International congress of byzantine studies belgrade, 22 27 august 2016

Beatrice Daskas
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany; 
[e-mail]
The 
Akathist Hymn
in the Early Medieval West
The aim of the present communication is to offer insights into the early reception of the Akathist 
hymn in the early medieval West. The evidence provided by early Latin homilists suggests that the 
imagery of this hymn was already circulating into specific western milieux, well before its alleged 
translation into Latin by the Bishop of Venice Christopher around AD 800. In this perspective, 
taking into account the hints offered by the Marian homilies of Ambrosius Autpertus (†784), monk 

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and briefly abbot of the Benedictine monastery of San Vincenzo al Volturno in central Italy, I will 
discuss the role played by Rome in conveying the eastern hymnographic and homiletic tradition 
about Mary to the West in the period of the “Greek Papacy” (678–752).
Diego Maria Ianiro
Caserta, Italia; 
[e-mail]
“Credere virginem in corde per fidem.” Images of Mary in the Libri Carolini
During the sixth session of the Second Nicene Council, the image of the Virgin holding the 
Christ child was taken as a visual evidence of the fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy: 
The 
virgin will conceive and give birth to a son
(Is 7, 14). For Byzantine theologians such a depicted 
prophecy could be misunderstood only by ignorant people; the learned ones, instead, should have 
to venerate and kiss it in order to be worthy of it. This statement is comprehensively commented 
in chapter IV, 21 of the 
Libri Carolini
: as the prophecy is a matter of faith that cannot be seen but 
only believed; so the 
mysterium
of virginity needs to be trusted “by faith in the heart.” Therefore, 
according to the 
Libri Carolini
, the mystery of Mary cannot be seen or understood in pictures, and 
for the same reason adoring any image of the Virgin is a senseless act. This is the starting point for 
an enquiry on the representation of the Virgin in the eyes of Carolingian theologians, who seem to 
display a poor knowledge of – or a lack of interest in – the eastern Marian tradition.