Ιστορίες και ιστορήσεις βυζαντινών παλληκαριών
Part of : Δελτίον της Χριστιανικής Αρχαιολογικής Εταιρείας ; Vol.38, 1999, pages 213-230
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213-230
Parallel Title:
Tales and Images of Byzantium’s Warrior Saints
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Articles
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Literary and artistic traditions produced a long enduring set of characteristics for heroes who were preeminently warrior heroes. Closely related to the stories of these brave Byzantine warriors is the folklore theme of the dragonslayer, which appears quite often in Byzantine literature and art. While the core of this theme has its roots in an older legendary/mythical tradition, it took a distinctive form in Byzantium by making the protagonist a saint who belonged to the military class. Our earliest sources for Saint Theodore refer to him as a foot soldier. He is also depicted as a simple soldier, without a horse, on seals of the bishops of Euchaita dating to before the eighth century. In subsequent depictions he is portrayed on horseback, a change which proclaimed that he was of noble birth and which linked his virtuous qualities with the ruling class. The oldest models echoed in these icons are reflected in an enamel icon in the Hermitage (Fig. 5), which is itself a copy of the devotional icon of Saint Theodore of Teron in the church of Saint Theodore in Vathis Ryakas near Constantinople, and must be the product of a Constantinopolitan workshop of the twelfth century. Saint Theodore's change from foot soldier to equestrian, with his parallel change in social status, can be seen quite clearly in three different versions of his life which retell the episode where he slays the dragon. These three versions were written in different historical periods, and in each the dragon-slaying episode takes a different form. In the first version, which corresponds to the historical and social conditions of the 7th and 8th centuries, the saint has no personal or social motives for killing the dragon, and his exploit arises by chance. In this version the hero-saint's relationship to society has not yet developed, and it is only through his victory that his outstanding virtues are recognized. The second version identifies the dragon with foreign invaders, echoing the Arab wars of the tenth century. In this version the hero is stirred into action by his duty to protect the community, which is the domain of a noble lady. To achieve his goal he must slay the dragon, a symbol of disorder, and in this way he restores order to society. The third version reflects the Comnenian military aristocracy of the 12th century. Here a combination of personal and social motives leads the hero to face the dragon. The ensuing struggle, which acquires a chivalrous character in the western sense of the term, tests all the virtues represented by the herosaint, who in this version has become a symbol of the military aristocracy. Saint Theodore's dragon-slaying episode is similar to that in which another valiant warrior, Saint George, slays a dragon to rescue the princess, a symbol of the highest power. As far as their social conduct in general is conceived, both Saint Theodore and Saint George can behave in a dubious fashion. Saint Theodore gets entangled in various incidents from everyday life in Euchaita in the Pontus region and shows himself to be a shrewd businessman who does not shy away from covering up misconduct of an economic nature, most often to his own advantage. These stories reverse the saint's heroic and benevolent traits as described in the dragon-slaying episodes. The collection of tales recounting the miracles of Saint George also refers to exploits which present him as a shrewd businessman, corresponding to the above-mentioned miracles of Saint Theodore. Saint George's negative behavior appears most clearly in paralogai of Asia Minor, in which the Christian saint betrays Andreiomene Lygere by handing her over to her Saracen persecutor after the latter offers him lavish gifts. Saint Demetrius, another of Byzantium's well-known warrior heroes, is quite different in character from Saint Theodore and Saint George. He always maintained an exclusive relationship with the city of Thessaloniki as well as high social standing and positive character traits. With the passage of time these associations grew stronger and more intricate, not allowing for any shifts or changes in the saint's identity. Saint Demetrius remains a cosmopolitan figure who is devoted to his city and to the noble moral principles of his class, thus representing a state machinery that knows how to manage society in the best possible manner. Attempts to transfer his worship to other localities are few in number and always associated with the administration of central power. The enthroned figure of Saint Demetrius in military dress and ready to unsheathe his sword is depicted in the carved icon on the facade of St. Mark's in Venice (Fig. 8), in the icon in the Tretiakov Gallery (Fig. 9), in seals of the Russian aristocracy and of the Bulgarian leader Ivan Asan (Fig. 10), and on coins minted by Byzantine emperors or leaders in Thessaloniki. This image of the saint completely matches the way he was represented in his devotional icon par excellence, described by John Stavrakios in the 13th century, which was located inside the ciborium in the church of St. Demetrius in Thessaloniki. The diffusion of this iconographie model indicates that the emperors of Byzantium, the kings of the Slavic tribes, and the Republic of Venice, appreciating Saint Demetrius' ability to govern and protect a large city like Thessaloniki, all tried in different ways to solicit his aid in managing their own affairs. The steadfast character of Saint Demetrius stands in sharp contrast to the personalities of the two other military saints, Theodore and George. The latter two came from provincial cities that lacked any particular prestige, rose from humble origins, in time attaining noble rank, and were always wanderers, free to develop relationships with different localities and social groupings and even free to change their personalities, descending from the high ideals of the chivalrous knight down to the level of humble financial transactions.
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