Περίληψη : Michael Senachereim, Surnamed Kakos, Was Born in the First Quarter of the Thirteenth Century

IΔΡΥΜA ΜΕΙΖΟΝΟΣ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ Συγγραφή : Μπάνεβ Γκέντσο Μετάφραση : Μακρυπούλιας Χρήστος Για παραπομπή : Μπάνεβ Γκέντσο , "Michael Kakos (Senachereim)", Εγκυκλοπαίδεια Μείζονος Ελληνισμού, Κωνσταντινούπολη URL:

Περίληψη : Michael Senachereim, surnamed Kakos, was born in the first quarter of the thirteenth century. He became a distinguished scholar, scientist, legist and official in the Nicaean state and Constantinople. He served as secretary to patriarch Manuel II, teacher of rhetoric at Nicaea, mesazon and protasekretis. Of his literary work a commentary has survived, with scholia in Homer. He died after 1262, most probably in Constantinople. Άλλα Ονόματα Kakos Τόπος και Χρόνος Γέννησης first quarter of thirteenth century, place unknown Τόπος και Χρόνος Θανάτου after 1262, probably Constantinople Κύρια Ιδιότητα scholar, official

1. Biography

Michael Senachereim, surnamed Kakos (“the Evil One”), was born in the first quarter of the thirteenth century and belonged to the Senachereim family (of possible Armenian extraction), whose members had risen to high-ranking offices already since the twelfth century.1 Michael rose to prominence as scholar and official in the empire of Nicaea. Ca. 1247/1248 he became secretary to patriarch Manuel II (1240-1255).2 During the reign of Theodore II Lascaris he was active as scholar and teacher in Nicaea. In 1259 he was appointed mesazon by Michael VIII Palaiologos, following which he was honored with the high-ranking office of protasekretis. In the same year he married into the Philanthropenos family.3 After 1262 no information on his life and activities is preserved in the sources. He died after that date, probably in Constantinople.

2. Activities

2.1. Professor at Nicaea

An important source on Senachereim’s activities as teacher and scholar is a letter by Theodore II Lascaris. The emperor addressed this letter to Michael Senachereim, teacher of rhetoric, and Andronikos Frangopoulos, teacher of “poetics”.4 It emerges from the document that Senachereim had been placed in charge of the (founded by the emperor) school of higher learning at the church of Saint Tryphon in Nicaea and supervised the second cycle of studies, which included mainly the teaching of rhetoric. Indirect information on the classes offered at the school is included in a surviving commentary by Michael Senachereim, containing scholia on Homer's Iliad. The style of the selected passages and, more importantly, the content of the scholia stand out for their pronounced rhetorical tone and show that the commentary was compiled as a teaching-aid manual catering to the school’s needs.5 Although there is no testimony relating to the school of Nicaea discontinuing its operations, in all probability this institute closed its doors shortly after Theodore II died and Michael Palaiologos usurped the throne (1258).6

2.2. Official in the service of Michael VIII Palaiologos

After Michael Palaiologos ascended to the throne, Michael Senachereim was honored for his qualifications, particularly his rhetorical skills and well-founded legal knowledge. In ca. 1259 Michael VIII appointed him mesazon and subsequently he was promoted to protasekretis, with jurisdiction over the materialization of a plan for founding a permanent court of law, the imperial sekreton,7 which among other matters would see to the validation of the dynastic change and the annulment of the legitimate succession of the minor

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John IV Laskaris. From the activities of Michael Senachereim as protasekretis a document has survived, an imperial chrysobull bearing an autograph of his signature.8 According to Byzantine historian Georgios Pachymeres, in 1261 the protasekretis Michael was in Nicomedia, when he was informed of the recapture of Constantinople. It was then that he delivered the historical phrase τοῦ λοιποῦ καλόν τις μὴ ἐλπιζέτω, ἐπεὶ ῾Ρωμαῖοι καὶ αὖθις πατοῦσι τὴν πόλιν (“from now on no one should hope for any good, since the Byzantines have once more set foot on Constantinople”), because of which he is referred to in Byzantine sources as Kakos (“the Evil One”).9 The former Nicaean teacher seems to have correctly summed up the volte-face in orientation and priorities of the policy of Michael VIII Palaiologos, as opposed to the policy of the Lascarids, and with these words he voiced his concern for the future of the empire’s eastern provinces.

1. Cf. Bρανούση, E. – Νυσταζοπούλου-Πελεκίδου, Μ. (eds.), Βυζαντινά έγγραφα της μονής Πάτμου 1: Αυτοκρατορικά (Athens 1980), p. 132.

2. Cf. Prosopographisches Lexikon der Palaiologenzeit 10 (1991), no. 25.154, p. 217, s.v. “Σεναχηρείμ, Μιχαήλ Κακός”[ Trapp, E. – Beyer, H. – Leontiades, I. (eds)].

3. Cf. Γεώργιος Παχυμέρης. Συγγραφικαί Ιστορίαι, Failler, A. (ed.), Georges Pachymérès. Relations historiques (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 24/1-2, Paris 1984), p. 157.1.

4. Θεόδωρος Β΄ Λάσκαρις, Επιστολές, Festa, N. (ed.), Theodori Ducae Lascaris Epistulae (Firenze 1898), pp. 271-276.

5. Cf. Κωνσταντινόπουλος, Β., “Σεναχηρείμ. Υπόμνημα στον Όμηρο”, Ελληνικά 35 (1984), pp. 151-152, where the commentary if published for the first time.

6. Cf. Constantinides, C.N., Higher Education in Byzantium in the 13th and Early 14th Centuries (1204 - ca.1310) (Nicosia 1982), p. 26.

7. Angold, M., A Byzantine Government in Exile. Government and Society under the Lascarids of Nicaea (1204-1261) (Oxford 1975), p. 171.

8. Bρανούση, E. – Νυσταζοπούλου-Πελεκίδου, Μ. (eds.), Βυζαντινά έγγραφα της μονής Πάτμου 1: Αυτοκρατορικά (Athens 1980), no. 30.

9. Γεώργιος Παχυμέρης, Συγγραφικαί Ιστορίαι, Failler, A. (ed.), Georges Pachymérès. Relations historiques (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 24/1-2, Paris 1984), p. 205.1-13.

Βιβλιογραφία : Hunger H., Βυζαντινή λογοτεχνία. H λόγια κοσμική γραμματεία των Βυζαντινών, 2: Ιστοριογραφία, Φιλολογία, Ποίηση, Μ.Ι.Ε.Τ., Αθήνα 1992, Κόλιας, Τ. – Συνελλή, Κ. – Μακρής, Γ.Χ. – Βάσσης, Ι. (μτφρ.)

Constantinides C.N., Higher Education in Byzantium in the Thirteenth and Early Fourteenth Centuries (1204-ca. 1310), Nicosia 1982

Angold M., A Byzantine Government in Exile. Government and Society under the Lascarids of Nicaea (1204-1261), Oxford 1975

Γεώργιος Παχυμέρης, Συγγραφικαί Ιστορίαι, Failler, A. (ed.), Georges Pachymérès. Relations historiques 1-2, Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 24/1-2, Paris 1984

Ahrweiler H., "L’histoire et la géographie de la région de Smyrne entre les deux occupations turques (1081-

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1317), particulièrement au XIIie siècle", Travaux et Mémoires, 1, 1965, 1-204

Βρανούση Ε., Βυζαντινά έγγραφα της μονής Πάτμου. Α΄: Αυτοκρατορικά, Αθήνα 1980

Krumbacher K., Geschichte der byzantinischen Literatur, München 1897

Laurent V., Les régestes des actes du Patriarcat de Constantinople, Fasc. IV: Les régestes de 1208 à 1309, Paris 1971

Dölger F., Regesten der Kaiserurkunden des Oströmischen Reiches, von 565-1453, 3, München 1979

"Σεναχηρείμ, Μιχαήλ Κακός", Trapp, E. – Beyer, H. – Leontiades, I., Prosopographisches Lexikon der Palaiologenzeit 10, Wien 1991, αρ. 25.154, 217

Κωνσταντινόπουλος Β., "Σεναχηρείμ. Υπόμνημα στον Όμηρο", Ελληνικά, 35, 1984, 151-156

Andreeva M.A., Ocerki po klul’ture vizantijskogo dvore v XIII veko, Praha 1927

Browning R., "Homer in Byzantium", Viator, 6, 1975, 15-33

Θεόδωρος Β΄ Λάσκαρις, Επιστολές, Festa, N. (ed.), Theodori Ducae Lascaris Epistulae, Firenze 1898

Γλωσσάριo : chrysobull (gold seal) Imperial document of the Byzantine state which was so named because it bore the gold seal of the emperor. mesazon The mesazon was the "mediator" between the emperor and his subjects. In the 11th-12th C. the term became a semiofficial designation. After the time of the Empire of Nicaea it designated the supreme post in the imperial administration and its holder assisted the emperor, as his confidant, in the administration of the state. protasekretis [proto‑a‑secretis]: office that appears in the 7th c. Protasectretis was head of the secreta and was appointed by the Emperor. He was aware of all pollitical and diplomatic affairs. His post required an excellent education and was considered highly confidential. In the Palaiologan period the office was reduced and eventually became a mere title. sekreton A Byzantine administrative term that denotes a bureau or department. It was in use throughout the Byzantine period and referred to various state sectors. From the 7th c. onward the term was also extended to ecclesiastical usages.

Πηγές Γεώργιος Παχυμέρης, Συγγραφικαί Ιστορίαι, Failler, A. (ed.), Georges Pachymérès. Relations historiques (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 24/1‑2, Paris 1984), pp. 131.10‑17, 205.3‑12.

Παραθέματα The Byzantine historian George Pachymeres refers to the promotion of Michael Senachereim as protasekretis (1259):

πλὴν καὶ πολλά τινα κατορθοῦν ὑπισχνεῖτο, τὴν μὲν ἐκκλησίαν ἀνυψοῦν ὅσον, τοὺς δ’ ἱερωμένους καὶ πλέον τοῦ μετρίου τιμᾶν, ἀξίαις τε μεγίσταις τοὺς ἀξίους τῶν ἐν τέλει προβιβάζειν καὶ κρίσεις ὑπεραποδέχεσθαι δικαίας καὶ τοὺς ἀρρεπῶς κρινοῦντας ἐγκαθιστᾶν, ὧν καὶ μάλα καὶ πρώτιστον τὸν Κακὸν Μιχαήλ, τὸν καὶ Σεναχηρεὶμ ἐπικεκλημένον, εὖ τῶν λόγων καὶ τῶν νόμων

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ἔχοντα, ἐν τῷ δοῦναί οἱ καὶ πρωτασηκρῆτις πάλαι σβεσθὲν ἀξίωμα καὶ οἱ θέλειν ἀσηκρῆτις ὑποτάξαι, ἐφ’ ᾧ ἀδεκάστως καὶ ἀνεριθεύτως κρίνοιεν.

Γεώργιος Παχυμέρης, Συγγραφικαί Ιστορίαι, Failler, A. (ed.), Georges Pachymérès. Relations historiques (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 24/1‑2, Paris 1984), p. 131.10‑17.

George Pachymeres describes Senachereim's reaction to the news of the liberation of Constantinople (1261): Ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ εἰς Νικομήδειαν ἔφθασαν, ἐνεστώσης τῆς πανηγύρεως τοῦ ἐν μάρτυσι μεγίστου Παντελεήμονος, ἔτυχε δ’ ἐκεῖσε καὶ ὁ Κακὸς Σεναχηρείμ, ἐν πρωτασηκρῆτις ὀφφικίῳ μεγαλυνόμενος, καὶ τὸ φημιζόμενον ἤκουε· πρῶτον μὲν διηπίστει καὶ ὡς πλάσμα τὸν λόγον ἀπέπεμπεν· ὡς δ’ ἐξελθὼν ἤκουσε καὶ ἐπίστευεν, εἰσελθὼν ἅμα καὶ τῶν σφετέρων γενείων ἀπρὶξ ταῖς χερσὶ δραξάμενος, «Ὢ οἷον, εἶπεν, ἀκούω. Τοῦτο ταῖς ἡμετέραις ἡμέραις ἐταμιεύετο· τί γε ἁμαρτοῦσιν, ὡς ἐπιζῆν καὶ βλέπειν τοσαῦτα δεινά; Τοῦ λοιποῦ καλόν τις μὴ ἐλπιζέτω, ἐπεὶ ῾Ρωμαῖοι καὶ αὖθις πατοῦσι τὴν πόλιν». Ταῦτ’ ἔλεγεν ἐκεῖνος καὶ δῆλος ἦν δυσχεραίνων τὰ παρὰ πολλοῖς θαυμαζόμενα.

Γεώργιος Παχυμέρης, Συγγραφικαί Ιστορίαι, Failler, A. (ed.), Georges Pachymérès. Relations historiques (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 24/1‑2, Paris 1984), p. 205.3‑12.

Χρονολόγιο first quarter of thirteenth century: Birth of Michael Senachereim. ca. 1247/1248: Michael Senachereim serves as secretary to patriarch Manuel II at Nicaea. between 1254-1258: Michael Senachereim teaches rhetoric in the school of higher learning at Nicaea.

1259: He is appointed mesazon and protasekretis by Michael VIII Palaiologos. after 1262: Death of Michael Senachereim, probably in Constantinople.

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