ID 381229
Lot 22 | Meletios Syrigos (c.1585-c.1663) and others
Estimate value
£ 3 000 – 5 000
A rare manuscript of Greek exegetical works from the 17th century, including a near-contemporary exegesis of Church ritual composed by the renowned theologian Meletios Syrigos (c.1585-c.1663) at the behest of the Grecophile reformer Patriarch Nikon of Moscow (1605-81).
148 x 102mm. iii + 164 leaves: 1-118, 126, 13-208, 216, apparently complete, 17-24 lines written in at least three different hands, some catchwords survive, rubrics and headings in red (first text dampstained, faded and on occasion almost illegible, some smudging and staining throughout, some wormholes, a few leaves stuck together, edges frayed, final gathering loose). Contemporary leather binding.
Content: The first text begins with Mark 8:34: Όστις θέλει οπίσω μου ακολουθείν, απαρνησάσθω εαυτόν και αράτω τον σταυρόν αυτού, και ακολουθείτω μοι’, likely an exegesis on the Gospels, ff.1-87v; blank ff.88-94v; MELETIOS SYRIGOS (c.1585-c.1663), ‘Συνοπτική εξήγισις της θείας και ιεράς λειτουργίας παρά του εν διδασκάλοις κυρίου Μελετίου Συρίγου θεολόγου[…]’ or ‘A brief exegesis on the liturgy’, produced at the request of Patriarch Nikon of Moscow ff.95-139v; further exegetical texts ff.143-163.
Meletius Syrigos was a philosophy professor in Constantinople, exarch of the ecumenical patriarch and religious adviser to the Moldavian Prince Basil Lupul (see J. Pargoire, ‘Meletios Syrigos, sa vie et ses oeuvres Echos d’Orient’ (Constantinople, 1909), vol. XII, nos. 74, 76, 78, and 79). At the very start of his activity as a reformer, Patriarch Nikon submitted to Patriarch Paisios of Constantinople a long list of perplexing points concerning ritual. He received a comprehensive reply written by Meletios, in which he clearly expressed the view that only central and essential matters of faith required uniformity and unity, while diversity and differences in the ecclesiastical ceremonies and in the formal aspects of the liturgy were perfectly tolerable, and indeed historically inevitable.
Provenance: (1) The ‘Holy monk Maximos’: contemporary inscription on upper board. (2) Modern ink stamp throughout: ‘ΑΡΧΕΙΟΝ / ΑΡΓΥΡΗ ΠΑΥΛΟΥ ΠΕΤΡΙΔΗ / ΑΓΙΟΓΡΑΦΟΥ – ΠΡΟΣΩΠΟΓΡΑΦΟΥ / ΨΗΦΩΘΕΤΗ’. (3) In the collections at the Château de Chacenay in the Aube département of France. For the castle, see Abbé Charles Lalore, Les sires et les barons de Chacenay, 1885.
Address of auction |
CHRISTIE'S 8 King Street, St. James's SW1Y 6QT London United Kingdom | |
---|---|---|
Preview |
| |
Phone | +44 (0)20 7839 9060 | |
Buyer Premium | see on Website | |
Conditions of purchase | Conditions of purchase |
Frequently asked questions
First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.