Nicephoros Gregoras Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

An in-depth study of MSS Vat. gr. 704, Oxon. Bodl. Barocci 48 and some other later manuscripts, such as MS Vat. gr. 1444, provides a new reconstruction for both the authorial composition of the Solutiones quaestionum and the De numero... more

- by Renate Burri
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- Cartography, Greek Literature, Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, Reception Studies
- by Paolo Pietrosanti
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- Byzantine philology, Dream Interpretation, Onirologia, Nicephoros Gregoras
- by Dragoș Bahrim
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- Orthodox Theology, Byzantine Studies, Byzantine History, Hesychasm
- by Dmitry Biriukov
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- Patristics, Palamism, Nicephoros Gregoras
- by Sofia Kotzabassi
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- Aristotle, Ancient Greek Philosophy, Organon, Aristotle's Organon

The A. examines the issue of the distinction of the possessor and the possessed in God, which was raised in the discussion of 1355 between St. Gregory Palamas and Nicephorus Grigoras. The A. shows that the theologians of the IV century, being very cautious in their choice of philosophical concepts, used the opposition of “essence” and “inherentness” in God, which subsequently found continuation in the doctrine of divine energies. In the meantime, Western thinkers, beginning with blessed Augustine, did not accept this opposition, which ultimately led to a clash between the Byzantine Thomists and the Palamites. The article shows, in particular, that St. Gregory Palamas, along with the categories of “essence” and “attribution”, also uses the categories of “action” and “possession”, which allow him to speak about the difference
between possessor and the possessed in God. His opponents, on the contrary, considered such a distinction inadmissible, which for the most part is due to the influence of ancient metaphysics, primarily Neoplatonism, and is very problematic from the philosophical point of view.

- by Alexey Gaginsky
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- Palamism, Gregory Palamas, Byzantine Theology, Nicephoros Gregoras
- by Lev Lukhovitskiy
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- Hagiography, Byzantine Literature, Iconoclasm, Byzantine Studies
- by Lev Lukhovitskiy
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- Byzantine Literature, Iconoclasm, Historical memory, Byzantine Studies

This article deals with the ontological background of the discussion about divine energies in the 14th century. Specifi cally, since the concept of being was reduced to the essence, the status of energy became unclear, for the anousios energeia cannot be regarded as existing. The article shows that the existential dimension of the concept of energy, developed by Aristotle, in the era of Christological controversies recedes to the background, and the conceptual apparatus of ontology becomes so narrow that it seeks to eliminate everything that does not fi t into the framework of the opposition “essence vs. accidents” (ousia vs. sumbebekos). The article also demonstrates that this circumstance is a philosophical base of the Palamitic disputes and their most important theoretical prerequisite. In the relevant scientifi c literature, these disputes are viewed from the theological point of view; the motivation of anti-Palamites therefore remains unclear. Presumably, it might have happened that for their personal reasons, they did not accept, for example, hesychastic practices, whereas they were urged to deny the concept of energies by their own “mental ontology”.

- by Alexey Gaginsky
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- Ontology, Patristics, Byzantine Philosophy, Palamism

Abstract: Nicephori Gregorae Explicatio in librum Synesii "De insomniis". Scholia cum glossis. Introduzione, testo critico e appendici a cura di Paolo Pietrosanti, presentazione di Giulio Guidorizzi, maggio 1999, pp. LXXIX+133, £.... more

- by Lev Lukhovitskiy
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- Hagiography, Byzantine Literature, Iconoclasm, Byzantine Studies

Neighing horses are subject of a divinatory method (chremetismomancy). It was unknown to Ancient and Middle Byzantine ages, but it is still flourishing in late Byzantium. Comnenian and Palaiologan historians such as Anna Comnena, Nicetas Choniates, and Nicephoros Gregoras, chronicle various accounts about fateful neighs of imperial horses. Eastern influence about Byzantine divination is undeniable. Indeed, chremetismomancy seems to be indebted to Western social models, where horse riders were highly estimeed. Late Byzantine upper class was very fond of Frenkish chievalry, tournois and horse racing. This could easily explain the predictive meaning assigned to horses, as contemporary divination attests.

- by Salvatore Costanza
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- Magic, Byzantine History, History of Horse Riding, Comnenian Period

Six early Palaeologan hagiographical metaphraseis praising the saints of the iconoclast era are considered alongside their source-texts. The first section of the article is a brief annotated presentation of the relevant sources. The second explores three metaphrastic shifts altering the image of the iconoclast controversy: displacements in chronology, changes in psychological portraits, amalgamation of personages. The third speculates on how these metaphraseis functioned within the framework of Palaeologan political agenda.

- by Lev Lukhovitskiy
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- Hagiography, Byzantine Literature, Iconoclasm, Byzantine Studies

Recent research on the only Greek manuscript of Ptolemy’s Geography in America, Ayer MS 743 (Newberry Library, Chicago, identical with Codex Romanus Monasterii Sancti Gregorii in monte Coelio 15 which until recently was thought to be lost) reveals that it was copied for the famous humanist Francesco Barbaro in Venice by two Byzantine scribes working for him in the 1410s. The manuscript is therefore the oldest extant document testifying to the presence of Ptolemy’s Geography in Venice. Its unusual and complicated structure provides insight into the beginnings of the transmission of the Geography in Western Europe. Later on, Ayer MS 743 belonged to Francesco’s grandson Ermolao and to the library of the Venetian monastery San Michele di Murano before moving to Rome, London, and finally Chicago.

- by Renate Burri
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- Geography, Palaeogeography, Greek Literature, Reception Studies

Nicephorus Gergoras was the first polemicist of the XIVth century to bring an accusation of iconoclasm against Gregory Palamas and his partisans drawing upon Nicephorus’ of Constantinople writings erroneously ascribed to Theodore Graptos. In the “First Antirretici” and “Historia Rhomaike” he 1. proved the possibility of employing anti-iconoclastic testimonies in the Hesychast controversy; 2. offered an original heresiological concept of genetic and typological connection between Iconoclasm and Palamism; and 3. drew a complex scheme of political allusions and historical reflections, presenting Palamas as a new Eusebius of Caesarea, himself — as a new Theodore Graptos, and John VI Cantacuzene — as a new Theophilus.

- by Lev Lukhovitskiy
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- Byzantine Literature, Iconoclasm, Byzantine Studies, Late Byzantine history

This paper focuses on a new witness of the "In nativitatem et praesentationem Deiparae", a pamphlet written by Nikephoros Gregoras. The work, now preserved in the manuscript Venezia, Biblioteca Marciana, gr. Z. 142, was copied by some collaborators of the author and was reviewed by him. Thanks to this discovery, a new analysis of the manuscript tradition of the pamphlet was carried out, a tradition that consists of four other manuscripts, A (Città del Vaticano, Biblioteca Apostolica Vati- cana, Vat. gr. 1086), B (Città del Vaticano, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. gr. 1085), J (Jerusalem, Patriarchichē Bibliothēkē, Monē Abraham, 51) and K (Wien, Österreichischen National-Bibliothek, Hist. gr. 104). The material investigation and the collation of the text led to the reconstruction of two ‘editions’, both dating back to the author.

In the earliest work of Gregory Palamas, the «Logos on Saint Peter of Athos», there is a passage describing the process of self-knowledge of the ascetic: his mind first turns to itself, freed from all sensual and passionate, and then goes beyond its own nature to contemplate God and connect with Him. In his article on this topic Ioannis Polemis has pointed out that the origin of the obviously Neoplatonic vocabulary and conceptual apparatus of this passage can only be explained by the direct or indirect acquaintance of St. Gregory Palamas with the works of Plotinus. In this article an attempt is made, in the development of Polemis ‘ observations, to identify the Plotinus’ treatise, on which the monk Gregory Palamas relies in his reasoning. The author aims to demonstrate that the founder of Hesychasm, using and modifying some passages of Enneades V, 3, follows in line with the thoughts of the Plotinus in some aspects, but disagrees with him in key points points and argues that the result of intellect self-conversion is not the acquisition of natural boundaries, as Plotinus insists, but overcoming them in an endless striving to God. The article brings up the reasons what Gregory Palamas argued with humanist thinkers who were under the influence of Plotinus, in particular, with Nicephorus Gregoras.

- by Timur Schukin
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- Self Consciousness, Byzantine Humanism, Hesychasm, Theosis