Kassia, Cassia, Kassiane, or Kassiani (, ; – before 865) 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
composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and def ...
,
hymnographer and poet. She holds a unique place in
Byzantine music as the only known woman whose music appears in the
Byzantine liturgy. Approximately fifty of her hymns are extant, most of which are
stichera, though at least 26 have uncertain attribution. The authenticity issues are due to many hymns being anonymous, and others ascribed to different authors in different manuscripts. She was an
abbess of a
convent
A convent is an enclosed community of monks, nuns, friars or religious sisters. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community.
The term is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...
in the west of
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 ...
.
Additionally, many
epigram
An epigram is a brief, interesting, memorable, sometimes surprising or satirical statement. The word derives from the Greek (, "inscription", from [], "to write on, to inscribe"). This literary device has been practiced for over two millennia ...
s and gnomic poetry, gnomic verses are attributed to her, at least 261. Kassia is notable as one of at least two women in the middle Byzantine period known to have written in their own names, the other being
Anna Comnena. Like her predecessors
Romanos the Melodist
Romanos the Melodist (; late 5th-century – after 555) was a Byzantine hymnographer and composer, who is a central early figure in the history of Byzantine music. Called "the Pindar of rhythmic poetry", he flourished during the sixth centur ...
and
Andrew of Crete, the earliest surviving manuscripts of her works are dated centuries after her lifetime.
Name
Her name is a feminine Greek form of the Latin name ''Cassius''. It is variously spelled Κασσιανή (contemporary pronunciation ), Κασ(σ)ία (''Kas
a''), Εικασία (''Eikasia''), Ικασία (''Ikasia''), ''Kassiani'', ''Cas
a'', ''Cassiane'', ''Kassiana''. Modern English-language references to her as a composer generally use the name "Kassia," while references to her religious life tend to use Kassia or Kassiani.
Life

Kassia was born between 805 and 810 in
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 ...
into a wealthy family and grew to be exceptionally beautiful and intelligent. Three Byzantine chroniclers,
Pseudo-Symeon the Logothete,
George the Monk (a.k.a. George the Sinner) and
Leo the Grammarian, claim that she was a participant in the "
bride show" (the means by which Byzantine princes/emperors sometimes chose a bride, by giving a golden apple to his choice) organized for the young bachelor
Theophilos by his stepmother, the Empress Dowager
Euphrosyne. Smitten by Kassia's beauty, the young emperor approached her and said: "Through a woman
ame forththe baser
hings" referring to the sin and suffering coming as a result of
Eve
Eve is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the origin story, "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the universe and its inhabitants came to be. Creation myths develop through oral traditions and there ...
's transgression. Kassia promptly responded, "And through a woman
ame forththe better
hings" referring to the hope of salvation resulting from the
Incarnation of Christ through the
Virgin Mary
Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...
. According to tradition, the
verbatim dialogue was:
"-."
"-."
Unsatisfied with her response, Theophilos rejected her and chose
Theodora as his wife.
By 843, Kassia had founded a
convent
A convent is an enclosed community of monks, nuns, friars or religious sisters. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community.
The term is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...
in the west of
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 ...
, near the Constantinian Walls, and became its first
abbess. Although many scholars attribute this to bitterness at having failed to marry Theophilos and to become empress, a letter from
Theodore the Studite indicates that she had other motivations for wanting a monastic life. It had a close relationship with the nearby monastery of
Stoudios, which was to play a central role in re-editing the Byzantine liturgical books in the 9th and 10th centuries, thus ensuring the survival of her work (Kurt Sherry, p. 56). However, since the monastic life was a common vocation in her day, religious zeal is as likely a motive as either depression or aspiration for artistic renown.
Emperor Theophilos was a fierce
iconoclast, and any residual feelings he may have had for Kassia did not preserve her from the imperial policy of
persecution
Persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group by another individual or group. The most common forms are religious persecution, racism, and political persecution, though there is naturally some overlap between these term ...
for her defence of the
veneration
Veneration (; ), or veneration of saints, is the act of honoring a saint, a person who has been identified as having a high degree of sanctity or holiness. Angels are shown similar veneration in many religions. Veneration of saints is practiced, ...
of icons. Among other things, she was subjected to
scourging with a
lash. In spite of this, she remained outspoken in defence of the Orthodox Faith, at one point saying, "I hate silence when it is time to speak."
After the death of Theophilos in 842 his young son
Michael III
Michael III (; 9/10 January 840 – 24 September 867), also known as Michael the Drunkard, was Byzantine emperor from 842 to 867. Michael III was the third and traditionally last member of the Amorian dynasty, Amorian (or Phrygian) dynasty. He ...
became Eastern Roman Emperor, with Empress Theodora acting as
Regent
In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...
. Together they ended the second iconoclastic period (814-842); peace was restored to the empire.
Kassia traveled to Italy briefly, but eventually settled on the Greek Island of
Kasos, where she died sometime between 867 and 890. In the city of Panaghia, there is a church where Kassia's tomb/reliquary may be found.
Works
Overview
Kassiani wrote many hymns which are still used in the
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 ...
liturgy
Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and participation in the sacred through activities reflecting praise, thanksgiving, remembra ...
to this day. She became known to the great
Theodore the Studite, while she was still a young girl, and he was impressed by her learning and literary style.
[
] She not only wrote spiritual poetry, but composed music to accompany it. She is regarded as an "exceptional and rare phenomenon" among composers of her day At least twenty-three genuine hymns are ascribed to her.
Her ''oeuvre'' as a whole demonstrates influence from classical
Greek literature
Greek literature () dates back from the ancient Greek literature, beginning in 800 BC, to the modern Greek literature of today.
Ancient Greek literature was written in an Ancient Greek dialect, literature ranges from the oldest surviving wri ...
, which she studied early in life.
Sacred music
Hymn of Kassia
The most famous of her compositions is the eponymous Hymn of Kassia (also known as the ''
Troparion of Kassiani''), which is chanted each year for
Great and Holy Wednesday as a
doxastichon occurring at the end of the
aposticha of
orthros and the lamp-lighting psalms of the
Presanctified Liturgy.
Tradition says that in his later years the Emperor Theophilus, still in love with her, wished to see her one more time before he died, so he rode 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 ...
where she resided. Kassia was alone in her cell, writing her ''Hymn'' when she realized that the commotion she heard was because the imperial retinue had arrived. She was still in love with him but was now devoted to God and hid away because she did not want to let her old passion overcome her
monastic vow. She left the unfinished hymn on the table. Theophilus found her cell and entered it alone. He looked for her but she was not there; she was hiding in a closet, watching him. Theophilus, overcome with sadness, cried and regretted that moment of pride when he rejected such a beautiful and intellectual woman; then he noticed the papers on the table and read them. When he had finished reading, he sat and added one line to the hymn; then he left. The line attributed to the Emperor is the line "those feet whose sound Eve heard at dusk in Paradise and hid herself for fear." Legend says that as he was leaving he noticed Kassia in the closet but did not speak to her, out of respect for her wished privacy. Kassia emerged when the emperor was gone, read what he had written and finished the hymn.
The music for the hymn is slow, sorrowful and plaintive, lasting about ten to twenty minutes, depending on tempo and style of execution. It requires a very wide vocal range, and is considered one of the most demanding pieces — if not ''the'' most demanding one — of solo Byzantine chant, and cantors take great pride in delivering it well. It is also sung by choirs in unison, often underpinned by Byzantine vocal bass drone.
Other hymns
Among the other hymns she composed are the following:
*The
Doxastichon chanted at the
Vesperal Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy () or Holy Liturgy is the usual name used in most Eastern Christian rites for the Eucharistic service.
The Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern Lutheranism, Eastern Lutheran Churches and the Eastern Orthodox Church believe the Divi ...
on
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas, the festival commemorating nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus. Christmas Day is observance of Christmas by country, observed around the world, and Christma ...
*Numerous hymns in honor of
saint
In Christianity, Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of sanctification in Christianity, holiness, imitation of God, likeness, or closeness to God in Christianity, God. However, the use of the ...
s found in the
Menaion (fixed cycle of the
Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar
The Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar describes and dictates the rhythm of the life of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Passages of Holy Scripture, saints and events for commemoration are associated with each date, as are many times special rule ...
), such as
Feast of the
Nativity of the Forerunner, 24 June.
* Among her hymns in the
Triodion (liturgical book used during
Great Lent
Great Lent, or the Great Fast (Greek language, Greek: Μεγάλη Τεσσαρακοστή, ''Megali Tessarakosti'' or Μεγάλη Νηστεία, ''Megali Nisteia'', meaning "Great 40 Days", and "Great Fast", respectively), is the most impor ...
) are the
irmoi for the
Matins Canons of
Great and Holy Thursday and
Great and Holy Saturday.
* Her longest composition is a
Canon for the
Departed, consisting of 32
strophe
A strophe () is a poetic term originally referring to the first part of the ode in Ancient Greek tragedy, followed by the antistrophe and epode. The term has been extended to also mean a structural division of a poem containing stanzas of var ...
s, to be chanted at a
Parastas (memorial services).
Secular writings
This poem by Kassia reflects the prevailing tensions and biases within the Byzantine Roman Empire against citizens of non-Roman origins, particularly towards Armenians, who were often viewed unfavorably by segments of Byzantine Roman society.
"The terrible race of the Armenians is deceitful and extremely vile, fanatical, deranged, and malignant, puffed up with hot air and full of slyness. A wise man said correctly about them that Armenians are vile when they live in obscurity, even more vile when they become famous, and most vile in all ways when they become rich. When they become filthy rich and honored, then to all they seem as vileness heaped upon vileness."
261 works of secular literature are attributed to Kassia, consisting of
epigram
An epigram is a brief, interesting, memorable, sometimes surprising or satirical statement. The word derives from the Greek (, "inscription", from [], "to write on, to inscribe"). This literary device has been practiced for over two millennia ...
s and gnomic poetry, gnomic verses. Never set to music, they were written during the reigns of Theophilos and Michael III. Akin to the rest of her ''oeuvre'', her writings demonstrate influence from classical
Greek literature
Greek literature () dates back from the ancient Greek literature, beginning in 800 BC, to the modern Greek literature of today.
Ancient Greek literature was written in an Ancient Greek dialect, literature ranges from the oldest surviving wri ...
, which she studied early in life. These literary genres were chiefly dominated by men, so her contributions would have been unusual; Byzantinist Andrew Mellas noted that "perhaps this was an advantage for Kassia and accounts for her originality".
The genre of epigrams had existed from
classical antiquity
Classical antiquity, also known as the classical era, classical period, classical age, or simply antiquity, is the period of cultural History of Europe, European history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD comprising the inter ...
and into the
Byzantine Empire
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 History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...
, being defined as somewhere in between the scope of
lyric and
epic poetry
In poetry, an epic is a lengthy narrative poem typically about the extraordinary deeds of extraordinary characters who, in dealings with gods or other superhuman forces, gave shape to the mortal universe for their descendants. With regard t ...
. Their exact organization was unformalized, ranging from the use of
couplets to
iambic pentameter, among others. The works are generally rooted in the long tradition, though they include her own unique innovations. In this genre, she is credited with first synthesizing secular and sacred values. While the works are secular in character, they promoted ethical teachings for the lives of Christians. Byzantinist described this approach as "An osmosis of ancient wisdom and monastic truth". Kassia abandoned typical themes found in Greek
prosody, preferring to discuss more individual and personal issues. In addition to ethnical ideals, the themes Kassia covers include ethnical ideals and weaknesses (her examples include 'foolishness' and 'friendship'); social structures; femininity (particularly 'beauty'); and the defense of women's rights. This approach would have made the genre more relevant and accessible to the Byzantine people, though the extent of her epigrams' circulation remains unclear. Her epigrams are particularly reminiscent of similar works by her colleague Theodore the Studite, and are characterized by a concise and straight forward presentation, often including witty or humorous elements. According to Mellas, it is probable that they were "a form
Catechism
A catechism (; from , "to teach orally") is a summary or exposition of Catholic theology, doctrine and serves as a learning introduction to the Sacraments traditionally used in catechesis, or Christian religious teaching of children and adult co ...
for her nuns and perhaps any friends of the monastery."
Kassia's gnomic verses were much shorter, usually a single-verse teachings. They often include moral adages and like the epigrams, were succinct.
Portrayals
Many fictitious stories were created around her relationship with Emperor Theophilos. Contemporary historians such as Glykas, Ptochoprodromos, Kodinos, Zonaras, and Georgios Amartolos described her exile in Italy during the Iconoclasy wars and later settled and died in Kasos sometime between 867 and 890.
A fictional version of her is portrayed by
Karima McAdams in the
5th season of the television series ''
Vikings
Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...
''.
In August 2019, English singer-songwriter
Frank Turner
Francis Edward Turner (born 28 December 1981) is an English Punk rock, punk and Folk music, folk singer-songwriter from Meonstoke, Hampshire. He began his career as the vocalist of post-hardcore band Million Dead, then embarked upon a primaril ...
included a song told from her point of view on his album
''No Man's Land''.
Religious commemoration
The
feast day
The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context does n ...
of Saint Kassiani is celebrated by the Orthodox Church on
7 September.
She is often depicted on the
icon
An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic Church, Catholic, and Lutheranism, Lutheran churches. The most common subjects include Jesus, Mary, mother of ...
of the
Sunday of Orthodoxy (the First Sunday of Great Lent), because of her strong defence of the
veneration of icons.
In 2022, Kassia was officially added to the
Episcopal Church liturgical calendar with a feast day on 7 September.
Recordings
The following are commercial recordings of the music of Kassia:
*
Kronos Quartet: ''
Early Music (Lachrymæ Antiquæ)'', USA 1997. Includes an instrumental arrangement of Kassia's "Using the Apostate Tyrant as His Tool".
* Sarband : ''Sacred Women, Women as Composers and Performers of Medieval Chant''. Dorian, USA 2001. Album contains one piece by Kassia, Augustus-
Sticheron Idiomelon Doxastikon: Vespers of 25 December (Athens MS 883) which is also recorded on the album by VocaMe.
* Deborah Kayser & Nick Tsiavos ''The Fallen Woman'' CD released 2008. Includes a recording of the Kassia Hymn.
* VocaMe : ''Kassia - Byzantine hymns of the first woman composer''. Christophorus, Germany 2009. 18 tracks, with full sung texts in Greek script, German and English translations.
Byzantine hymns of the first female composer: Kassia
vocame.de
*''Choral Settings of Kassiani: with members of Cappella Romana and the English Chamber Choir''. Various recordings of the Troparion of Kassiani and When Augustus Reigned. Released in 2011.
*''Hymns of Kassiani'', hymns of Christmas, the Triodion and Holy Week. Cappella Romana, Alexander Lingas. Released in 2021.
References
Sources
;Books and chapters
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;Encyclopedia and journal articles
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Further reading
*
*
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External links
*
Works by Kassia
at the Princeton University Library
{{Authority control
9th-century births
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Byzantine saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church
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