Bethlehem hath opened Eden

Author: Romanus

Romanus. The chief of the Middle School of Greek hymnwriters. He was a native of Emesa, deacon of Berytus, and became attached to the church of Blacherno at Constantinople. In that church he had a vision of the Mother of God, who gave him a piece of a roll to eat. He did so, and found himself endowed with the power of making Contakia (Neale, History of the Eastern Church, quoting Mensæa). He is said to have written a thousand of these poems, but whether this means a thousand of the long strophes, which are intercalated among the Odes in the present Greek office books, or a thousand of the long poems, which Cardinal Pitra has discovered under the name of Contakia, cannot be determined. The date of his pieces must be found either as 491-518… Go to person page >