Saint Michael Choniates (or Acominatus; ; c. 1140 – 1220) was a

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

Greek writer and

cleric Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

, born at Chonae (the ancient Colossae). At an early age he studied at

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

and was the pupil of Eustathius of Thessalonica. In 1182 he was appointed

archbishop of Athens The Archbishopric of Athens () is a Greek Orthodox archiepiscopal see based in the city of Athens, Greece. It is the senior see of Greece, and the seat of the autocephalous Church of Greece. Its incumbent (since 2008) is Ieronymos II of Athens. ...

, a position which he retained until 1204. In 1204, he defended the

Acropolis of Athens The Acropolis of Athens (; ) is an ancient citadel located on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens, Greece, and contains the remains of several Ancient Greek architecture, ancient buildings of great architectural and historical significance, ...

from attack by Leo Sgouros, holding out until the arrival of the Crusaders in 1205, to whom he surrendered the city. After the establishment of

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

control, he retired to the island of Ceos. Around 1217 he moved again to the

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

of Vodonitsa near

Thermopylae Thermopylae (; ; Ancient: , Katharevousa: ; ; "hot gates") is a narrow pass and modern town in Lamia (city), Lamia, Phthiotis, Greece. It derives its name from its Mineral spring, hot sulphur springs."Thermopylae" in: S. Hornblower & A. Spaw ...

, where he died on 4 July. Though he is known to

classical scholar Classics, also classical studies or Ancient Greek and Roman studies, is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, ''classics'' traditionally refers to the study of Ancient Greek literature, Ancient Greek and Roman literature and ...

s as the last possessor of complete versions of Callimachus' '' Hecale'' and '' Aitia'', he was a versatile writer, and composed homilies, speeches and poems, which, with his correspondence, throw considerable light upon the condition of

Attica Attica (, ''Attikḗ'' (Ancient Greek) or , or ), or the Attic Peninsula, is a historical region that encompasses the entire Athens metropolitan area, which consists of the city of Athens, the capital city, capital of Greece and the core cit ...

and Athens at the time. His memorial to Alexios III Angelos on the abuses of Byzantine administration, the poetical lament over the degeneracy of Athens and the monodies on his brother Nicetas and Eustathius, archbishop of Thessalonica, deserve special mention. It is believed that his daughter Constantina tutored, in Greek and science, John of Basingstoke, Archdeacon of Leicester known for his fluency in and advocacy of the

Greek language Greek (, ; , ) is an Indo-European languages, Indo-European language, constituting an independent Hellenic languages, Hellenic branch within the Indo-European language family. It is native to Greece, Cyprus, Italy (in Calabria and Salento), south ...

. Michael's pupil George Bardanes, who had accompanied him during his exile on Ceos, became a distinguished bishop in subsequent years.

Notes

References

*Edition of his works by Spyridon Lambros (1879-1880) * Migne, '' Patrologia Graeca'', cxL. * Adolf Ellissen, ''Michael Akominatos'' (1846), containing several pieces with German translation * Ferdinand Gregorovius, ''Geschichte der Stadt Athen im Mittelalter'', i, (1889) * George Finlay, ''History of Greece'', iv. pp. 133–134 (1877). * Thallon, C. ''A Medieval Humanist: Michael Akominatos'' (New Haven, 1923) (reprint New York, 1973). * Stadtmüller, G. "Michael Choniates, Metropolit von Athen," ''Orientalia Christiana'', 33,2 (1934), 125–325. * Setton, K. M. "Athens in the Later Twelfth Century," Speculum, XIX (1944), 179–207. * Anthony Kaldellis, "Michael Choniates: a classicist-bishop and his cathedral (1182–1205 AD)," in Idem, ''The Christian Parthenon: Classicism and Pilgrimage in Byzantine Athens'' (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2009), 145–162. *Nario Gallina, "La reazione antiromana nell'epistolario di Michele Coniata Metropolita d'Atene" in Gherardo Ortalli, Giorgio Ravegnani, Peter Schreiner, eds. ''Quarta Crociata'' (Venice, 2006. ) vol. 1 pp. 423–446 * * Athanasios Angelou, «Rhetoric and History: The case of Nicetas Choniates», στο History as Literature in Byzantium, ed. Ruth Macrides, Farnham, Ashgate 2010, σ. 289–305. {{DEFAULTSORT:Choniates, Michael 1140s births 1220 deaths 12th-century Byzantine bishops 13th-century Byzantine bishops 12th-century Byzantine writers 13th-century Byzantine writers Bishops of Athens Book and manuscript collectors Byzantine Anatolians Byzantine Athenians Christians of the Fourth Crusade Kea (island) People from Colossae