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13 The Ideological and Cultural Dimensions 145

sed after his death by miracles that occurred near his tomb, the first one in 1302 during an unsuccessful Palaiologan expedition for expelling Turks from Magnesia: John appeared and assured the garrison that he would be their leader. Healing miracles followed and his personality was identified with the image of the ideał ruler contrasted to the Palaiologan dynasty — the usur-pers and vicious. His Life was written in 1365—1370 and in the 17.c. his name was inserted into the calendar of the Ecumenic Patriarchate. In the mid -14.c. Callistos in his Life of Gregory the Sinaite compared the generosity of Han Alexander of Bułgaria with that of "the Holy Emperor John Va-tatzes” (Ruth Macrides, in The Byzantine Saint, 1981, pp. 67—71; A. Hei-senberg, in B.Z., 14, 1905, pp. 160—235; C. Amantos, in Prosphora eis Stil-pona P. Kyriakiden, 1953, pp. 29 — 34). The Life is in the high style and fuli of Biblical and Classical ąuotations and reminiscences.

20.    John Laskaris was blinded and imprisoned by the usurper Michael VIII Palaiologos in 1261. Soon he became a symbol of revolting anti-Palaio-logan dissidents. After 1285 he became a monk and after his death (c. 1305) his remains were kept in St. Demetrios in Constantinople — a conciliatory move of Andronikos II towards the Laskarid party, were venerated and work-ed healing miracles. Though no Life of Laskaris has come down to us, his sanctity is amply attested. Arsenios was deposed by Michael because he ex-communicated him after blinding John IV. His name was involved in upri-sings and plots against Andronikos. The Arsenite Schism imitiated by his deposition lasted until 1310, even after his death in 1273. Still, by another conciliatory gesture, Andronikos in 1284 allowed the translation of his relic to St. Sophia, where it was venerated for long; an Akolontliia for him was then composed which survives in just one MS, something due to the short duration of his liturgical commemoration despite the miracles attributed to his relic. Besides, in the second half of the 14.c. an Encomion for St. Arse-ntos was written, probably by Philotheos of Selymbria and perhaps based on a missing Life. It is addressed to a Constantinopolitan audience and, in con-trast to George Akropolites’ contemptuous description of the Saint, extols him as a Laskaris hero, similarly to Theodore Skoutariotes bishop of Cyzicos (12"7—1282). Further the Encomion stresses the obedience of the emperor Theodore Laskaris to Arsenios, “yielding the State to the Church”, which he considers natural, and compares the "all bloated” body of the "heterodox" Michael VIII lying in Selymbria due to his excommunication by "the most holy Patriarch” with the well-preserved healing body of the latter—a com-parison madę by others too, among them Theodore Agallianos in the 15 c» Like Philotheos, Agallianos attributed Michael’s eternal damnation to his Union with Romę too (R. Macrides, pp. 71—79). Hagiography in all three

cases is dynastie and deals with national-ecclesiastical issues besides social,

morał and others.

21.    Joseph I, the Patriarch (1267 — 1275, 1282—1283) who resigned in protest for the Union, was re-instated but his alleged canonisation inferred from the Synodikon of Lacedaimonia (it calls him a New Confessor) whereas that of Constantinople does not mention this epithet, is dubious. Eąually dubious is the argument in favour of his canonisation based on his annual commemoration as Patriarch due to his re-instatement; to the commenora-10-c. 1258