Monody to an Unknown Brother - Paperback

by Michal Choniates (Author), D. P. Curtin (Translator)

The work is a poignant monologue lamenting the loss of a cherished monastic brother, touching on their shared upbringing, virtues, and the profound impact of his passing. The speaker reflects on their close bond, the brother's achievements, and the devastation felt by the whole of the monastic community at his death, portraying a deep sense of mourning and loss. Curiously, this brother is never named, but he appears to have died sometime before the collapse of the Byzantine state to the armies of the crusaders in the early 13th century.