Performing Gratitude in Miracle Stories

Gratitude is a central motif in Byzantine miracle stories, where each miracle elicits an ethical response: the gift of a miracle must be acknowledged and, in some sense, repaid. Saints frequently chastise, and at times even punish, beneficiaries who fail to perform their thankfulness. Gratitude in these narratives is a complex emotional and ethical response, combining awe, admiration, wonder, and intense joy. Typically performed toward the end of the miracle narrative, gratitude possesses a dual nature: it functions both as a ritual of thanksgiving and as a set of tangible acts that reciprocate the miraculous gift. The ritual dimension involves pious gestures, religious discourse, and the narrativisation of the miraculous event, thus publicly acknowledging saintly intervention and reinforcing lay devotion. The practical dimension, on the other hand, encompasses material acts of reciprocity, such as the offering of money, precious goods, or religious objects, as well as the erection and embellishment of sacred spaces. These acts not only express gratitude but also materialize it, translating spiritual indebtedness into social and religious obligations. Drawing on theories of emotion, performance, and ritual, this paper will examine how beneficiaries in miracle stories from hagiographical collections spanning the fifth to the fourteenth centuries articulate and perform their gratitude toward miraculous saint(s). By attending to both affective expression and concrete actions, the analysis will demonstrate that gratitude in Byzantine miracle literature is simultaneously a feeling and an ethical, socially and religiously codified practice. Far from being a passive response, it actively shapes relationships between saints and the faithful, reinforcing devotional hierarchies and material networks of exchange. Ultimately, this paper will highlight how Byzantine miracle narratives integrate emotion, ritual performance, and material practice, revealing gratitude as both a deeply personal and socially significant phenomenon.