Ближний Восток и его соседи

g 124 h Dimitrios G. Letsios Between 913 and 919/920, Niketas Magistros, a lay hagiographer, adapted the theme of female monastic sanctity to a new protagonist, Theoktiste of Lesbos . 45 The author connects the narration about Theoktiste’s Life with a historical fact, the expedition of 910, targeting to liberate Crete from the Arabs. Niketas Magistros participated in the campaign as an ambassador of the Byzantines. As he says, “I was sent <with Himerios> partly to campaign with him and make progress in the exercise of command…and partly to serve as an ambassador to the Arab conquerors of Crete. 46 The Byzantine fleet, whose target was the Arab- occupied Crete, stopped temporarily in Paros. At Paros Niketas learns the story of Theoktiste, as narrated by the hermit Symeon. “Theoktiste, a nun from Lesbos, is captured by the Arabs during a visit to her sister. They bring her to Paros, where she escapes and goes on to live for 35 years, fed by God”. 47 Another passage is introduced, in order to relate a miracle linked to the Arab activity: “He (the hermit Symeon, asked by Niketas) answered thus: "Have you heard of the notorius Nisiris, the commander of the Cretan navy? He came here in person and, astonished at the beauty <of the ciborium>, planned to carry it off to Crete. He measured the doors <of the sanctuary> and then this holy and divine ciborium and decided that the deed could be easily accomplished. He lowered <the ciborium> to the ground and was dragging it to the doors of <of the sanctuary> to take it out, but <the ciborium> immediately grew in size. He dug through the wall and, after taking the measurements, he tried again to take it out. But <the ciborium> kept getting bigger and bigger and this happened many times until the Arab gave up. Since despite his efforts he failed to attain his objective -for it seems that the divine object did not deign to be defiled and become an instrument of foul sacrifices, for rumor has it that he was eager to dedicate it to the mosque of the Agarenes- he went into a frenzy and decided to smash it". When I heard this, I railed at that murderous and thrice accursed <Arab>. But <the holy man> said, “Never mind! He was indeed punished for his insolence shortly thereafter. <His ship> was dashed to piece against the cape of Euboea called Xylophagos and he perished beneath the sea”. 48 45 BHG 1723–1724. 46 Life of Theoktiste, 225; Alice-Mary Talbot, Holy Women in Byzantium , 103. 47 Nathalie Delierneux, “The Literary Portrait of Byzantine Female Saints”, in The Ashgate Research Companion to Byzantine Hagiography , ed. Efthymiadis, vol. II, 361–386, translated by Rowan Dorin, here 372. 48 Life of Theoktiste, 227; An event dated ca. 837. Cf. Alice-Mary Talbot, Holy Women in By­ zantium , 107.