doukas (lat. dux)
Antiquity: Roman military commander who, in some provinces, combined military and civil functions.Buzantium: a higher military officer. From the second half of the 10th c. the title indicates the military comander of a larger district. After the 12th c., doukes were called the governors of small themes.
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katholikon
The main church in a monastic complex, heart of the monastic activity.
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Menologion of Basil II
Codex in scroll kept at the Vatican Apostolic Library (cod. 1613). It is considered the absolute masterpiece of the Byzantine miniature and the most richly illustrated known Byzantine manuscript. It is a glossy Synaxarion, the first and only one of its kind, with several unique features, such as the signatures of artists, ‘of the illustrator…’. It was ordered by Emperor Basil II (976 and 1025) and evidences his singular religious and artistic nature. Each saint and religious ceremony corresponds to a glossy miniature. The preserved manuscript includes 430 miniatures and covers the first half of the year (Sept.-Febr.). There must have been a second volume, which has not been preserved.
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metochion
In the Byzantine period, metochion meant the estate that was conceded to a monastery for income purposes and operated as its dependency. Usually the metochia were located far from the monastery to which they belonged and included various structures, such as churches, hospices etc.
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synaxarion
A liturgical text containing a short account of the saint's life and acts meant to be read at orthros (the morning liturgy) on the day of the saint's celebration.
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Synaxarion of Constantinople
A compilation of brief accounts on every saint that was celebrated during a liturgical year, arranged by months. It was one of the first and most thorough compilation of synaxaria and it is considered a valuable source for the Byzantine studies. Its compilation must be dated to the 10th century and was probably linked to the tradition of the Church of Constantinople. It was the model for many synaxaria compiled later (such as the Menologion of Basil II), and it was completed or slightly altered in some parts through the years. It was published in 1902 by the Belgian scholar Hippolyte Delehaye (Synaxarium ecclesiae Constantinopolitanae e codice Sirmondiano [Bruxelles 1902]).
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