John Xiphilinos’ Menologion in the Georgian Context

Ever since the discovery of Ioannes Xiphilinos’ imperial Menologion in Old Georgian translation in the 1910s, the survival of this unique hagiographical collection exclusively in Georgian – while its Greek original has disappeared, has remained an unresolved puzzle. To a certain degree, the fate of Xiphilinos’ work is a mystery that requires careful reconstruction. This talk proposes several hypotheses concerning how an imperial Menologion dedicated to Alexios I Komnenos may have reached Georgia and under what circumstances it was translated. Although the translation of Greek texts into Georgian culminated in the eleventh and the first quarter of the twelfth century, it remains unclear whether Xiphilinos’ Menologion was simply part of this broader movement or a royal-sponsored project. It is worth asking whether a collection of saints’ lives composed in high-register Greek for a Byzantine emperor could have been translated for Alexios’ contemporary, king Davit IV the Restorer – often portrayed by his contemporaries as a learned ruler, promoter of education, and a lover of books. Prior to Davit, we already have evidence that Georgian kings took an interest in metaphrastic hagiographies and commissioned their translations. Davit may therefore have followed in his predecessor’s footsteps and continued the tradition of sponsoring the translation of hagiographical collections. Given the striking parallels between the ecclesiastical and educational reforms of Davit and Alexios Komnenos – including the establishment of new centers of learning – this scenario becomes increasingly plausible. Aware of the new literary trends emerging in Constantinople, Davit and his entourage – composed of Byzantine-educated learned men – may have considered it important to possess the collection of saints’ lives composed initially for the emperor.