TeTra | Giovanni Gomiero "Literary activity and East Syrian Monks in Thomas of Marga's Works"

TeTra Research Seminar | 28 August 2023
Giovanni Gomiero (Ghent University)
"While one brother was a writer, the other was a bookbinder": literary activity and East Syrian monks in Thomas of Marga's works (9th century)
The aim of this talk is to demonstrate the complexity and richness of Thomas of Marga (fl. 840 ca.) as a unique author and his works as intriguing yet fruitful texts. Through a precise case study, I will explore one of the fundamental themes in Thomas' writing, the dichotomy between asceticism and study. At first glance, especially in the Book of Superiors, it may appear that ascetic practice is incompatible and definitively superior to literary activity and study. However, upon delving deeper into the texts of the bishop of Marga, it becomes evident that the scenario is more intricate. Several great monks within the ascetical landscape depicted by Thomas are literate men, teachers, and brilliant writers. Furthermore, and this will be the core of my presentation, Thomas presents the possibility of having little "family-run publishing houses" within the monastery. Two brothers can enter in the monastery with their expertise, and there they can collaborate, with one serving as a writer and the other as a bookbinder, living in close cells to produce manuscripts for themselves, the monastery, and anyone who requests this service (be it a noble, a bishop, or a patriarch). This unique activity, hapax in the monastic literature of the Church of the East, will provide a precise example to add to the broader theme of the relationship between the monasteries and the schools in the Church of the East, between the 6th and the 10th century.
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