Balsamon, Teodoro

BALSAMON, TEODORO. - One of the best-known canonists of the dissident Greek Church, b. around the middle of the 12th century at Constantinople and d. there after 1195. Having entered the clergy of the great Church at a young age, he obtained the offices of monofilax and chartophylax. Around 1193 he was elected bishop of Antioch, of which, however, he never took possession.

Urged by the emperor Manuel Comnenus and by the patriarch of Constantinople, Michael Anchialus, he wrote around 1170, in fourteen titles, a voluminous Commentary on the Syntagma or Collection.

This work comprises two parts: the collection of the Sacred Canons and their explanation (PG 137 and 138) and the interpretation of the Nomocanon (ibid. 104, 975-1218).

It is impossible to understand why the editors published the two parts separately, since they constitute one and the same work. Under the title of the canons appear the Apostolic Canons, the decrees of the general and particular councils, and certain letters of the Fathers of the Church. To the Novels of Justinian and to the Basilica, he adds various laws of the emperors and decrees of the patriarchs published subsequently.

Among his other works, the following deserve to be noted: Eight meditations or Answers (PG 119); Answer to 74 canonical questions posed by Mark, patriarch of Alexandria (ibid. 112 and 138); Commentary on the questions of certain monks (ibid. 138).