A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

SYMEON. SYMEON. 951
it is correctly ascribed to him, because the author sent at an early age, for his education, to Constanappears " not to have been hostile to the Latins;" tinople, where his relatives held high stations at
but the very courtesy of tone which occasioned Le the Byzantine court. His precocious attainments
Quien's doubts, while sufficiently at variance with inspired the highest hopes of his family, and he
the usual style of mediaeval polemics, is just such was introduced by an uncle to the notice of the
as a man in Symeon's circumstances would be imperial brothers Basil II. and Constantine IX.,
likely to use. (Willermus s. Guillelmus Tyrensis, apparently at the time when they were yet in their
lib. i. c. 11; Albertus Aquensis, Historia Ilieros. boyhood, and were emperors in name only, the
lib. vi. c. 39; Le Quien, Oriens Christianus, vol. reins of empire being really held successively by
iii. col. 498; Allatius, 1. c.; Montfaucon, Biblioth. Nicephorus Phocas (A.D. 963-969) and John
Coislin. p. 105; Cave, Hist. Litt. ad ann. 1090, Tzimisces (A. D. 969-975). After the sudden
vol. ii. p. 159.) death of the uncle by whom he had been introduced
12. HUMILIS. [No. 16.] at court, Symeon determined, though only fourteen
13. LOGOTsIETA. [No. 22.] years of age, to embrace a monastic life; but the
14. LOGOTHETA JUNIOR. In the Bibliotheca monk Symeon the Pious (vueaV~ d E,}Aa~5s), or as
Juris Canonici of Justellus and Voellus (vol. ii. Combefis styles him, " Venerabilis," the Venerable
p. 710) is given the'EvrrTouo) Kavo'vwv, Epitome [No. 24], whom he had chosen for his spiritual
Canonu.n s. Synopsis Canonica of Symeon Magister guide and father, having advised him to defer his
and Logotheta. Cave and Oudin distinguish purpose, he returned for a time to the house of his
this Symeon from Symeon Metaphrastes [No. deceased uncle. At a somewhat later period he
22], who also bore the titles of Magister and commenced his noviciate in the Monastery of
Logotheta, by the epithet Junior. The work Studium at Constantinople; but was induced by
itself is more ancient than the period (A. D. the envy of the abbot and some of the monks,
1170) in which Cave places this Symeon junior, excited by his pre-eminence in monastic practices,
who could only have selected and arranged it, to remove to the Monastery of St. Mamas, where
and possibly (as Beveridge conjectured) made an- he completed his noviciate, and, in course of time,
notations upon it. Christopher Justellus in the became abbot and was ordained presbyter. This
Prsaefatio to the second volume of the Bibliotheca was some time in the patriarchate of Nicolaus ChryJuris Canonici supposes the Symeon Logotheta soberges, who was patriarch of Constantinople from
who compiled the Epitome, to have been some- A. D. 982 to 996. After some years Symeon, who
what later than Alexius Aristinus or Aristenus had experienced trouble and danger from the tur[ALEXIus ARISTENUS], who belonged to the bulence of some recusant monks, resigned the
middle of the twelfth century, and this appears to abbacy, and devoted himself to the composition of
have led Cave and Oudin to distinguish him from works of piety. His literary labours attracted the
Metaphrastes, who belongs to a much earlier pe- approving notice of Sergius II., who held the pariod. But as, according to Cave's own acknow- triarchate from A. D. 999 to 1019 or 1020: but this
ledgment, the Canones are really of earlier date, must have been quite in the early part of the
and as in the title the compiler is no otherwise patriarchate of Sergius, who was soon alienated
distinguished than by the titles Magister and Lo- from Symeon by the instrumentality of his syngotheta, which were borne by Metaphrastes, we cellus, Stephanus, archbishop of Nicomedeia, a
agree with Fabricius in assigning the Epitomne to man of learning and eloquence, who was jealous of
Metaphrastes, and regard " Symeon Logotheta Symeon. The charge against Symeon was, that
Junior" as an imaginary person. In that case the he paid unauthorized honour to the memory of his
other works which Oudin and Cave ascribe to him spiritual father, Symeon the Pious, who was now
must belong to some other Symeon. (Cave, Hist. dead; and to whom our Symeon paid the honours
Litt. ad ann. 1170, vol. ii. p. 241; Oudin, De due to a canonized saint. In consequence of this
Scriptoribtus Eccles. vol. ii. col. 1366, &c.; Fabric. difference Symeon, after six years of persecution,
Bibl. Graec. vol. xi. p. 297.) was banished from his monastery, and from Con15. MAGISTER. [No. 22.] stantinople, by the patriarch and synod. This
16. S. MAMANTIS, styled in the MSS. of his punishment was remitted, and high honours in the
works, vo's aeoxdyos, riyoeuepos pe'v')s T'or dayioV Church offered him, if he would comply with the
Md,uaaros TroO ~TpoKfpKovo, Novus TuIEOLOGUS wishes of the patriarch, but he would not purchase
(or THEOLOGUS JUNIOR) ET HEGUMENUS (S. them by sacrificing the memory of his friend. He
ABBAS) MONASTERII S. MAMANTIS IN XERo- was enabled by the liberality of his friends to found
cERco, or, as some correct it, TroD VAOKepKtoV, IN a monastery in the place where he had taken up
XYLOCERco. His title "Theologus" indicates his his abode during his exile, a deserted chapel of St.
eminence as a writer on divinity; and the epithet Marina, on the Asiatic side of the Propontis; and
" Novus" or "Junior" was evidently added to there he remained till his death. His life has been
distinguish him from some other ecclesiastic, perhaps written at length by one of his disciples, Nicetas
from Gregory Nazianzen, to whom at a much Stethatus, who has embellished the narrative with
earlier period the title "Theologus " was given; the usual appendages of celestial gifts, divine visions,
or more probably to distinguish him from some and miraculous incidents: and from a summary of
other Symeon, either Symeon Metaphrastes [No. this given by Combefis, in his Auctarium Novissi22] or Symeon the Pious [No. 24]. The time at mum, pars ii.p. 119, &c., and from an abridged transwhich this writer flourished has been much dis- lation of it in Romaic or modern Greek, we are inputed; but the facts of his history enable us to debted for the above particulars. Allatius considers
assign him to the latter half of the tenth and the Symeon to have been the precursor of the fanatic
beginning of the eleventh century. He was born quietists, who some centuries after gave occasion to
about the middle of the tenth century, of wealthy the controversy that so agitated the Greek Church,
and noble parents, named Basil and Theophano, at respecting the uncreated light of Mount Tabor.
a place called Galate in Paphlagonia; and was [PALAMAS.]
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