Venerable (Monastic)9th century

Joseph the Hymnographer

c. 816 - 886

Also known as Venerable Joseph the Hymnographer

Born in Sicily and forced to flee barbarian invasions, he became a monk and the most prolific hymnographer of the Church, composing many canons for the saints; he is called the sweet-voiced nightingale of the Church.

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Commemorated as

Our Venerable Father Joseph the Hymnographer

Life

Joseph the Hymnographer was a ninth-century monk born in Sicily whose family fled the Arab invasions of the island for Greece, where he entered monastic life and became the most prolific hymnographer of the Eastern Church. He is remembered above all for the great number of canons he composed in honor of the saints, and Orthodox tradition calls him the sweet-voiced nightingale of the Church.

His life spanned the turmoil of the iconoclast controversy and its aftermath. He suffered captivity at the hands of pirates and bandits, repeated exile, and imprisonment for his defense of the holy icons, while serving for a time as keeper of the sacred vessels at Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. He is commemorated on April 3 in the Greek tradition and April 4 in the Slavic tradition.

Kontakion & Troparion2 hymnsReadHide

KontakionTone 3

Your divinely inspired tongue was the pen of a ready scribe,
according to the words of David.
You sang of the contests of the saints
and described the grace they received through their labors.
Therefore, we cry to you: “Rejoice, O blessed harp of holy melody!”

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

TroparionTone 2

Come, let us acclaim the divinely inspired Joseph,
the twelve-stringed instrument of the Word,
the harmonious harp of grace and lute of heavenly virtues,
who lauded and praised the assembly of the saints.
And now he is glorified with them.

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

Timeline6 momentsReadHide

c. 816Birth in SicilyJoseph was born in Sicily, by the accounts to Christian parents named Plotinus and Agatha. While he was still young his family fled the island to escape the Arab invasions, settling in Greece.
youthMonastic tonsureIn his youth he was tonsured a monk at the monastery of Latomos (Latmos) near Thessalonica, and was later ordained to the priesthood.
the iconoclast periodTo Constantinople with Gregory the DekapoliteSaint Gregory the Dekapolite brought Joseph to Constantinople, where the two together defended the veneration of the holy icons against the iconoclasts.
c. 841Captivity at seaSent as a messenger toward Rome on behalf of the Orthodox monks, Joseph was seized by pirates and bandits and held in captivity. Tradition relates that during his imprisonment Saint Nicholas of Myra appeared to him, and that he was freed not long afterward.
his middle yearsExile and ministry in ConstantinopleHe was sent into exile at Cherson for a time, and on his return was appointed keeper of the sacred vessels at the church of Hagia Sophia. Exiled again for rebuking the conduct of the Caesar Bardas, he returned to Constantinople in 867 after Bardas's death.
886ReposeJoseph reposed in peace, the sources placing his death on the third of April. He left behind one of the largest bodies of hymnography in the Church.

Contributions & Legacy

4 contributionsReadHide

From Sicily to Greece

By the accounts Joseph was born in Sicily around the year 816 to Christian parents named Plotinus and Agatha. While he was still a child or youth, the Arab invasions of Sicily forced the family to abandon the island and resettle in Greece, a displacement the synaxarion records among the hardships of his early life.

Settling in the region of Thessalonica, he was tonsured a monk at the monastery of Latomos and in time was ordained a priest. His gifts drew the attention of Saint Gregory the Dekapolite, who brought him to Constantinople, where the two stood together in defense of the holy icons during the iconoclast controversy that troubled the Church in that age.

Captivity, Imprisonment, and Exile

Joseph's defense of Orthodoxy brought him repeated suffering. Sent as a messenger toward Rome on behalf of the Orthodox monks of Constantinople, he was captured by pirates and bandits while at sea and held in bondage. The accounts relate that during his captivity Saint Nicholas of Myra appeared to him, and that he gained his freedom not long after.

He endured exile as well, being sent for a time to Cherson, and was again banished for rebuking the unlawful conduct of the Caesar Bardas. He returned to Constantinople in 867 after the death of Bardas. The accounts of his life associate his long sufferings with both the iconoclast persecutions and the political conflicts of the imperial court.

The Hymnographer of the Church

Joseph is honored as the most prolific hymnographer of the Eastern Church. Tradition relates that the Apostle Bartholomew appeared to him in a vision and encouraged him to compose hymns, and Joseph thereafter wrote a vast number of canons in honor of the saints. His compositions are found throughout the service books of the Church, including the Parakletike and the Menaion.

The number of his works is variously reckoned: tradition speaks of about a thousand hymns, while the modern scholar Tomadakes counted some three hundred eighty-five canons together with kontakia. For the beauty and abundance of his hymnody he is called the sweet-voiced nightingale of the Church.

During his years in Constantinople he served as skeuophylax, the keeper of the sacred vessels, at the great church of Hagia Sophia.

Repose and Commemoration

Joseph reposed in peace, the accounts placing his death on the third of April; the year is generally given as 886. He is commemorated in the Orthodox Church on April 3 in the Greek tradition and on April 4 in the Slavic tradition.

Works & Further ReadingReadHide

Notable Works

Canons for the saints — A vast body of liturgical canons composed in honor of the saints, for which Joseph is named the most prolific hymnographer of the Church; tradition reckons about a thousand hymns, while modern scholarship counts hundreds of canons.
Hymns in the Parakletike and Menaion — Hymnographic compositions preserved throughout the Church's service books, including the Parakletike and the Menaion.

Companions3 figuresShowHide

The elder who brought Joseph to Constantinople and with whom he defended the holy icons.

Venerable Gregorythe Decapolite

Appeared to Joseph during his captivity, according to tradition.

Nicholasthe Wonderworker

Fellow disciple of Gregory of Decapolis, with whom he shared the ascetic life at Constantinople.

Venerable Johnthe Disciple of Gregory of Decapolis

Related Saints4 saintsShowHide

Saints connected to his life, mission, and place in Orthodox tradition.

The Apostle whose relics Joseph venerated and who, by tradition, appeared to him in a vision and inspired his hymn-writing.

Apostle Bartholomewof the Twelve

The iconodule confessor of Medikion for whom Joseph composed a liturgical Canon.