Liturgical Scrolls in the Byzantine Sanctuary Gerstel, Sharon E J Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies; Summer 1994; 35, 2; ProQuest pg. 195

Liturgical Scrolls 
In the Byzantine Sanctuary 

Sharon E.]. Gerstel 

THE DEPICTION of important bishops and episcopal authors 
in the lower register of the apse and on the side walls of 
the sanctuary is a motif familiar in Byzantine and post­

Byzantine ecclesiastical programs. These figures, when they 
first appear in the painted program of the church shortly fol­
lowing the Iconoclastic period, are generally depicted in a 
frontal stance and holding closed Gospel books to their chests. 
Seemingly, there is no fixed rule for their placement within the 
painted program, for the bishops can be found in various parts 
of the church: on the side walls of the nave or even the nar­
thex. 1 Beginning, however, in the eleventh century, and in­
creasing in the twelfth, these figures came to be depicted exclu­
sively within the confines of the central sanctuary and its side 
chambers. The number of figures chosen for depiction, and the 
selection of bishops to be included in the scene, vary depending 
upon the needs served by the artistic program. Four bishops, 
however-Basil, John Chrysostom, Gregory the Theologian, 
and Athanasius of Alexandria-generally form the core of the 
episcopal figures. 

Their gradual confinement to the sanctuary in the post-Icon­
oclastic period was also accompanied by a significant change in 
appearance. At this time, the bishops abandoned their strict 
frontali ty in favor of a three-quarter stance. 2 Furthermore, they 

1 In Hosios Loukas, half-figure frontal bishops are located in high niches 
carved into the side walls of the nave. In the eleventh-century (earliest) layer 
of the church of Agioi Anargyroi in Kastoria, Basil and Nicholas are found in 
the narthex. 

2 For an analysis of the transition from the frontal pose see M. Chatzidakis, 
"Bul;avnvEC; 'tOlxo'¥pacplec; cr'tov 'QPW1to. " DeltChrArchHet SER. 4 1 (1959-60) 
87-107. For the development of this iconography see also J. D. Stefanescu, 
L'illustration des liturgies dans l'art de Byzance et de l'Orient (=AnnPhil­
HistOr 3 [Brussels 1935]) 451-55; C. Walter, Art and Ritual of the Byzantine 
Church (London 1982), "L' eveque celebrant dans I'iconographie byzantine," 
in A. Triacca, ed., L 'assemblee liturgique et /es differents roles dans /'assemblee 

195 



196 LITURGICAL SCROLLS 

eventually donned polystavria instead of plain phelonia3 and 
unfurled scrolls inscribed with the inaudible prayers of the 
liturgy in place of closed Gospel books. This radical transforma­
tion suggests that their function within the church program had 
changed and, as will be shown, may in fact mirror contem­
poraneous changes in liturgical practice. 4 

One particular change in the painted bishops, the form of the 
text that they hold, deserves closer scrutiny and will constitute 
the focus of this article. For if these manuscripts represent 
actual scrolls used by the celebrants through the course of the 
liturgy, then the change from a closed codex to an unwound 
and inscribed liturgical scroll reflects a change in both the form 
of the manuscript and the manner of liturgical celebration at this 
period. Indeed, the use of scrolls during prescribed moments 
of the liturgy is mentioned in Byzantine sources from the 
twelfth century onward, at the same time as their first appear­
ance in painted representations. According to these sources, 
such scrolls (dAT)'tapux, Kov'taKux) were unrolled and read by 
the celebrant at specific moments of the service. An examina­
tion of these sources and their specific instructions for the use 
of liturgical scrolls will serve to clarify the connection between 
the painted liturgy and the contemporary liturgical celebration. 

Frescoed Scrolls and Actual Scrolls 

Extant inventories of Byzantine monasteries suggest that large 
foundations possessed at least one liturgical scroll for each of 
the liturgies. Clearly, the number of actual scrolls in a single 
monastery would vary according to the size of the community 
and the wealth of the establishment. The inventory of Septem­
ber 1201, from the Monastery of St John the Theologian on 
Patmos, lists four kontakia of the liturgy of St Basil and four 

(Rome 1977) 321-31, and "La place des eveques dans le decor des absides 
byzantines," RArt 24 (1974) 81-89. 

3 Phelonia (chasubles) were cloak-like vestments worn primarily by bishops 
and priests. The polystavria were phelonia decorated with an intricate cross 
pattern. In monumental painting, polystavria are generally white, with a cross 
motif in black, burgundy, or dark blue. 

4 For an expanded treatment of this subject see S. Gerstel, Monumental 
Painting and Eucharistic Sacrifice in the Byzantine Sanctuary: The Example 
of Macedonia (diss.Institute of Fine Arts, New York University 1993). 



GERSTEL PLATE 1 

Detail of scroll held by St John Chrysostom. Church of St. John 
Chrysostom, Geraki, ca 1300. Photograph by the author used with 

the permission of the fifth Ehporeia of Byzantine Antiquities. 



PLATE 2 GERSTEL 

~. ,I,,, .. ,~,..:.~ 

"St Euthymios Miraculously Enveloped by Fire while Officiating in 
Church," Chapel of St Euthymios, Thessaloniki, 1303. With per­
mission of the Photographic Archive of the Benaki Museum. 



GERSTEL PLATE 3 

St Gregory the Theologian holding scroll with the Third Antiphon. 
Church of St Demetrios Krokeon, 1286. Photograph by the author 
used by permission of the Fifth Ephoreia of Byzantine Antiquities. 



PLATE 4 GERSTEL 

St John Chrysostom. Church of the Taxiarchs, Kastoria (14th cent.); 
by permission of the Photographic Archive of the Benaki Museum. 



SHARON E. J. GERSTEL 197 

others for that of Chrysostom. 5 The 1247 inventory written by 
the monk Maximos from the monastery of the Holy Mother of 
God of Koteini at Philadelphia lists three scrolls containing the 
liturgy of Chrysostom and three for that of Basil. 6 The 
metochion7 of the monastery contained an additional set. The 
1396 inventory of the treasury of Hagia Sophia at Constan­
tinople lists five scrolls. 8 Thus, large churches or monasteries 
must have had a collection of liturgical scrolls for use during the 
celebration. 9 

A large group of actual liturgical scrolls survive, more than 
one hundred on Mt Athos alone. tO In most cases these scrolls 
contain the liturgies of Basil or John Chrysostom, as well as 
short rubrics. In rarer cases, however, the text may also contain 

5 C. Astruc, "L'invent~ire---dresse en septembre 1200---du Tresor et de la 
Bibliotheque de Patmos. Edition diplomatique," Tra'UMem 8 (1981) 15-30. 

6 M. I. Gedeon, "~to.e,;Jcrj Mo.~iflOU ~ovo.xoU lC'th-opO~ 'tTl~ £v Au&i~ ~OVTl~ 
Ko'ttvTl~," M tlCpo.mo.'ttlCo. XpOVtlCa 2 (1939) 263-91. 

7 In Byzantium, metochia were smaller monastic establishments dependent 
on a larger monastery. 

8 F. Miklosich and J. Muller, Acta et Diplomata Graeca Medii Ae'Ui Sacra et 
Profana Collecta II (Athens 1862) 568. The inventory simply lists lCov'talCto. 
1tfV'tE without specifying which liturgy they contain. 

9 Monastic collections with substantial numbers of liturgical scrolls include 
those catalogued by M. Kamil, Catalogue of All Manuscripts in the Monas­
tery of St. Catharine on Mount Sinai (Wiesbaden 1970); N. Bees, TO. XEtp6-
ypo.<po. 't(;)V M£'t£(opwv I (Athens 1967); A. Komines, Facsimiles of Dated 
Patmian Codices (Athens 1970); S. Lambros, Catalogue of the Greek Manu­
scripts on Mount Athos (Cambridge 1900); A. Papadopoulos- Kerameus, 
'IEpocroAu~t'ttKiJ Bt~At09i)Jcrj I (Brussels 1891); and 1. Sakkelionos, no.'t~to.JCiJ 
BtpAt06,;Jcrj (Athens 1890). 

10 Art historians have focused primarily on decorated liturgical scrolls. For 
these manuscripts see B. V. Farmakovskij, "Byzantine Parchment Manuscript 
Rolls with Miniatures," Iz'Uestija Russkago Arkheologiceskago Instituta 'U Kon­
stantinopole VI (1901) 253-359 (in Russian); V. Kepetzi, Les rouleaux Litur­
giques byzantins illustres (XI'-XIV siecles) (diss.Universite de Paris IV 1979); 
A Grabar, "Un rouleau liturgique constantinopolitain et ses peintures," DOP 
8 (1954) 163-99; J. G. Herzog zu Sachsen, "Die liturgische Rolle im gro~en 
griechischen Kloster zu Jerusalem," ZChrK 12 (1911) 369-74; L. Brehier, "Les 
peintures du rouleau liturgique no. 2 du monastere de Lavra," SemKond 11 
(1940) 1-19; V. Lichatch,ova, "La decoration d'un rouleau liturgique de la 
Bibliotheque publique d'Etat de Leningrad," CahArch 23 (1974) 121-28. For 
liturgical scrolls without decoration see C. Lavriotis, "KD.'taAoyo~ AEt1:OUpyt­
lCrov £lAll'to.piwv 'tTl~ i£pa~ MovTl~ MEyicr'tll~ Ao.upo.~, " Ma/a:8ov!1((x 4 (1955-
60) 391-402; L. Polites, "Ko.'taAoyo~ Aft'tOUpytlCrov £i.AT)'tD.piwv 'til~ i£pa~ 
Movil~ Bo.'to1tdHou," MaKcOov!lal 4 (1955-60) 403-09; L. Daly, "Rotulus Bera­
tinus, a Greek Liturgy Roll," GRBS 13 (1972) 109-17, and "Rotuli: Liturgy 
Rolls and Formal Documents," GRBS 14 (1973) 333-38. 



198 LITURGICAL SCROLLS 

or be limited to the liturgy of James, the pre-sanctified liturgy, 
communion prayers, euchologia, and even the diataxis. 11 These 
liturgical texts are written on parchment, usually several meters 
in length and eleven to twenty-six centimeters in width, and 
then attached to a wooden roller. A concern for the correct de­
piction of such scrolls is evident in a number of painted 
churches. In the sanctuary decoration of the thirteenth-century 
church of St John Chrysostom at Geraki, for example, rollers 
are included in the rendering of the depicted scroll (PLATE 1). 
The exacti tude of such painted reproductions suggests that 
these manuscripts were sufficiently common to be familiar 
even to artists in the Byzantine provinces. 

Having seen actual liturgical scrolls and their use, the painters 
endeavored to translate these actual manuscripts and the man­
ner of their use into their frescoed counterparts. Unlike other 
figures who hold scrolls in the church program, such as saints 
or prophets, the painted bishops generally grasp both ends in 
their hands. The manner in which they unroll these manu­
scripts, revealing specific texts from the liturgy, suggests that 
the scrolls are more than a mere attribute conferring episcopal 
status on their holders. 

Scrolls in the Byzantine Liturgy 

The twelfth-century diataxis (or ordo) for the Patriarchical 
Liturgy of Hagia Sophia (British Museum Add. 34060) describes 
three occasions when the church dignitary in charge of the 

II The euchologion, or prayer book used for all Orthodox services, reflected 
in its earliest form the cathedral services of Constantinople. Gradually this 
book became more monastic in content as the Palestinian (monastic) rite was 
combined with the cathedral rite of Constantinople. The diataxis contains 
rubrics for the celebrant of the eucharistic liturgy or certain minor offices. 
Though diataxeis can be traced to the tenth century, the most widely accepted 
diataxis was compiled by the patriarch Philotheos Kokkinos in the fourteenth 
century. Scrolls containing the pre-sanctified liturgy are: Dionysiou 109 (12th 
c.); Patmos 709 (1260), 890 (1302); Meteora, Metamorphosis 431 (12th c.); Lavra 
43 (15 th c.), 46 (1420); Vatopedi 17 (13 th and 15 th cc.), 24 (1374). Meteora, 
Metamorphosis 429 (12th c.) contains the Pentecostarion, the marriage 
ceremony, and the service for vespers. Vatopedi 18 contains the Pentecos­
tarion. Lavra 47 (12th c.) is an Euchologion. Vatopedi 22 (14th c.) contains the 
diataxis of Philotheos. 



SHARON E. J. GERSTEL 199 

episcopal vesting, the kanstresios,12 extends an open scroll that 
is read by the celebrating bishop. The first occasion described 
by the diataxis is for the inaudible prayer following the Trisagion 
when, "The bishop, bowing, says this prayer: 'Holy God .... ' 
And after saying this prayer, he gives the scroll to the kan­
stresios. "13 The second occasion follows the Gospel reading, 
when the bishop "takes the scroll from the kanstresios and 
reads this prayer: '0 Lord our God, the insistent .... '"14 This mo­
ment is significant, for it signals the ending of the Liturgy of the 
Catechumens. Finally, the bishop reads from the scroll for a 
third time during the inaudible prayer of the Cherubikon: 

And the bishop, coming forward [alone] and making with­
in himself <the> supplication during the singing of the Che­
rubikon, (says to) himself the prayer: "No one is 
worthy .... » When the prayer is finished he gives the scroll to 
the kanstresion, and after letting down his phelonion [and] 
joining his hands, he says to himself the Cherubic Hymn.1S 

In this important prayer, written in the first person singular, the 
celebrant asks God to "look at me, a sinner ... and cleanse my 
soul and heart from any thought of evil.» The Cherubikon is 
the priest's personal entreaty for purity and guidance in per­
forming the eucharistic sacrifice. 

Important visual evidence for the unwinding of the liturgical 
scroll for the inaudible prayer of the Cherubikon is provided 
by a narrative scene of "Saint Euthymios Miraculously Envel­
oped by Fire while Officiating in Church,» on the north wall of 
the fourteenth-century chapel of St Euthymios in Thessaloniki 

12 On the role of this church official see Du Cange, Glossarium ad scriptores 
mediae et infimae graecitatis (Graz 1958) 576; A. Kazhdan, "Kastresios," 
OxDictByz II llllf. 

\J "Ku 1. fl£'ta to dnElv tllV EU;Olv, MOWOl to KovtOKtOv tip KuvotPllcrtCP, " R. 
Taft, "The Pontifical Liturgy of the Great Church according to a Twelfth­
Century Diataxis in Codex British Museum Add. 34060," OrChrP 45 (1979) 
28M; for the prayer see F. E. Brightman, Liturgies Eastern and Western, I: 
Eastern Liturgies (Oxford 1896) 369f. 

H Taft (supra n.13) 292ff. "Ehu AUfl~ovn £K tau KuvcrtpllOtOU to 
KOvtOKtOV KUt A£yn tllV EUXllv tUUtllV' KUPlE <> eEO~ DllOOV. thv £KtEvfj." 
For the text of the prayer see Brightman (supra n.13) 373. 

15 Taft (supra n.13) 294. "'0 OE apXlEpEUS npocrlcOv anus KUt nOlTtcrus tv 
[uute!> (tllv) O£11crlv, toU XEpOU~lKOU ~OOIlEVOU, (A.EYEl EV) [UUte!> t~V EUXTtV, 
to OVod~ i:iI;tO~· nA.llPOUflEVllS Or tTlS EUXTlS E1ttoiowcrl to KOVtOKtOV te!> !Cuv­
crtp11crtCP, KUt XUA.acrus to q>UlVOAtOv uutou, oEcrflTtcruS ta<; XEtPUS uutou, 
A£YEl !Cue' [UU'l;OV tOV XEpOU~t!COV Uflvov." For the text of the prayer see 
Brightman (supra n.13) 377f. 



200 LITURGICAL SCROLLS 

(PLATE 2). In this scene, the eponymous saint, celebrating the 
liturgy, holds a scroll open over the altar. His eyes are focused 
intensely on the inscribed text that begins with the words 
Oy ~EIL A3IOL-that is, the "no one is worthy" prayer men­
tioned in the twelfth-century diataxis. 16 

Corroborative evidence for the use of such scrolls for the 
prayers of the Ectene and Cherubikon is found in the eleventh 
century decorated liturgical scroll Jerusalem, Stavrou 109. Here, 
an anonymous bishop, whom Grabar posited as the manu­
script's patron, is depicted beside the text of the inaudible 
prayers of the Ectene and the Cherubikon. The evidence pro­
vided by the twelfth-century diataxis suggests a reinterpretation 
of the lresence of this bishop in the manuscript, for he is 
picture at precisely two moments when the scroll would have 
been unwoundY The placement of the episcopal portrait next 
to the prayers stipulated for reading during the service may 
have been a deliberate attempt by the anonymous bishop to 
display his piety, or to have his generosity remembered by God 
and his brethren each time the scroll was unwound to these 
sectlOns. 

The three inaudible prayers indicated by the diataxis of the 
Great Church are regularly inscribed on the scrolls of the 
painted bishops in the Byzantine sanctuary. With few excep­
tions, the "No one is worthy" prayer is held by Basil, the 
prayer's reputed author. ls The Trisagion may be held by John 
Chrysostom or Gregory the Theologian. The text of the 
Ectene, less often included in the central sanctuary, is not 
associated with a particular bishop. 

A number of other prayers are commonly found on the 
painted scrolls, and these may correspond to other diataxeis. 
For example, in later diataxeis, the patriarch is described as 
reading from a liturgical scroll during the chanting of the three 
antiphons: 

16 For a discussion of this scene see T. Gouma Peterson, "Christ as Minis­
trant and the Priest as Ministrant of Christ in a Palaeo logan Program of 
1303," DOP 32 (1978) 215f. 

17 Grabar (supra n.10) 165f, figs. 1, 5, 9. The bishop is also depicted among 
the figures on the headpiece of the scroll. 

18 For statistical information and preliminary conclusions concerning the 
prayers held by bishops in primarily Serbian churches see G. BabiC and C. 
Walter, "The Inscriptions upon Liturgical Rolls in Byzantine Apse 
Decoration," REByz 34 (1976) 269-80. 



SHARON E. J. GERSTEL 

... and the patriarch recites the prayers of the three anti­
phons, likewise reciting their respective ecphoneseis, as the 
ieromnemon holds the scrol1.19 

201 

As is the case with the three prayers described in the earlier 
diataxis, the three inaudible prayers accompanying the anti­
phons are often inscribed on scrolls held by the painted 
bishops. For example, in the later twelfth-century church of St 
George at Kurbinovo, Athanasius holds the first antiphon and 
Achilleios, a local saint, is honored by extending the second. 
The third antiphon is held by Nicholas. In the small church of 
St Demetrios Krokeon in Laconia, dated to 1286, John Chrysos­
tom holds the prayer of the First Antiphon and Gregory the 
Theologian holds the prayer of the Third Antiphon (PLATE 3). 
Thus, the prayers read from the scrolls by the actual celebrant 
and the prayers read from the scrolls by his frescoed con­
celebrants are identical, and the unwinding of the scroll 
simultaneously by the painted and breathing priests forms a 
tangible bond between the two. 

Special Prayers for Communion 

In rare cases in Byzantine sanctuary decoration, painted 
bishops hold partially opened scrolls inscribed with the words 
of consecration rather than the inaudible prayers of the liturgy.2o 
In the church of the Taxiarchs in Kastoria, for example, 
Gregory the Theologian, Basil, John Chrysostom, and Athan­
asius hold prayers directly linked to this portion of the liturgy. 
The two outer figures, Gregory and Athanasius, hold scrolls in­
scribed with the epiklesis and the prayer following it in the 

19 "AEYO Kat 0 1tm:pt(lPXTl~ 'ta~ Euxa~ 'trov 'tptWV av'tt<pcOvwv Kpm:OUV'tOr; 'to 
Kov'taKtOV 'tou iEPOllv1UI.OVOr;. " A. Papadopoulos Kerameus, ed., tna'ta~tr; 'tilr; 
'tOu ITa'tptapxou Ao'toupyia~ (Athens 1890) 93; see also 1. Habert, Archi­
eratikon: Liber Pontificalis Ecclesiae Graecae (Paris 1643) 52f, with commen­
tary 59f. The Habert edition presents a slightly different text: "'Avto'ta'tat Kat 
<> na'tptaPXTlr;, Kat AEYO 'ta~ Euxar; 'twv 'tpiwv <lv'tt<pcOvwv <>1l0U AEYWV Kat 
'ta~ h:<p(J)vlloo~ KaS' i:uu'tov, KPU'tOUV'to~ KUt 'tou 'IEPOllvllIlOVO~ 'to KOV'taKtov." 
For the role of the ieromnemon in the liturgy see]. Darrouzes, Recherches sur 
les OttxPIKIA de Nglise byzantine (Paris 1970) 368-73. For the position of the 
ieromnemon see also DuCange (supra n.12) 51 of. 

20 This type of depiction is found in Panagia Eleousa in Prespa, Bezirana 
Kilisesi (Peristremi), St Nikita in Cucer, St George near Sagri on N axos, 
Studenica, Taxiarchs in Markopoulo, the south chapel of the Cave of Penteli 
in Attica, and St Blasios in Veroia. 



202 LITURGICAL SCROLLS 

service. Basil and Chyrsostom, the two central figures in the 
composition, possess scrolls containing the prayers for the 
consecration of the bread and wine (P LA TE 4). Scrolls inscribed 
with the inaudible prayers as well as those bearing the shorter 
prayers of consecration are depicted in the church programs. 
Consecration scrolls, however, are differentiated from the 
kontakia by being held in a single hand, and by having their 
words inscribed horizontally rather than transversa charta. 

A number of scrolls containing only the prayers for the 
communion survive from the thirteenth to fifteenth century 
on Mt Athos. 21 That the prayers for communion were written 
on scrolls separate from the kontakia is clearly reflected in the 
painted representations. In turn, these partially opened scrolls 
placed in the hands of the painted bishops may be seen to cor­
respond to a moment described by the twelfth-century diataxis 
of the Great Church. During the prayers before Communion, 

the bishop raises his hands a little in prayer, holding in his 
left hand the unrolled scroll, saying to himself, "Our 
Father. ... Holy things for the Holy. "22 

The painted program of the sanctuary corresponds once again 
to a specific moment of the liturgy, and moreover, to the very 
manner of celebration. 

Changes in Practice, Changes in Painting 

By far the vast majority of extant decorated and undecorated 
scrolls were produced during the most prolific period of 
Byzantine monumental painting, that is, the twelfth through the 
fifteenth centuries. 23 Considering existing evidence, it seems 
clear that the increased production of scrolls for use during the 

21 Iviron 4131 (11 th c.), 4133 (11th c.); Pantocrator 64 (11th c.); Dionysiou 110 
(12th c.); Lavra 44 (15th c.), 45 (14th c.); Vatopedi 10 (lyh c.), 13 (14th c.), 14 (14th 
c.), 15 (13th c.). 

22 Taft (supra n.13) 298. "'0 oE apX1EpEU~ bc'tElvEl ~m;:pov 'ta~ XE"ipa~ 7tpO:; 
OEllOW, lCa'tEXwv £V 'ttl Aat~ XElpt U'\hou 'to lCOV'tUlCtOV £lC'tE't'\)A1YIlEVOV, 
AEYWV 1tpO~ Ea1}'tOV' TIU'tEP Tt~ii)v ... 'ta aym 'tOt~ ayiot~. " 

23 See Lavriotis (supra n.10). The breakdown of scrolls according to chron­
ology presented by Polites (supra n.10) for the monastery of Vatopedi is as 
follows: 10th c.: 1; 11'h c.: 1; 12th c.: 5; 13th c.: 12; 14 th c.: 20; 15 th c.: 8. The 
majority contain the liturgies of Chrysostom (23) and Basil the Great (21). To 
date, I have collected references to more than 160 liturgical scrolls, although I 
suspect that there are hundreds more that remain uncatalogued. 



SHARON E. J. GERSTEL 203 

celebration of the liturgy in the period following Iconoclasm 
may be linked to a significant change in the manner of depicting 
bishops in the sanctuary.24 One can thus point to a case where 
actual liturgical practice inspired a significant change in church 
decoration. The shift in the actual object held by the bishops in 
the apse was not arbitrary but paralleled changes in contempor­
ary liturgical practice. Consideration of the actual scrolls and 
their use as attested by Byzantine sources sheds light on liturgi­
cal practice in a period when the text of the service had already 
been formulated, as well as on artistic changes after the so-called 
'classical decorative system' had already been established in 
Byzantium. 

The metamorphosis of the painted bishop within the sanc­
tuary demonstrates a concern for the realistic depiction of litur­
gical celebration. Moreover, placement of figures rendered in a 
three-quarter pose on the walls of a rounded apse creates the 
illusion that these painted bishops not only participate in a 
frescoed celebration of the liturgy but literally emerge from the 
walls to concelebrate with the living priest.25 The presence of a 
marble barrier dividing the church nave from the sanctuary 
proper together with ecclesiastical injunctions that the faithful 
avert their gaze from the sanctuary resulted in the rapid with­
drawal of these painted figures from the general view and vener­
ation of the congregants. 26 If they were glimpsed by the faithful, 

24 The earliest surviving undecorated scroll (Vatican gr. 2282), dated to the 
ninth century, contains the liturgy of St James. The Monastery of the Great 
Lavra on Mt Athos possesses one scroll dated to the tenth century and 
another dated to the eleventh. I viron contains two scrolls dated to the 
eleventh century, and Dionysiou houses yet another. Sinai Euchologion 956 
has been dated to the tenth century. Two decorated scrolls located in the 
Russian Archaeological Instiute of Constantinople and the Greek Patriarchate 
of Jerusalem arc attributed to the eleventh century. 

25 Concelebration played a significant role in the Byzantine liturgy. The 
celebrants' movements were liturgically choreographed and their functions 
stringently pre-assigned. The importance and precise order of concelebration 
was especially evident during the episcopal liturgy when positions within the 
sanctuary were allocated according to the rank of the prelate. 

26 Even as early as the eleventh century, Nicetas Stethatos (Opuscules et 
Lettres, tr. J. Darrouzes [Paris 1961] 282ff) refers to the monastic practice of ob­
scuring the view of the sanctuary from the faithful: "Know that the place of 
the laity in the assembly of the faithful during the sacred anaphora is far from 
the divine altar. The interior of the sanctuary is reserved for the priests, 
deacons, and sub-deacons; the area outside the sanctuary, to the monks and 
other ranks of our hierarchy; behind them and the platform, for the laity .... 
How then from such a distance can the laymen, to whom it is not permitted, 



204 LITURGICAL SCROLLS 

then the painted bishops formed otherworldly counterparts to 
the actual celebrants. For by virtue of their eternal position in 
the sanctuary and their possession of scrolls that continually 
voice the secret prayers of the celebrant, these bishops partici­
pate in a mystical liturgy that transcends the physical boundaries 
of the walls on which they are painted. The parallel worlds sig­
nified by the bishops, simultaneously temporal and eternal, may 
well encapsulate the mystery of Byzantine art. 

In small monuments, especially single-aisled churches of the 
Byzantine countryside, local priests would celebrate the liturgy 
with the assistance of (at most) a deacon. In such settings, the 
presence of the painted bishops undoubtedly had a strong psy­
chological import. These images linked the priest to a tradition 
of correct ritual celebration. The living celebrant found himself 
confronted by the very authors of the liturgy, who, through the 
prayers inscribed on their unrolled scrolls, offered him the 
unchanged text of the sacred office. Furthermore, the words 
voiced by these scrolls exhorted the celebrant to cathartic intro­
spection in preparation for the eucharistic sacrifice. The 'ortho­
dox' message transmitted by the painted bishops was especially 
important in the post-Iconoclastic period when Byzantium was 
challenged by internal heresy, theological disputes, and Latin 
intervention.27 

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK 

October, 1994 

contemplate the mysteries of God accomplished with trembling by his 
priests?" (My translation.) 

27 For the relationship between images of this period and ecclesiastical de­
bates, see e.g. G. Babic," Les discussions christologiques et Ie decor des eglises 
byzantines au XIIe siecle," Fruhmittelalterliche Studien .3 (1968) .368-86; A. 
Townsley, "Eucharistic Doctrine and the Liturgy in Late Byzantine 
Painting," OC 58 (1974) 1.38-53. In this period discussion focused on the na­
ture of the eucharistic sacrifice and on the role of the Trinity. In addition, 
increased contact with the Latins introduced a number of problems for the 
Byzantine church, including the issue of azymes and the marked differences 
in celebration. 

I would like to thank the anonymous reader for valuable criticisms. This 
article is a revision of a paper given at the 1991 Byzantine Studies Conference.