BYZANTINE
124
BZOVIUS
literature; nevertheless, as a necessary complement
and continuation of the preceding period, they should
be discussed here. The "Erotokritos" is a long ro-
mantic poem of chivalry, lyric in character, and di-
dactic in purpose, the work of Cornaro, a hellenized
Venetian of the sixteenth century. It abounds in
themes and ideas drawn from the folk-poetry of the
time. In the story of Erotokritos and Arethusa the
poet glorifies love and friendship, chivalric courage,
constancy, and self-sacrifice. Although foreign in-
fluences do not obtrude themselves, and the poem,
as a whole, has a national Greek flavour, it reveals
the various cultural elements, Byzantine, Romance,
and Oriental, without giving, however, the character
of a composite. The lyrical love tragedy "Erophile"
is more of a mosaic, being a combination of two
Italian tragedies, with the addition of lyrical inter-
mezzos from Tasso's "Jerusalem Delivered", and
choral songs from his "Aminta". Nevertheless,
the materials are handled with independence, and
more harmoniously arranged than in the original;
the father who has killed his daughter's lover is
slain not by his daughter's hand, but by the ladies
of his palace, thus giving a less offensive impression.
Owing to the lyric undertone of the work, some parts
of it have survived in popular tradition until the
present time. The mystery-play of "The Sacrifice
of Abraham" is a little psychological masterpiece,
apparently an independent work. The familiar
and trite Biblical incidents are reset in the patriarchal
environment of Greek family life. The poet em-
phasizes the mental struggles of Sarah, the resigna-
tion of Abraham to the Divine will, the anxious fore-
bodings of Isaac, and the affectionate sympathy of
the servants, in other words, a psychological analysis
of the characters. The mainspring of the action is
Sarah's fore-knowledge of what is to happen, evi-
dently the invention of the poet to display the power
of maternal love. The diction is distinguished by
high poetic beauty and by a thorough mastery of
versification. Other products of Cretan literature
are a few adaptations of Italian pastorals, a few-
erotic and idyllic poems, like the so-called "Seduc-
tion Tale" (an echo of the Rhodian Love-Songs),
and the lovely, but ultra-sentimental, pastoral idyll
of the "Beautiful Shepherdess".
General: A central medium for the investigation of all branches of Byzantine culture is Die byzantinUche Zeltsehritt,
eil Krumbacher (Leipzig, 1S92 ); it is especially rich in
bibliography; Diehl, Eludes hiizanlines i Paris. 19001; Symoxds, Mi/./),-. ,v; the Greek Ports i3ded., London. 19021, II, c. xxn s.n.; Rohde, Der ariechi.sche Roman 1 3d ed., Leipzig. 1900 i; W end- land, Die hellenitlisch-romische Kultur in ihren Beziehungen
zu. Judentum und Christentum (Tubingen, 1907); Thumb, Die
griechische Sprache im Zeitalter des HeUenismus (Strasburg,
1901); Strzygowski, Orient oder Rom (Leipzig. 1900'; Leth-
aby, Mediaeval Art from SIS to 1350 (London, 1906).
I. A. Historians. — Krumbacher. Gesch. der byzant. Lit- teratur (2nd ed., Munich. 1896), 219-319: Dahx, Prokopius von Casarea (Berlin, 1805); Seger, Nikephoros Bryennios (Munich, 188S); Gibbon, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Ro- man Empire, ed. Bury (London, 189S), V— VI; Neumann, Griechische Geschlchlssehreiber and Geschichttgiiellen im 12 Jahrhundert (Leipzig, 18SS1; Bury. Roman Emperors from Basil II to Isaac Komnenos in The Eng. Histor. Ret. i 1889 l. IV. 41-64. 2.51-28.-,; Idem, The Treatise De Admin, lmperio in Buznnl. Zeitschrift, XV, 517 sqq.; Sainte-Beuve, Cauteries du lundi Y'..M .1, ■ommntut) (Paris, 1854), IX, 305-340; Pari- BOT, ( ' ' I ne, homme d'etat et historien (Paris. 1845).
I. B. OiHoxit'LERs. — Krumbacher, Gesch. der byzant. Lit. [2nd ilt, 319-408; Hirsch, Byzantinische Studien (Leipzig. 1878); Gibbon, op. cit„ V.
II. Encyclopedists and Essayists. — Hergenrother, Photios, Patriarch von Konstantinopel, sein Leben, seine Seheif- ten, und das griechische Schismo (3 vols., Katisbon, 1867-091; Rambaud, L empire grec au di-riimc siecle {ConstimUn VII', 137-164; GREGOROvros, Gesch. der Stadt Athen im it. A. (.Stuttgart, 1889). I, 176 sqq. and C; Nei Manx. Die Weltslcl- lung des bi/zanl. Retches tor der Knuzzut/en (Leipzig, 1894), 81-93 l M. PseUos); Km IBS] x. Mi, ho, I Akominatos (Gbttingen. 1846); Gregorovics, op. cit.. I, 204-349; Fabricius, Bibl. or., ed. Harl.. II, 682 sqq. (Maximus Planudes); Sathas, Meo-aiwviA-i/ /3i/3Xio0?JK7j (1872), I, trpo\., 119-135 (.Theodoras Metochites); Parisot, op cit. (.Nicephorut Gregoras); Krum- iki her. op. cil , 216 il'hotiusl. His i('ra»liiiiliiif VII, Porphy- ron) 184 (Psellusi, 221 [Eutlalhiux*. 197 \ Michael Ilalicos), 199 'Michael Acnmmntut\. 223 iMarimus Planudes), 226 (Theodora \l.l.:l I, . 128 tXicephorus Oregoras).
III. Secular Poetry, Tl„ Epigram: Pauly. Realenzyklo- padie (new ed IV'1 I, 2380-91; Krumbacher, op. cit., 100, 292. 293, 295, 304 306-308.
IV. Ecclesiastical axd Theological Literature. — On homiieticscf. Ehrhard in Krumbacher, op. cit., 160-176. On the influence of syriac literature on old Christian literature: WEHOEEH V liters, ichunycn zur altchristliehen Ljilstolographie.
in ii , ' v /.-„,„,../„■,-.. p)nl.-h,st. Cl„ CXLIII (1901). For ,.,,',. , tica] poetry, ei. Stevexsox. L'humnoqraphie de Veglise grecqm in Revm ,1, questions histor. (1876). II, 482-
543' Meyer. A',,','"-; on, I t'rsprmoj der loteinlschen und 'arie'chUrhen 'rothin •■■■• Iii,>-t;n,i in Abhandl. bayr. Akad. (1885), XVII, 11. 27H ».-.(>. B..I IV l-ludr sue les onyincs du ri/lhme loniyue dan- i /■ ,■/..;, ,,,,,,-,./. .. ..'. I ighte grecque (Nlmes, 1886); Krumbacher, op. cit., 653-;705.
On Romanos, cf. Bouvy, op. cit., 36, -3, 5; Krumbacher, 27°- Idem Studio: zn Romonos in Sitzuntjsher. bayr. Akad., phll hist. CI. (1S98), II, No. 1. On hagiography cf. Ehrhard in Krumbacher. op. cit.. 176-205. On ascetic and mystical writings, cf. Ehrhard, ibid., 139-160.
V. Popular Poetry. — Krumbacher, 328-384; Dieterich. Gesch der buzantin. und neugriech. Lilt. (Leipzig, 19021; ScliMlTT, ed. Bury. The Chronicle of Morea, ed. in tun parallel [,. r t s .... uith introduction, critical notes, and indices, in Byzantine feits (London, 1904).
Karl Dieterich.
Byzantine Rite. See Constantinople, Liturgy of.
Byzantium. See Constantinople. Bzovius, Abraham. See Baronius.
