Nicephori Blemmydae De virtute et ascesi

Joseph Racendytes, Erika Gielen

"Nicephorus Blemmydes was born as the second son of a doctor in Constantinople at the very end of the twelfth century. In December 1224 he was ordained lector by patriarch Germanus II, which marked the beginning of a successful career in the Church, culminating inthe foundation of his own monastery near Ephesus. Teaching, both on theological and secular topics, played a major part in his life as well. Among his pupils were George Acropolites and the future emperor Theodore II Lascaris. In order to instruct his fellow monks in hismonastery, Blemmydes wrote, among other things, four brief treatises, entitled De fide, De virtute et ascesi, De anima and De corpore, each of which may originally have been part of his Typikon, but has also been circulating independently. Up to now, only the De anima has been decently edited. This volume presents the first critical edition of the De virtute...