Kassia
Byzantine-Greek composer and hymnographer (810–865)
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Through Composer and Constantinople
Additionally, many epigrams and gnomic verses are attributed to her, at least 261. Kassia is notable as one of at least two women in the middle Byzantine period known to have written in their own names, the other being Anna Comnena. Like her predecessors Romanos the Melodist and Andrew of Crete, the earliest surviving manuscripts of her works are dated centuries after her lifetime.
Name
Her name is a feminine Greek form of the Latin name Cassius. It is variously spelled Κασσιανή (contemporary pronunciation ), Κασ(σ)ία (Kas[s]ia), Εικασία (Eikasia), Ικασία (Ikasia), Kassiani, Cas[s]ia, Cassiane, Kassiana. Modern English-language references to her as a composer generally use the name "Kassia," while references to her religious life tend to use Kassia or Kassiani.
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Life
Kassia was born between 805 and 810 in Constantinople into a wealthy family and grew to be exceptionally beautiful and intelligent. Three Byzantine chroniclers, Pseudo-Symeon the Logothete, George the Monk (a.k.a. George the Sinner) and Leo the Grammarian, claim that she was a participant in a "bride show"—the means by which Byzantine princes/emperors sometimes chose a bride, by giving a golden apple to his choice—organized for the young bachelor Theophilos by his stepmother, the Empress Dowager Euphrosyne. Smitten by Kassia's beauty, the young emperor approached her and said: "Through a woman [came forth] the baser [things]," referring to the sin and suffering coming as a result of Eve's transgression. Kassia promptly responded, "And through a woman [came forth] the better [things]," referring to the hope of salvation resulting from the Incarnation of Christ through the Virgin Mary. According to tradition, the verbatim dialogue was:
"-Ἐκ γυναικὸς τὰ χείρω." Medieval Greek:
"-Kαὶ ἐκ γυναικὸς τὰ κρείττω." Medieval Greek:
Unsatisfied with her response, Theophilos rejected her and chose Theodora as his wife.
By 843, Kassia had founded a convent in the west of Constantinople, near the Constantinian Walls, and became its first abbess. Although one view holds that her decision to enter monastic life was motivated by bitterness at having failed to marry Theophilos and become empress, a letter from Theodore the Studite indicates that she had religious motivations for embracing the monastic life. Since monastic life was a common vocation in her time, religious devotion may have been as important a motive as disappointment or the pursuit of artistic renown. Her convent had a close relationship with the nearby monastery of Stoudios, which played a central role in re-editing the Byzantine liturgical books in the 9th and 10th centuries, thus helping to preserve her work.
Emperor Theophilos was a fierce iconoclast, and any residual feelings he may have had for Kassia did not preserve her from the imperial policy of persecution for her defence of the veneration of icons. Among other things, she was subjected to scourging with a lash. In spite of this, she remained outspoken in defence of the Orthodox Faith, at one point saying, "I hate silence when it is time to speak."
After the death of Theophilos in 842 his young son Michael III became Eastern Roman Emperor, with Empress Theodora acting as Regent. Together they ended the second iconoclastic period (814–843); peace was restored to the empire.
Kassia traveled to Italy briefly, but eventually settled on the Greek Island of Kasos, where she died sometime around 865. In the city of Panaghia, there is a church where Kassia's tomb/reliquary may be found.
Portrayals
Many fictitious stories were created around her relationship with Emperor Theophilos. Contemporary historians such as Glykas, Ptochoprodromos, Kodinos, Zonaras, and Georgios Amartolos described her exile in Italy during the Iconoclasy wars and later settled and died in Kasos sometime between 867 and 890.
A fictional version of her is portrayed by Karima McAdams in the 5th season of the television series Vikings.
In August 2019, English singer-songwriter Frank Turner included a song told from her point of view on his album No Man's Land.
Religious commemoration
The feast day of Saint Kassiani is celebrated by the Orthodox Church on 7 September.
She is often depicted on the icon of the Sunday of Orthodoxy (the First Sunday of Great Lent), because of her strong defence of the veneration of icons.
In 2022, Kassia was officially added to the Episcopal Church liturgical calendar with a feast day on 7 September.
Recordings
The following are commercial recordings of the music of Kassia:
- Kronos Quartet: Early Music (Lachrymæ Antiquæ), USA 1997. Includes an instrumental arrangement of Kassia's "Using the Apostate Tyrant as His Tool".
- Sarband : Sacred Women, Women as Composers and Performers of Medieval Chant. Dorian, USA 2001. Album contains one piece by Kassia, Augustus-Sticheron Idiomelon Doxastikon: Vespers of 25 December (Athens MS 883) which is also recorded on the album by VocaMe.
- Deborah Kayser & Nick Tsiavos The Fallen Woman CD released 2008. Includes a recording of the Kassia Hymn.
- VocaMe : Kassia - Byzantine hymns of the first woman composer. Christophorus, Germany 2009. 18 tracks, with full sung texts in Greek script, German and English translations.
- Choral Settings of Kassiani: with members of Cappella Romana and the English Chamber Choir. Various recordings of the Troparion of Kassiani and When Augustus Reigned. Released in 2011.
- Hymns of Kassiani, hymns of Christmas, the Triodion and Holy Week. Cappella Romana, Alexander Lingas. Released in 2021.