JOB MONACHUS
In the Nanian codex LXXI, p. 245 (in Aloysius Mingarelli, *Cod. Nanian.*), one reads: "Office for our holy mother Theodora the wonder-worker, queen in Arta, composed by me, Job the monk." Then follows the Office of Saint Theodora the queen. But since this holy woman is unknown to many, we shall transcribe some things from page 253, where, after the odes, canons, etc., the following is read:
A The venerable and blessed Queen Theodora, born in the East to parents John and Helena, experienced a destiny of this kind. When Alexius of the Comnenus family was reigning over the Romans, Michael Comnenus, who in lineage was distinguished from the king himself and the kings designated by the name of an angel, was allotted the reign of the Peloponnese, at which time Senacherim was sent into Aetolia and Nicopolis. Two sisters from the royal blood were united in marriage to them. John, indeed, the father of the blessed Theodora, by surname Petraliphes, born of a noble and illustrious family, out of the stock of the optimates who flourished in Constantinople, took a wife. Being then constituted king of the Romans, having settled matters in Thessaly and Macedonia, the Latins—alas!—captured the city of Constantine by force, and, so it pleased God, reduced Alexius with many others into captivity. His son Lascaris was deprived of his eyes in the East by Michael Palaeologus, who at that time seized the kingdom. B Thus, therefore, with all things everywhere in turmoil, Senacherim, for whom also plots were being laid by the Nicopolitans, called Michael Comnenus to his aid. While he was delaying, and Senacherim had been killed by treachery, Michael subsequently exacted vengeance from the slayers, and, since he had lost his own wife to a fatal death, he took as his wife her who had been the wife of Senacherim, Melissena, and obtained all the wealth of Senacherim along with the kingdom. The same man, after the fleet of the Latins had left Constantinople and had moored at the harbor so-called of Salagoras, bought back Emperor Alexius—unknown to him—from them with a large sum of money as a slave, and subsequently manumitted him. From this emperor, moreover, the height of power was conceded to Michael and his sons. C From Melissena he received four sons: Michael Ducas, Theodore, Manuel, and Con[stantine]. Of whom the eldest, Michael, obtained the height of power, a man equally suitable for devising and executing tasks. He founded Albam Graecam, Janina, and Bonditza; he subdued the island of Corfu, Dyrrachium, Achrida, and all Blachia and Greece, and extended the borders of the empire. But a little later he himself was also killed by the sword, leaving his brother Theodore Ducas in the empire. Theodore, D contemplating
A the infant Ducas, born of his own brother Michael, found him to be a minor; and, seizing the entire authority, and being lifted up by the success of his affairs, he plotted treachery against the child. His mother, sensing this, anticipated him and crossed over with the infant to the island of Pelops.
Theodore, having appeared most approved in battles, and having liberated Thessalonica from the Latin tyranny, was proclaimed emperor; and he held power over all the Western lands up to Christopolis itself. Now the Sebastokrator Petraliphas, B having begotten sons in Thessaly, also produced the ever-memorable Theodora; and having ended his life in Christ, he left his own domain to his sons, who, acting dutifully towards the Emperor Theodore, guarded their own sister, while she was still a young girl, as the apple of their eye. What happened after this? The Emperor Theodore, having campaigned at Zagora, waged war with Asan, the King of the Bulgarians; and having been defeated, he was captured by him and deprived of the light of his eyes. Michael, now reaching the age of a young man, was recalled from exile, and having taken over the entire paternal rule, he settled in Vlachia. And having come to the fortress of Servion, he saw the beautiful maiden Theodora, of whom he was extremely enamored; he came to an agreement with her brothers, the Petraliphai, and having taken her in lawful marriage, he returned triumphantly with her to Acarnania, which at that time was unwalled. But while he was concerned for his own rule, Theodora was not carried away by glory, nor was she captivated by youth, nor did she know how to waste herself on pleasures. C Nor was she puffed up by the weight of authority; rather, she knew that it was better to be devoted to God, to cultivate virtue, and to live temperately. Embracing humility, freedom from anger, love, gentleness, compassion, and almsgiving, she excelled as no other did, and served God with her whole soul at all times. The enemy of the just, however, could by no means bear to see this, nor could he endure to look upon this beautiful path of the maiden; but he armed himself entirely against her, and having softened the man with feminine passions, he stirred up a temptation for the blessed one, the most terrible ever recorded. For, having become infatuated in a lecherous manner with a certain woman from noble stock by the name of Gangraina, and having had his sanity stolen away by her sorceries, Michael came to hold an implacable hatred against his own wife. And having cast her off, he madly took the maenad into his home, D and forbad his subjects to be attached to Theodora, or to consider her worthy of any care, or even to speak her name upon their tongues. Having fallen into these terrible straits, the noble woman was not at all shaken in her resolve, nor was she turned aside from her good way of life, but she remained whole and steadfast as an adamant, and continued to serve God just the same. Living as an exile, with tears and in the heat, suffering in the open air, and suffering from hunger and thirst and all other miseries of life, she remained, yet she uttered nothing that was unworthy; rather, without complaint she embraced virtue even more fervently, and daily gave examples of patience and magnanimity, raising the child whom she was carrying in her womb when she was driven into exile. One day, a priest of that region, named Prenestes, found her gathering vegetables in the fields, with the child accompanying her. By him...
she was asked under oath to reveal her name; and, having learned who she was, he took her home, hid her, and deemed her worthy of every care. B Now, when the grandees and those of the first rank under Michael Ducas had suddenly seized that wicked woman and hanged her, that entire evil affair was brought to light. And Michael, coming to his senses, was struck with remorse, and he brought back the blessed one; and henceforth all things were filled with joy and gladness. Both then passed their lives in peace and in the love that is according to God, taking thought for their own salvation; being honored with the rank of masters, they bore children, were raised to the height of great glory, and both contended in the noble contest of virtue. The soul-praiseworthy Theodora, however, seeing that her master and husband had established two beautiful and holy monasteries—I mean those dedicated to the Queen of All and to the All-Holy Mother of God—herself also built a convent for nuns in honor of the great martyr George, and established it as a house for women. Upon the death of her husband and master, Michael, who had lived well and godly and had passed on to the heavenly mansions, she herself immediately took up the monastic habit; and, for as long as she lived, she adorned the holy church with votive offerings, sacred vessels, and vestments. For she practiced not only by laboring in body, but, being studious in the excellent cultivation of virtue, she spent entire nights standing and singing hymns and psalms. There was nothing more precious to her than to waste away her body with fasts, to perform the rites for her companions, to assist those afflicted by injury, to act on behalf of orphans and widows, to bring aid to the poor, to console the sad; in short, to be all things to all men in the humility of her heart. C And when she perceived that her final hour was drawing near, she asked with tears of the all-holy Mother of God and the all-glorious martyr George that, through their intercession, God might grant her six months' time to finish the church; and this was granted to those who prayed. When this was given, she called together the sisters and admonished them concerning the religious duties to be performed. Finally, having wished them salvation, she rendered her spirit with a joyful soul. She was buried in the monastery built by her. Furthermore, God later made this holy woman illustrious with remarkable miracles and the healing of the sick. Thus, she even strove to heal the disease which the sons of physicians call cancer, as well as many others, and she continues to heal them to this day. For she does not only bring aid to those who approach her tomb, but she is also present to those sailing on the high sea, D and she is not missing for those on islands who call upon her. Wherefore let us also humbly approach God, that we may be deemed worthy of eternal salvation, etc.
The rest is missing from the codex, though they are few, as is evident.