Romanos the Melodist

ROMANOS the Melodist. fl. 6th century. Little is known about his life, and even the century in which he lived has long been hotly disputed. It is likely that he was born in Syria, in the city of Emesa, and that he was of Jewish origin. As a young man he served as deacon at the Church of the Resurrection in Beirut, before coming to Constantinople during the reign of Anastasius I (491-518), where he was attached to the Church of the Virgin in the Kyros quarter of the city. After his death he was canonized as a saint of the Orthodox Church (feast day 1 October), but it is unknown when this occurred. His fame as a musician and poet must have been established in his lifetime, for in a hymn...