Tuesday, March 21, 2023

The Negative Depiction of Mary in her Dialogue with Gabriel in Romanos the Melode (6th century) and Germanos I's (8th century) Writings

Thomas Arentzen, in his essay, “The Dialogue of Annunciation: Germanos of Constantinople versus Romanos the Melode,” discusses two texts:

 

The sixth-century On the Annunciation by Romanos the Melode (ca. 490-560), the most outstanding poet of the Constantinopolitan rite in Late Antiquity.

 

The eight-century On the Annunciation by Germanos I (ca. 650-742), who led the Church of Constantinople as patriarch between 713 and 730.

 

Commenting on Mary’s dialogue with the angel Gabriel, we read:

 

As Gabriel enters the Virgin’s chamber and opens the dialogue, according to Romanos, he says ‘Hail!’ The sixth-century author displays to his listeners a very graceful encounter. Arriving at the humble abode, Gabriel understands the that is about to meet a simple girl who is also a very special maiden. Romanos’ description resonates with the Annunciation mosaic in the Euphrasian Basilica in Poreč, which stems from the same century: The Virgin appears as an elegant maiden dressed in purple. Is she an elevated or a humble girl? The tension between simplicity and the imperial allusions shimmers in the mosaic just as it does in Romanos, although there is less purple in the kontakion. The Poreč stones let her cheeks blush as she moves a finger towards her red lips. Their encounter swells with an understate sensual tension, and her big eyes present a thoughtful gaze. In Romanos, she is shaken by Gabriel’s ‘shining appearance’ and looks down and considers the beautiful presence o this man in her house. ‘He both stirs (ταρεττει) me and spurs (θαρρυνει) me’, she thinks to herself. (Romanos, Annunciation 3) Gabriel reacts by gently blowing on her: ‘The fiery one breathed [upon her] and burned up the timidity like hair’. ‘Do not get agitated (πτοηθης)’, he tells her. (Ibid., 4) One may detect a subtle erotic tension in the room.

 

Gabriel does get frustrated when she does not accept his message right away, but he treats her with dignity and respect. The poet uses her critical enquiry, in turn, to present her wisdom and insightfulness. But what really happened between the beautiful maiden and the beautiful man never becomes clear. The Virgin’s own words comes closest to conveying an answer, as she says, ‘his form (μορφη) filled the whole chamber, and me as well; the doors were closed and he came to me.’ (Ibid., 16) After this she is pregnant.

 

In Germanos there is a very different atmosphere and power dynamic: his Gabriel seems to be addressing someone who is used to accepting these sorts of messages. It is as if Gabriel is granted audience with an empress. He enters with a declaration; like a medieval herald, he promptly presents his formal words from heaven; without further introduction, he says:

 

[Gabriel:] ‘Hear Glorified One; hear the secret words of the Highest One: “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.” Prepare yourself, then, for the coming of Christ!’ (Germanos, Annunciation 4 [71-3])

 

It looks as if Gabriel is simply giving Mary an order, and there is something almost pompous in his tone. At least in the beginning, his appearance seems not to impress the empress. The most striking aspect of her reply is her condescending attitude: who is he? From the very outset the Virgin rejects Gabriel quite bluntly:

 

[Theotokos:] ‘Depart from my city and native land, boy (ανθρωπε)! Depart and quickly leave my chamber! Flee far from my threshold!’ (Germanos, Annunciation 4 [73])

 

The word ανθρωπος in its vocative case was often used to address a slave or someone for whom the speaker had contempt. (LSJ, s.v. ανθρωπος A, 6-7) Mary lectures Gabriel as if he were her slave. There is also, of course, an irony here, of which the listener (but not the speaker herself) is aware: Gabriel is not actually human, but an angel. But as we see, however, she acts almost aggressively towards him. In her next line she says:

 

[Theotokos:] ‘Young man (νεανισκε), I see the outstanding beauty of your elegant form and the splendid sight of your figure [. . . ] and I am rapidly beginning to suspect that you have come to lead me astray.’ (Germanos, Annunciation 4 [73])

 

Here is a handsome young servant who attempts to seduce the queen with his beauty. The word νεανισκος in the vocative can, just like ανθρωπος, be used to address a slave. (LSJ s.v. νεανισκος 2) The Theotokos does not leave the reader in doubt; she uses this very word four times in the dialogue. About herself, on the other hand, she said ‘I bear a royal appearance (χαρακτηρα βασιλικον) and I grew up in the place (τα βασιλεια).’ (Germanos, Annunciation 4 [89])

 

While Gabriel keeps insisting that he actually has something important to say, she continues to reject him. He now suggests that ‘perhaps . . . the purple robe which you are wearing foretells (προμηνυει) the royal rank’ of the child? But she replies drily, sarcastically, with a pun on the Greek words: ‘Since you “reveal” (μηνυεις) this to me—and do not cease “revealing” (μηνυων)—I can tell you right away that I do not believe such glad tidings form you’. (Ibid., 4 [75]) Gabriel has a challenging task in many versions of the annunciation narrative, but he would probably count Germanos’ version among his most difficult. . . . Mary blames Gabriel for jeopardizing her reputation and her relationship with Joseph. (Germanos, Annunciation 4 [75] et passim) Gabriel may be an angel for all she cares, but she wants him to leave: ‘Take gifts from me and depart from me!’ she says. Ibid., 4 [79]) He, however, continues bluntly and almost tactlessly to try to persuade her:

 

[Gabriel:] ‘I am puzzled, Glorified One, that you still doubt me, I who have come to you from such heights’. (Ibid., 4 [83])

 

She replies wryly:

 

[Theotokos:] ‘The puzzle is your “glad tidings” . . . You came into my chamber unannounced and drew near to me (πλησιασας μοι), perhaps viewing me as a single girl (παιδισκην) and not as a lady (δεσποιναν).’. (Ibid., 4 [83])

 

Mary’s iconic tone and her choices of words here suggest that she feels abused. That he ‘drew near (πλησιασας)’, as she says, may be taken to connote a sexual advance. The word παιδισκη does not only mean a girl, but can also be used to signify a slave-girl or a prostitute. The imperial ruler has not been treated with due respect. Hence Gabriel is only worthy of sarcasm. (Thomas Arentzen, “The Dialogue of Annunciation: Germanos of Constantinople versus Romanos the Melode,” in The Reception of the Virgin in Byzantium: Marian Narratives in Texts and Images, ed. Thomas Arentzen and Mary B. Cunningham [Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019], 160-62, 163, emphasis in bold added)