This volume contains writings of Mark the Monk, an ascetic
writer of the mid-thirteenth century, none of which have hitherto
been edited. Mark, a prolific writer, was the spiritual advisor of
Irene, sister of Michael VIII Palaiologos (1224-1282). After her
husband’s death (in the 1250s) she entered a convent and took
the monastic name of Eulogia. Mark wrote ever bigger treatises for
her edification: first a simple “Logos”, then a concise
florilegium, and in the end a huge one citing entire books. The
first two of these are critically edited here. Furthermore, the
edition contains another sermon similar to the Logos for Irene, but
written for a layman. Interestingly, Mark acknowledges very few
difference between the lifestyles of monastics and the laity. A
small typikon for nuns completes the edition. The few
facts about Mark’s life known to us stem from a letter to
Irene and a general epilogue in the main manuscript, both of which
are also edited in this volume.
The texts here presented shed light on the ascetic life of the
thirteenth century and teach us more about the
Palaeologians’ relationship to the Church. The main interest
of these texts lies in the history of Hesychasm and monasticism,
but they also furnish information on the transmission of Patristic
texts, of which they often contain interesting variae
lectiones.
Philipp Roelli works at the Seminar for Mediaeval Latin at
the University of Zurich.