Secular Official as a Hagiographer: Niketas Magistros and the Life of Theoktiste of Lesbos

Abstract

Middle Byzantine hagiography abounds with the episodes representing the interaction of saint protagonists with the authorities. Apart of communicating to emperors and empresses, they also deal with the wide range of military and civil bureaucracy representatives in various circumstances. In contrast, it is quite a rare instance when a state official created a hagiographical narrative. The tenth-century Life of St. Theoktiste of Lesbos written by Niketas Magistros provides a unique opportunity to explore the relationship between saints and power not through the inner text space only, but through the outer juxtaposition as well: the text vs the author. The paper focuses on how the author describes his holy heroes and what made Niketas turn to hagiography. Presumably, the text was created to demonstrate to Constantine VII the outstanding abilities of the author who wished to convey to the emperor the idea on his repentance regarding his former mistakes and to plea the emperor to get the permission to return to Constantinople. In order to achieve this aim, Niketas Magistros builds up the images of his characters in a special way. Monk Symeon’s humbleness is represented as the highest human virtue, though the unnamed hunter’s misconduct who tried to steal the deceased Theoktiste’s relics deserves understanding and forgiveness for it is human not to comply with the prudence and piousness.