1. Biography

Theodore Meliteniotes came from a notable family of Constantinople. He was active during the second half of the 14^th century and was a patriarchal officer that distinguished himself as a scholar, a teacher and a writer. Little evidence has been preserved about his life and work in a few sources, such as letters,¹ while his action is mentioned in the Short Chronicles² and in some documents of his time.³ The year and the place he was born remain unknown. He must have been born in the early (first or second decade) 14^th century.⁴ As regards his early life, he is known to have studied in accordance with the Byzantine education system: Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic (Trivium) as well as Arithmetic, Geometry, Astronomy and Music (Quadrivium). Early on he showed an aptitude for the Euclidean Geometry and was well aware of the astronomical works from Trebizond, which was an important centre of scientific activity at the time, while he had also studied the works of the Alexandrians Claudius Ptolemy and Theon.⁵

As to his ecclesiastical career, Meliteniotes was a member of the ecclesiastical hierarchy of Byzantium. Until 1360 he had served in several offices, such as deacon, megas sakellarios of the Great Church and didaskalos ton didaskalon.⁶ Moreover, he served as an archdeacon ("of the charitable imperial clergy") in the imperial court from 1368 to 1393.⁷ As a senior official in the clergy and a scholar, Meliteniotes corresponded with outstanding literary Byzantine figures of the 14^th century, such as Joseph Bryennios, Demetrios Kydones and Makarios Chrysokephalos.⁸

Meliteniotes died on 8 Μarch 1393 under uncertain circumstances.⁹

2. Writings

As regards his writing activity, Theodore Meliteniotes was a prolific writer with various research interests. His most important work was the Three Books on Astronomy («Astronomical Tribiblos») – a handbook of astronomy with 3 books on the astronomical developments of his time. In order to write this guide (1361), Meliteniotes was based on the works of Claudius Ptolemy and Theon, as well as on various Arabic sources. The AstronomicalTribiblos has not been published as a whole.¹⁰ The content of this specific work is strikingly similar to that by Isaac Argyros because they have the same sources, although it is not easy to determine which one was written first.¹¹

Meliteniotes also wrote Diatessaron ("composed of four"), where he tried to make detailed comments on the Gospels. The book consisted of 9 volumes (about 2,500 sheets), only 3 of which have survived.¹²

Meliteniotes is considered to have written a poetic work titled «On Temperance».¹³ The poem consists of 3,062 verses in fifteener (fifteen syllables per line) and refers to the meeting of the writer with Temperance, which is described as a female figure who shows him around her kingdom. Through numerous descriptions (ekphraseis) of various objects the poet makes allegorical-moralistic remarks and provides a wealth of encyclopaedic information. The descriptions of Sophrosyne’s bed with the extensive list of precious stones and minerals as well as the recital of the fish of the lake are most characteristic. Due to its structure and content this particular work should be examined as a sample of allegorical-instructive poetry of encyclopaedic character rather than as an ordinary poem. According to Beck, it is a «concoction full of thousands of lettered thoughts in the form of a love story without love».¹⁴The piece reminds strongly of earlier Byzantine poetic works and novels, such as Digenes Akritas and Libistros and Rhodamne,¹⁵ while, on the other hand, it has things in common with the allegorical-instructive poetry of the West, which makes it a rare sample of Byzantine literature.¹⁶

Finally, some letters that Meliteniotes exchanged with scholars and officials have also been preserved.¹⁷

3. Ecclesiastical Matters – Ideology

Meliteniotes took actively part in ecclesiastical and wider religious matters of his time and supported the ideas of Gregorios Palamas. Because of his anti-Latin feelings and his ideology, which was influenced by Palamas, he signed in 1368 the synodicalTomos, which condemned the ideas and the attitude of Prochoros Kydones towards religious matters and the relations of the Patriarchate of Constantinople with the Pope.¹⁸