Medieval and Early Modern Greek Manuscripts : Panoplia dogmatike

Euthymios Zigabenos (c. 1050-c. 1118

Medieval and Early Modern Greek Manuscripts

<p style='text-align: justify;'>This manuscript, probably copied in the second half of the 14th century, contains the <i>Panoplia Dogmatike of Euthymios Zigabenos</i>, a compendium of refutations of heresies, composed in the early 12th century. The author, a monk in Constantinople, also known for his commentaries on various books of the Bible, was commissioned to produce this work by the Emperor Alexios I Komnenos (1048-1118; r. 1081-1118).</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>The heresies catalogued and refuted cover the full span of Christian history, finishing with the dualist sect of the Bogomils, who were active in Constantinople and the Balkans in the author's time, and were the target of persecution by Alexios. This text is the fullest source of information on their beliefs and organisation. The work of Zigabenos was a major source and influence for later authors working in the same vein, including the 12th-13th century historian Niketas Choniates, who wrote a compendium of his own under the same title. The similarities of the two texts have led to this manuscript being erroneously identified in the past as the work of Choniates.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Dr Christopher Wright</p>