Ethopoiia and Emotions in the Service of the Depiction of Evil Characters in the Lives of Ignatios and Euthymios

The lives of patriarch Ignatios and patriarch Euthymios, especially the years of their respective patriarchates (847-858 and 867-877 for Ignatios) and 907-912 (for Euthymios) were full of conflicts and controversies. For both men, biographies, in the form of a hagiographical bios (BHG 817, BHG 651), were composed by a follower during the first half of the tenth century. It is the aim of this paper to investigate certain strategies that the authors of these Lives (Niketas Paphlagon and an unknown monk of Euthymios’ monastery) used to denigrate their heroes’ enemies and opponents. One such strategy is the depiction of character through direct speech (ethopoiia). Another is the ascription of negatively charged emotions such as arrogance, vanity, pride, envy and shamelessness to the heroes’ opponents. By comparing the two Lives, we shall point out the common ground but also differences in the use of these strategies in the Lives of Ignatios and Euthymios.