Emotions, Miracles, and the Mechanics of Psychology in Nikephoros Gregoras’ Lives of Empress Theophano and Patriarch Anthony II Kauleas

P. 155–174.

Lukhovitskiy L.

The author first characterizes Palaiologan versions of older hagiographies as very different in scope from the
metaphraseis of Symeon in the 10th century, as far as they did not just pretended a linguistic recasting but to adapt the story to new purposes and audiences, each author following his own standards. He tries to prove his point by comparing two passages of the Lives of Theophano and Anthony Kauleas by Nikephoros Gregoras against their models. He centers in additions and suppressions and describes the changes introduced in the narrative,
resulting in a psychological dramatization and rationalization of the story and a marginalization of the miraculous side.

Keywords: византийская литература, византийская агиография, Byzantine hagiography, Byzantine literature, Palaeologus dynasty, Палеологи, metaphrasis, метафразирование

In book

Metaphrasis in Byzantine Literature

Turnhout: Brepols Publishers, 2021.