Glossary

Abba – father, name for an (old) monk leading a group of hermits.

Aedicula – a stone construction in a Roman temple or house for the statue of the god; in early Christian times a kind of sepulchral chapel.

Aer – altar cover of silk covering the chalice and the paten.

Akathistos Hymnus – 24 stanza (alpha – omega) of a Maria hymn ascribed to Romanos de Melode.

Ambo – a type of pulpit, principally used for reading the bible in liturgy.

Analepsis – Ascension of Christ.

Anargyroi – physicians who were healing without asking for money, the moneyless ones.

Anastasis – Christ’s descent into the Hades to release the souls of men deceased before He died.

Apse - semicircular niche.

Arma Christi – instruments of passion.

Aspasmós – meeting/kissing of Maria and Elizabeth.

Asteriskos – bent braces over altar offering.

Azyme – unleavened bread.

Baiophoros – entry of Christ into Jerusalem.

Baptesis - baptism of Christ.

Baptistry - a separate building, often circular or octagonal, in which baptism was performed.

Basilica - rectangular ecclesiastical building with a central nave and two or more lateral aisles, lower than the nave, from which they are separated by rows of columns.

Bema – sanctuary in a Byzantine church usually separated from the naos by an iconostase.

Bogomilism – a heretic movement named after a monk Bogomil.

Boljar - see komites or zupan.

Bulgarochtonos - Bulgarian killer, name given to the Byzantine emperor Basil II after the battle of 1014.

Calotte - the spherical part of a dome or cupola.

Chalice - a cup used for the sacrament in church.

Chartophylax –originally notary, later having the meaning of General vicar of the Patriarch.

Chiton – ancient Greek garment. In Byzantine art the garment with short sleeves worn by secondary figures and with long sleeves by Christ, the apostles and saints.

Chrysobul – a document issued and sealed by the emperor granting privileges.

Chrysostomos – golden mouthed, surname of patriarch Ioannes of Constantinople.

Ciborium – a structure usually consisting of four columns supporting a domed or pyramidal canopy above the altar.

Clavi – small coloured lines with which a chiton is decorated.

Clipeus - a circular shape, usually before Maria’s chest with a depiction of the Christ-child.

Colobium – a long sleeveless tunic.

Deesis – Christ flanked by the Virgin and John the Baptist who raise their hands in a gesture of intercession to have mercy on the world.

Diaconicon - a small apse south of the main apse where the priest prepares himself for the service.

Dodecaorton – the twelve major holy feasts of the Orthodox Church.

Egersis Lazaru – the raising of Lazarus.

Eleousa – Maria holding the Christ child mercifully.

Encheirion – a large kind of handkerchief hanging from the girdle or over the arm.

Enkolpion – a term for an object with Christian imagery worn suspended from the neck, is used from the fourth century onwards.

Epitaphios – liturgical cloth with the image of Christ lying on the anointing stone.

Epitrachelion – a white band placed around the neck of a priest. Its lower end with some decorations usually hangs in front of the sticharion. Originally it symbolized the rope tied around Christ’s neck when he was led to Caiaphas.

Exo-narthex – an outer room before the narthex.

Flabella – liturgical fan.

Gennesis – birth of Christ.

Gospodin – lord, gentleman.

Hègemoon - someone empowered with authority.

Helkemenos – Christ mounting the cross via a ladder.

Hetomasia – the preparation of the throne of God for the Last Judgement.

Higoumenos – Abbot ruling over a monastery and the land belonging to the monastery.

Himation – upper garment wrapped around the body, leaving part of the breast free; worn by Christ, the apostles and some saints.

Hodegitria – icon of the Theotokos – she who shows the way – it is believed that the original was painted by St. Luke.

Hypapante – presentation of Christ in the temple.

Iconastasis – usually a wooden separation wall between bema and naos, covered with icons.

Iconoclasm – period (726-843) of destroying religious images in the Byzantine empire.

Iconoclasts – adherents of the movement to abolish the veneration of icons.

Iconodules – defenders of icons.

Kalymna – oblong purple cover.

Katholikon – main church of a monastery.

Koimesis – assumption of the Virgin.

Komites - class of dignitaries that administered specific areas.

Labarum – a Roman military standard decorated with the monogram of Christ.

Lithos – anointing stone.

Loros – a jewelled stole worn by members of imperial rank worn around shoulders and waist.

Mandorla – an almond shaped aureole around the figure of Christ.

Mandylion – not made by human hands – image of the face of Christ; the eldest is the so-called Abgar-image of 944.

Maphorion – a large veil worn over the head that covers breast and shoulders like a mantle; above the maphorion the head-gear is visible.

Mappula – a small handkerchief that usually hangs at the girdle of Maria.

Megalomartyr – arch-martyr.

Melismos – Christ laying in a paten to represent the bread.

Melote – a kind of shepherd’s dress.

Menologion - a calendar on the lives of saints and martyrs used in the Orthodox churches.

Metadosis – Christ handing bread to the apostles at the communion.

Metalepsis – Christ handing wine to the apostles at the communion.

Metamorphosis – transfiguration of Christ.

Mimbar - pulpit in a mosque.

Monachoparthenia – a nun living in a monastery (secretly) dressed in man clothes.

Myrophores – bearers of spices: women bringing spices to the sepulchre (of Christ).

Mysticos deipnos – last supper.

Naos- nave of a Byzantine church.

Narthex – entrance hall of a Byzantine church.

Omophorion – a long embroidered wide band decorated with crosses hanging around the shoulders of bishops.

Opus sectile - mosaic consisting of measured tiles.

Opus tesselatum - mosaic consisting of little blocks of stone.

Orante attitude – old Christian manner of praying with raised hands.

Orarion – long narrow sleeve hanging from the left shoulder of a deacon.

Pantocrator – Christ the Almighty, literally the All-Sovereign; the Creator of All. Usually depicted as Christ in bust-length holding a book or scroll in his left hand and making a blessing gesture with his other hand.

Parousia – return of Christ, the last judgement.

Patibulum – transverse beam of the cross.

Pendentive – spherical triangular piece of vaulting forming the support for a dome resting on a square.

Phelonion – a circular or semicircular chasuble pulled over the head of a priest and worn over the sticharion and epitrachelion. The colour is usually brown.

Philoxenia – hospitality of Abraham.

Platytera – Icon of the Theotokos; She who is more powerful than heaven; symbol of incarnation.

Podea – a piece of cloth as decoration of an icon that hangs from its basis.

Poloi – crosses on the omophorion of priests.

Polystaurion - a white phelonion decorated with poloi from which it derives its name; It was worn by patriarchs and later sometimes by some bishops.

Prependulia– pendant ornaments hanging on the imperial crown alongside the cheeks.

Prodosia – the betrayal of Judas.

Prodomos – precursor, the other name for John the Baptist.

Proskomedia – the offertory in the Greek mass.

Proskynese(is) – a gesture of supplication usually a prostrate attitude towards the emperor or before the image of Christ; falling on the knees, touching the ground with the forehead and holding the hands out in supplication.

prosoloma – a special outfit worn by the daughters of kings and emperors.

Prothetis – room north of the sanctuary for storing the sacred elements of the Eucharist.

Psychotasia – weighing of the souls by an angel at the last judgement.

Pyx – a vessel in which the bread for the Eucharist is reserved.

Rhipidion – a liturgical fan, see flabella

Rhombic- having the shape of a rhombus, an equilateral parallelogram other than a square.

Sebastocrator – a Byzantine Commander-in-chief.

Sindona – bindings of the dead.

Skiadia – traditional tricorn hat.

Soudarion – kind of napkin.

Stemma – an imperial semi-spherical crown.

Stibadium – a kind of bench on which people are reclining when eating at a table.

Sticharion - liturgical tunic, a descendent of the Roman tunic, usually white to symbolise purity; it is also seen in other colours, as well as brown, the latter worn by monks. The name has been derived from the stichoi or clavi decorating it.

Stratelates – the military rank of general.

Stylus – pointed instrument for writing on waxed surfaces; it is also an ancient instrument used for writing on parchment or papyrus.

Sublicagulum – loin cloth.

Suppedaneum – piece of wood on which Christ is standing at crucifixion.

Suppedion – a large footstool or podium on which the imperial family stood; a separate piece for each member is possible as well.

Tania – band on the head of an angel.

Tesserae - small usually square pieces of marble, glass, etc. used in mosaics.

Tetramorphs – zoomorphic representations of the four evangelists.

Theotokos – God-bearing, an epithet defining Maria as the Mother of God.

Transenna – open-work window of alabaster.

Threnos – lamentation of Christ.

Župan - head of a specific tribal area called a župa.