The Mutability of Αll Τhings Ηuman and Monastic Life in Romanos Melodus’ Kontakion On Life in the Monastery

Romanos the Melodist (died after 555) lived during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Anastasius I (491-518). Due to the high lyricism and intense drama of his poems, he has rightly been described as the Pindar of ecclesiastical poetry. His poetic greatness earned him universal recognition and acclaim in Constantinople. The increased interest in the person and work of Romanos in recent years has often been referred to as the 'Romanos Renaissance'. In this paper, we examine Romanos' kontakion entitled On Life in the Monastery (Εἰς ὁσίους μοναχούς, ἀσκητὰς καὶ μοναζούσας). We believe that this kontakion is of great interest, as it presents two important anthropological perspectives. On the one hand, it focuses on worldly life, which is characterized by the transience, relativity, and futility of rational beings because of their creation out of nothing. In our worldly reality, people's efforts often seem futile and useless, since injustice and evil prevail, while good is not always rewarded, as is the case in Paradise. One can discern certain hints of theodicy in Romanos' references. On the other hand, Romanos proposes the monastic path as the ultimate model of the angelic society, a life of silence and praise, far from the cares of the present world. In conclusion, the kontakion is, on the one hand, a constant reminder of the relativity and futility of this life and, on the other, a paean to the ascetic way and its proximity to heavenly life.