GALAKRENAI MONASTERY IN CONSTANTINOPLE AS AN EXAMPLE OF MEDIEVAL SCRIPTORIUM AND THE COPY OF LITURGICAL HOMILIES BY GREGORIOS NAZIANZENOS: VAT. GR. 463

Abstract

Byzantine manuscripts were produced in workshop at palaces, and private or monastic scriptoria in the capital city of the
Byzantine Empire. Galakrenai Monastery was among these institutions as, R. Janin indicated, the monastery existed in the first
half of 6th century and location of the monastery was probably in historical peninsula of Constantinople. There is an evidence
associated with Galakrenai Monastery was active as a scriptorium in the third quarter of 11th century. The evidence is MS Vat.
Gr. 463 in Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (BAV), contains a dated colophon, and an illustrated text of the so-called "liturgical
homilies" by the 4th-century Church Father Gregorios Nazianzenos. The codex was scribed by monk Symeon, pupil of
Theodoros. The colophon indicates that the presbyter Theodoros of the Galakrenai monastery. The text is written in an elegant
miniscules referring to Symeon's training. Moreover, the decoration of MS consists of one full-page miniature, a series of
initials and headpieces. Two painters participated at the decoration of the work. One of the painters was the master of the
miniatures in MS Vat. Gr. 333 in BAV.