Vasilief, A History of the Byzantine Empire

The fall of Byzantium

The Hesychast movement

Page 6

The Hesychast quarrel of the middle of the fourteenth century resulted in a decisive victory for strict Orthodoxy in general and for the monastic ideals of Athos in particular. The monks dominated both the church and the state. The dead body of Palamas chief opponent, Nicephorus Gregoras, was exposed to insults and dragged along the streets of the city, according to another opponent, John Cyparissiotes surnamed the Wise. At this moment, according to L. Brehier, a dark future was beginning for the Empire. But the German Byzantinist Gelzer drew a rather idyllic picture of the life of the Athonian monks of the period. He wrote:

The Holy Mountain proved to be the Zion of the true faith. In the horrible crisis of the death of the whole nation, when the Ottomans were mercilessly treading down the Roman people, Athos became a refuge, whose stillness was sought by broken souls, and many strong hearts, which had been led astray in their earthly life, preferred in isolation from the world to live through their moral strife in union with God. In those sad times monastic life offered the unfortunate nation the only permanent and real consolation.

The role of the Hesychasts in the political struggle of their epoch has not yet been clearly determined, but the leaders of the political parties, such as Palaeologus and Cantacuzene, realized plainly the significance and strength of the Hesychasts and turned to them more than once for help in purely secular problems. But the threatening political situation, such as the ever present Turkish danger, for instance, compelled the Emperors even those who sought for the support of the Hesychasts to deviate from the strict Orthodoxy of the triumphant Palamas and his partisans, and seek for reconciliation with the Roman church, which, in the opinion of the Eastern emperors, alone could rouse western Europe to defend Christianity. This leaning to the West grew particularly strong, when, after Cantacuzene's deposition, there established himself on the throne John V Palaeologus, half-Latin on his mother's side, who himself became Catholic  

More on St Gregory Palamas ||| Nicholas Cabasilas

Previous / First Page of this section

A History of the Byzantine Empire - Table of Contents

Next Chapter : The conversion to Catholicism of Emperor John V

Previous Chapter : Ecclesiastical problems under the Palaeologi

Constantinople

 

Reference address : https://ellopos.net/elpenor/vasilief/hesychasm.asp?pg=6