes VI through IX are by the great hymnographer Cosmas [of Maiuma];
furthermore, as we know from unwritten tradition, long before [Mark of
Otranto] a certain wise and chaste virgin, Kassia, was the composer of these
hymns, i.e. Odes I through V, i.e. she completed the canon. Later men who
edited the canons, considering it improper to attach to the hymns of a woman
odes of that ascetic Cosmas, commissioned Mark to compose troparia, while
retaining the former irmoi. This tradition is quite plausible. For Mark
did not incorporate the initial letters of the irmoi in his acrostic,
although to do so would have been to his advantage. For the initial letter
Œkappa¹ of the irmos Œkymati thalasses¹ [ŒVolnoyu morskoyu¹] and the letter
Œsigma¹ of the next irmos, ŒSe ton epi ydatOn¹ [ŒTebe na vodakh¹] are taken
from the acrostic; but he, setting the irmoi aside as the work of another
and not of himself, wrote the troparia from Œkappa¹ ŒKyrie Thee mou¹
[ŒGospodi Bozhe moi¹], and from Œsigma¹ ŒSymbola tes taphes sou¹ [ŒThe
tokens of Thy burial¹].² It is hence evident that the canon (i.e, through
Ode V) and the irmoi are not the work of Mark. Moreover, one can see this
from the fact that the words ³but we like the maidens² are included in the
irmos of Ode I. That the subject of this verse is a maiden clearly
indicates that the ode belongs not to a man, but to a woman. Since there
were two choirs during the exodus of the Israelites who originally sang this
ode--one consisting of men, the other of women--she, leaving aside the choir
of men, since she is a woman, said, ³we sing like the maidens². Yea, and
the very acrostic of the canon is dual, and, so to say, like twin-peaked
Parnassus. For the canon of Great Saturday was once a tetradion [a four-ode
hymnic composition]: its acrostic was comprised of only part of an iamb,
i.e., ³prosabbaton the, sabbaton melpO mega²--²The pre-Saturday. I hymn the
Great Saturday.² Half of its iamb applies to Great Friday, i.e. the
pre-Saturday, and the rest applies to Saturday, i.e. I hymn the Great
Saturday. But when the canon was continued and a full canon was made out of
the tetradion, the acrostic was also extended, and instead of the incomplete
iamb a complete one was made, i.e. ³kai simeron de sabbaton melpO mega². In
the Slavonic Triodion, one reads in the superscription of the canon: ³The
canon of Great Saturday, from Ode I to Ode VI, is the work of Mark, Bishop
of Hydrous. The irmoi are the work of a certain woman named Cassia. The
Odes from VI to the end are the work of kyr Cosmas.² Thus, in our present
canon of the work of Cassia only the irmoi remain.
As regards other canons, following Prodromos we must admit that it is
probable that certain portions of them, as is the case with the canon of
Great Saturday, are retained in our present canons, undetected by later
readers.
Among the stichera of Cassia, we find the following in the divine services:
1) for the Nativity of Christ, ³When Augustus reigned alone upon the
earth...²; 2) on Great and Holy Wednesday, ³O Lord, the woman who had fallen
into many sins...²; 3) feast of the martyrs Gurius, Salmonas & Habib,
November 15th (not attributed in the Slavonic Menaion, but attributed in the
Greek) ³Edessa rejoiceth...²; feast of the Nativity of the Forerunner, June
24th (³Today is fulfilled the saying of Isaiah...²; and for the feast of the
martyrs Eustratius & companions, December 13th (Let us hymn and piously
praise the God-bearing martyrs...²).
Having said that Kassia composed many stichera, Kodinus adds: ³such are
those of the harlot and the ointment, for all of these belong to her.² The
words of Kodinus indicate that he knew of many stichera written by Kassia
for the penitent woman, and not merely the one which has come down to us.
As regards the worth of the stichera reliably attributed to Kassia, one
must admit that the first two [above] truly deserve our admiration: as much
as the former is solemn and triumphal, so much is the latter full of a
profound sense of contrition. In the latter, Kassia has quite faithfully
expressed the feelings which filled the soul of the penitent sinful woman
who washed the Savior¹s feet with tears; to express such feelings of one who
greatly loved the Lord, Who was rejected by others, Kassia had to sense in
her own soul the fullness of bitter contrition over the corruption of our
soul, she herself had to be filled with that trusting love for the Savior of
sinners, for which men condemned both the sinful woman and the Savior of
sinners. ³Accept my fountains of tears. O Thou Who pourest forth the
waters from the clouds of the sea, bend Thine ear to the sighs of my heart;
O Thou who bowed down the heavens in Thine ineffable abasement, permit me to
kiss and wipe with the hairs of my head Thine all-pure feet, the noise
whereof Eve heard at noonday, and hid herself in fear. My sins are
many...but who can fathom the depths of Thy judgments? O Savior of souls,
my Savior, Who hast infinite mercy, reject me not, thy handmaid.² One must
say that there are not many who are capable of such profound contrition.

The entry on Kassia in *The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium* also includes
the information that Kassiane is identical to Kassia and Eikasia: ³KASSIA,
also Kassiane, Eikasia, and other forms of the name, poet....² The entry
cites an article by E. Catafygiotu Topping, which appeared in the "Greek
Orthodox Theological Review", Vol. 26 (1981), pp. 201-209, which someone may
have easy access to, and may contain more information of interest to our
group.

The only Greek-language Church calendar of the saints I have in my library,
the *Agioreitikos Epitrapezios Imerodeiktis, Etous 1977*, by the Monk
Dorotheos of the Skete of Xenophontos (published for Mount Athos in
Thessalonica), confirms the date of commemoration for St. Kassiane as 7
September (O.S.): ³Kassianes tes poietrias,...osia.² (The commemoration of
Kassiana the poetess,...monastic saint.)

Some years ago, I was able to consult St. Justin (Popovich¹s) Lives of the
Saints (in Serbian) concerning this saint. When I am able, I will do so
again. If memory serves, he also confirms the sanctity of St. Kassiana and
the date of her commemoration.

As to the variable forms of the name, it is my opinion the Kassia (a name
quite possibly derived from a plant mentioned in the Old Testament--Ex. 30:
24; Ps. 44: 8; Eze. 27: 19) was the saint¹s lay name, under which she earned
her reputation for erudition and as a poetess. Since it is a common
practice in convents to give nuns male names with female endings (e.g., the
abbess of our Mount of Olives Convent is named Moisea), it may well have
been that at her tonsure Cassia was given a female form of Cassian (i.e.,
Cassiana), after St. John Cassian.

I hope to contribute more on this topic as time and access to sources
permit.

Sincerely,

Isaac Lambertsen. Dear Eugenia and Polychronius,

To add further to the discussion on St. Kassiana, I am contributing the
following translation and personal thoughts.

Here is an excerpt translated from *A Historical Survey of the Hymnographers
& Hymnography of the Greek Church*, by the renowned hagiologist and church
historian Archbishop Philaret (Gumilevsky) of Chernigov (St. Petersburg:
Tuzov Press, 1902), pp. 272-275:

Kassia, Kassiana, Eikasia. In manner of life a pious nun; by education, a
learned woman; by birth, a noble virgin. She lived at the beginning of the
9th century, during the reign of Emperor Theophilus and his successor.
Kodinus, describing the antiquities of Constantinople, mentions the
monastery of Eikasia, which was founded by this virgin nun. ³The Monastery
of Eikasia,² he writes, ³was built by the virgin Eikasia, a pious nun,
beautiful of face and of mind.² Zonaras describes the circumstances which
led to Cassia¹s forsaking the world and building the monastery.
³Theophilus,² he writes, ³intending to choose a consort for himself,
summoned eleven beautiful virgins, among whom was the virgin Kassia, who
surpassed the others in beauty, and was as learned as she was nobly born.
Theophilus examined them, holding in his hand a golden apple which he would
give to the one who pleased him most. When he came to Eikasia he said,
marveling at her beauty: ŒAll that is evil hath come from a woman.¹
Eikasia, meekly, her cheeks blushing red with chastity, replied: ŒBut from a
woman all that is more sublime hath come.¹ Defeated by the words of the
virgin, Theophilus walked away and gave the golden apple to Theodora, a
native of Paphlagonia. Not having gained a royal marriage, Eikasia
established the monastery which bears her name, in which she lived for
herself and for the Lord. Excelling in her education, she wrote letters in
which there is no trace of pedantry or pleasantry. Thus did she reach the
end of her life, having betrothed herself to the heavenly King instead of an
earthly king, and having inherited the heavenly kingdom instead of an
earthly kingdom.² Leo Grammaticus records the same incident in his history
of Theophilus.
Kodinus says that during the reigns of Theophilus and his son, Michael,
Kassia composed many canons, stichera and other works, which are quite
marvelous. The same is said by the early 11th century anonymous author who
describes events of the past.
In the services of the Church we no longer see canons ascribed to Kassia,
except for one canon only, that of Great Saturday, which, however, was
reworked by Mark, Bishop of Otranto. This is what Theodore Prodromos writes
of the latter circumstance in his explanation of the canon of Great
Saturday: ³Through Ode V, this canon is the work of Mark, Bishop of Otranto;
but Odes VI through IX are by the great hymnographer Cosmas [of Maiuma];
furthermore, as we know from unwritten tradition, long before [Mark of
Otranto] a certain wise and chaste virgin, Kassia, was the composer of these
hymns, i.e. Odes I through V, i.e. she completed the canon. Later men who
edited the canons, considering it improper to attach to the hymns of a woman
odes of that ascetic Cosmas, commissioned Mark to compose troparia, while
retaining the former irmoi. This tradition is quite plausible. For Mark
did not incorporate the initial letters of the irmoi in his acrostic,
although to do so would have been to his advantage. For the initial letter
Œkappa¹ of the irmos Œkymati thalasses¹ [ŒVolnoyu morskoyu¹] and the letter
Œsigma¹ of the next irmos, ŒSe ton epi ydatOn¹ [ŒTebe na vodakh¹] are taken
from the acrostic; but he, setting the irmoi aside as the work of another
and not of himself, wrote the troparia from Œkappa¹ ŒKyrie Thee mou¹
[ŒGospodi Bozhe moi¹], and from Œsigma¹ ŒSymbola tes taphes sou¹ [ŒThe
tokens of Thy burial¹].² It is hence evident that the canon (i.e, through
Ode V) and the irmoi are not the work of Mark. Moreover, one can see this
from the fact that the words ³but we like the maidens² are included in the
irmos of Ode I. That the subject of this verse is a maiden clearly
indicates that the ode belongs not to a man, but to a woman. Since there
were two choirs during the exodus of the Israelites who originally sang this
ode--one consisting of men, the other of women--she, leaving aside the choir
of men, since she is a woman, said, ³we sing like the maidens². Yea, and
the very acrostic of the canon is dual, and, so to say, like twin-peaked
Parnassus. For the canon of Great Saturday was once a tetradion [a four-ode
hymnic composition]: its acrostic was comprised of only part of an iamb,
i.e., ³prosabbaton the, sabbaton melpO mega²--²The pre-Saturday. I hymn the
Great Saturday.² Half of its iamb applies to Great Friday, i.e. the
pre-Saturday, and the rest applies to Saturday, i.e. I hymn the Great
Saturday. But when the canon was continued and a full canon was made out of
the tetradion, the acrostic was also extended, and instead of the incomplete
iamb a complete one was made, i.e. ³kai simeron de sabbaton melpO mega². In
the Slavonic Triodion, one reads in the superscription of the canon: ³The
canon of Great Saturday, from Ode I to Ode VI, is the work of Mark, Bishop
of Hydrous. The irmoi are the work of a certain woman named Cassia. The
Odes from VI to the end are the work of kyr Cosmas.² Thus, in our present
canon of the work of Cassia only the irmoi remain.
As regards other canons, following Prodromos we must admit that it is
probable that certain portions of them, as is the case with the canon of
Great Saturday, are retained in our present canons, undetected by later
readers.
Among the stichera of Cassia, we find the following in the divine services:
1) for the Nativity of Christ, ³When Augustus reigned alone upon the
earth...²; 2) on Great and Holy Wednesday, ³O Lord, the woman who had fallen
into many sins...²; 3) feast of the martyrs Gurius, Salmonas & Habib,
November 15th (not attributed in the Slavonic Menaion, but attributed in the
Greek) ³Edessa rejoiceth...²; feast of the Nativity of the Forerunner, June
24th (³Today is fulfilled the saying of Isaiah...²; and for the feast of the
martyrs Eustratius & companions, December 13th (Let us hymn and piously
praise the God-bearing martyrs...²).
Having said that Kassia composed many stichera, Kodinus adds: ³such are
those of the harlot and the ointment, for all of these belong to her.² The
words of Kodinus indicate that he knew of many stichera written by Kassia
for the penitent woman, and not merely the one which has come down to us.
As regards the worth of the stichera reliably attributed to Kassia, one
must admit that the first two [above] truly deserve our admiration: as much
as the former is solemn and triumphal, so much is the latter full of a
profound sense of contrition. In the latter, Kassia has quite faithfully
expressed the feelings which filled the soul of the penitent sinful woman
who washed the Savior¹s feet with tears; to express such feelings of one who
greatly loved the Lord, Who was rejected by others, Kassia had to sense in
her own soul the fullness of bitter contrition over the corruption of our
soul, she herself had to be filled with that trusting love for the Savior of
sinners, for which men condemned both the sinful woman and the Savior of
sinners. ³Accept my fountains of tears. O Thou Who pourest forth the
waters from the clouds of the sea, bend Thine ear to the sighs of my heart;
O Thou who bowed down the heavens in Thine ineffable abasement, permit me to
kiss and wipe with the hairs of my head Thine all-pure feet, the noise
whereof Eve heard at noonday, and hid herself in fear. My sins are
many...but who can fathom the depths of Thy judgments? O Savior of souls,
my Savior, Who hast infinite mercy, reject me not, thy handmaid.² One must
say that there are not many who are capable of such profound contrition.

The entry on Kassia in *The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium* also includes
the information that Kassiane is identical to Kassia and Eikasia: ³KASSIA,
also Kassiane, Eikasia, and other forms of the name, poet....² The entry
cites an article by E. Catafygiotu Topping, which appeared in the "Greek
Orthodox Theological Review", Vol. 26 (1981), pp. 201-209, which someone may
have easy access to, and may contain more information of interest to our
group.

The only Greek-language Church calendar of the saints I have in my library,
the *Agioreitikos Epitrapezios Imerodeiktis, Etous 1977*, by the Monk
Dorotheos of the Skete of Xenophontos (published for Mount Athos in
Thessalonica), confirms the date of commemoration for St. Kassiane as 7
September (O.S.): ³Kassianes tes poietrias,...osia.² (The commemoration of
Kassiana the poetess,...monastic saint.)

Some years ago, I was able to consult St. Justin (Popovich¹s) Lives of the
Saints (in Serbian) concerning this saint. When I am able, I will do so
again. If memory serves, he also confirms the sanctity of St. Kassiana and
the date of her commemoration.

As to the variable forms of the name, it is my opinion the Kassia (a name
quite possibly derived from a plant mentioned in the Old Testament--Ex. 30:
24; Ps. 44: 8; Eze. 27: 19) was the saint¹s lay name, under which she earned
her reputation for erudition and as a poetess. Since it is a common
practice in convents to give nuns male names with female endings (e.g., the
abbess of our Mount of Olives Convent is named Moisea), it may well have
been that at her tonsure Cassia was given a female form of Cassian (i.e.,
Cassiana), after St. John Cassian.

I hope to contribute more on this topic as time and access to sources
permit.

Sincerely,

Isaac Lambertsen.