Kassiani, Poet and Hymnographer
Kassiani holds a remarkable place in the history of the Church. She is the only woman whose writings appear in the official liturgies of the Orthodox Church and one of only two Byzantine women whose works have come down to us under her own name. Born into a wealthy family in Constantinople sometime before the year 810, Kassiani received an education that was unusual even among the privileged of her day. She studied both secular and sacred subjects and, while still quite young, earned the respect of bishops and monastic leaders for her knowledge, intelligence, and skill as a writer. Among those who recognized her gifts was Theodore the Studite, one of the leading churchmen of the age.
Kassiani is perhaps best remembered today for a story surrounding the search for a wife for the Byzantine emperor Theophilos. According to several Byzantine chroniclers, after the death of Emperor Michael II, a gathering of eligible young women was arranged so that Theophilos might choose an empress. Kassiani was among the final candidates.
Following an ancient custom, Theophilos carried a golden apple that he would present to the woman he selected. When he approached Kassiani, he reportedly said, referring to Eve, “From woman came our corruption.” Kassiani was not intimidated by the emperor. She immediately replied, referring to the Virgin Mary, “But from woman also came our exaltation.”
Apparently, Theophilos was not prepared for a woman who could answer him so quickly and theologically. He moved on and presented the golden apple to Theodora, who became empress.
Kassiani seems to have regarded the outcome with considerably more relief than disappointment. Rather than entering the imperial court, she embraced the monastic life and devoted herself to prayer, study, music, writing, and service to the Church. In time, she became known not only for her literary and musical abilities but also for her courage. During the bitter controversies surrounding the use and veneration of icons, Kassiani openly defended the traditional Christian practice despite the dangers involved.
One short line attributed to her captures something of the strength of her character: “I hate silence, when it is time to speak.”
By around 843, Kassiani had founded a convent on Xerólophos, the seventh hill of Constantinople, where she became its first abbess. There she continued the work for which she would be remembered for more than a thousand years. Kassiani became one of the great hymnographers and poets of the Byzantine Church.
Hundreds of verses associated with her have survived, along with approximately fifty hymns containing both her words and musical compositions. At least twenty-three of those hymns found their way into the liturgical books of the Orthodox Church.
Her best-known work is the Hymn of Kassiani, traditionally sung during Holy Week on the eve of Holy Wednesday. Long after emperors and imperial courts disappeared, the words of the young woman who once refused to be silenced continued to be sung in churches.
Perhaps that is the most fitting legacy Kassiani could have left. She came close to becoming an empress, but instead became something far more enduring—a woman whose faith, courage, poetry, and music have helped generations of Christians worship God.
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