Drd. AL. PRELIPCEAN, Sfantul Roman Melodul

ALEXANDRU PRELIPCEAN
uşurinţă dezvoltarea cultului divin public, şi astfel, vom putea înţelege trecerea
bruscă de la condace la canoanele dezvoltate de Sf. Andrei Cretanul şi de alţi
imnografi bizantini.
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Summary: St. Romanos the Melodist — outstanding
hymnographer of Orthodoxy
The present study dwells on the life, works and theology of St. Romanos the Melodist,
„melodist of melodists” (J. Pitra). Alongside the brief presentation of these three
aspects pertaining to Patristic research, we intended to approach some aspects
complementing the study of Romaneic kontakia, such as manuscripts and critical
editions/contemporary translations of the Byzantine melodist’s works.
There are not many Romanian studies on the theology of St. Romanos the Melodist.
Most articles/studies confined themselves to describe the life, works and importance
of St. Romanos as creator of kontakia, in critical editions with the hymnographer’s texts,
however the theological-philological contents of his entire corpus of works has been
neglected. The few translations from the Byzantine author’s works are not accompanied
by any scholarly introduction related to his life and works, or information on the respective
translations. A marked difference from this type of shallow presentations are two
volumes with translations from the Melodist’s works: the one entitled Hymns of
Repentance, with an introductory study by the renowned Patrologist Andrew Louth, and
the translation of some of the Melodist’s hymns by Cristina Rogobete and Sabin Preda,
also prefaced by a well-structured introductory study evincing the intention to revive the
legacy of the Byzantine hymnographer and Christian hymnography. On the other hand,
the studies provided by the Occidental or Greek scholars, numerous articles and studies
in prestigious dictionaries, books or theological reviews, have highlighted extremely
various aspects, both philological and theological.
This finding has prompted us to undertake an extensive investigation into the life,
works and theology of the Byzantine hymnographer, including the latest research,
especially the Greek one. Our synthesis, to which we have added three aspects
complementary to the study of kontakia, is in no way the end-all of such endeavours. We
have not intended it to be so. It is an attempt to know the life and works of St. Romanos
the Melodist as well as an invitation to read Christian poetry.
Numerous aspects concerning the Byzantine hymnographer’s life and works have
not yet been approached by scholars. Dissenting opinions notwithstanding, a fact is
certain: St. Romanos the Melodist came from Syria, endowed with the Syrian culture, and
lived in Constantinople, where he wrote most of his works. Scholars, maybe Romanian
ones, still have to ascertain the autorship of some kontakia with hagiographic contents
that are ascribed to him.
With all sholarly demonstrations, the only certainty remains the existence of St.
Romanos’ kontakion. As a new genre of Christian hymnography and a new expression
of theology, the kontakion sums up the entire Christian doctrine, inviting us to know
and apply it. St. Romanos’ kontakion actually develops his theology. His support for
Neo-Chalcedonian theology underlies the verses of his kontakia, which promote it and
reveal it as a fulfilment and continuation of Chalcedon Council. On the other hand, the