TYPICON. — From the Greek τυπικόν, it means rule, regulation. These T[ypica], which exerted such influence on the development of Byzantine law, especially monastic law, came into wide use in the East beginning in the 10th century.
At that time, it became customary for the founder or restorer of a monastery to establish a particular rule for it, containing either only liturgical norms and prescriptions or, more likely primarily, disciplinary prescriptions. Hence the distinction between liturgical and disciplinary Typica, the latter being the one most widely accepted, though liturgical elements are not excluded.
Among the disciplinary Typica, which are the most important, those that also include specific provisions to ensure the future economic life of the foundation occupy the first place; these are commonly called "ktetorika" and "praktika" (from the Greek κτήτωρ = founder). In these Typica, the founder or restorer disposes of his goods in favor of the monastery, at the same time setting out the norms for their use and administration, as well as for the election of the hegumen or superior, the admission of monks, etc. It was natural that in drafting these documents, particularly those of foundation, the formalities prescribed by law for such documents should be observed. What these formalities were cannot be determined today because the Typica have come down to us in an imperfect state. It seems highly probable, however, that the subscription of the author of the Typicon was the only formality considered necessary for its validity. A list of the Typica, with references to their editions, see in P. de Meester, O.S.B., in Atti del V Congresso Internazionale di Studi bizantini, II, Rome 1940, pp. 489-508.
TYPICON (LITURGICAL). — It is the liturgical book of the Byzantine rite, containing the norms (οἱ τύποι) of the Divine Office. The Typicon systematically explains the performance of the Offices, indicates how and where the variable parts are to be inserted into the Ordinary and where necessary, and provides explanations for particular ceremonies. The Typicon thus has some analogy with the Ordo Officii et Missae of the Latin rite, but it is much more developed and is perpetual.
Various Typica are in use: the Greeks, Romanians, and Bulgarians use that of the Great Church of Constantinople; the Russians and Serbs use that of St. Sabas; the monks of Mount Athos use the Athonite Typicon, while other monasteries have their own.
The Typicon of St. Sabas is divided into two parts; it takes as its model the Typicon of Moscow of 1904. The first part deals with the Offices to be celebrated in all churches. After a detailed description of the Small Vespers and the Nocturnal Vigil (chs. 1 and 2), it follows a general section explaining how the feast of those saints who have some degree of festivity is combined with the Office of Sunday, how Vespers and Orthros are celebrated on Sunday when they are not united in a nocturnal vigil (3-7), and how the Office is performed on weekdays and Saturday (9-15). Up to chapter 25, instructions are given on particular aspects of the Offices, e.g., the Psalter, the canons, the Antiphons with their commentary, etc. After this section, the Typicon gives prescriptions for monastic life (26-46). Then follows a description, down to the smallest details, of the Office for each day of the ecclesiastical year, both for the cycle of Saturdays and the first week and ending on August 31, as well as for the Paschal cycle, which begins with the Sunday of the Pharisee and the Publican and ends with the Sunday of All Saints. This very developed section also contains the text of the troparia and kontakia, as well as the so-called chapters of Mark (these are the articles of the hieromonk Mark that indicate how the various parts of God and the pre- and post-feasts of the twelve great feasts fall on a Sunday or on a day of the Triodion and Pentecostarion cycles [47-50]).
The first part concludes with explanations of the troparia, kontakia, theotokia, prokeimena, epistles, etc. (52-60). The second part, in its sixty chapters, deals with the coincidence of the titular feast of the church with other feasts, with Sundays, etc. Finally, there are the Paschal tables. The Typicon of the Great Church follows a different plan; in 1838, a new edition reduced its monastic character to better adapt it to parish life. After some preliminary remarks, it systematically treats all the secondary parts of the Ninth Hour, Vespers, Orthros, and the Liturgy, and indicates the various possibilities according to which these parts may present themselves during the year. Then comes the body of the Typicon, namely, the explanations of the ferial and Sunday Office, the Office of the saints actually celebrated in the twelve months of the year, beginning in September, the Office for the days of Lent and the Paschal season. An appendix, not identical in all editions, contains particularities for certain Offices according to their manner of celebration in the Great Church, e.g., for the Saturday of the Akathist, for the recitation of the twelve Gospels on Good Friday, for concelebration, etc.
The practical importance of the Typicon is exceptional. In Russia it was called the guide of all liturgical books. For the history of the Byzantine liturgy, too, the various manuscript texts of the Typicon are a primary source. A complete study of the history of the Typicon, however, does not exist, despite the work done especially by Russian liturgists. The most comprehensive collection of manuscript texts, sometimes published in full, is that of A. Dmitrievskij (see op. cit. in bibl.). From the studies of the same author it emerges: 1) the existence of an ancient Typicon of the patriarchal church of Jerusalem, which exerted great influence on the entire development of the Typicon; 2) the Rule of St. Sabas, left by the Saint at his death, is a norm for the life of his monks and has no relation to the liturgical Typicon called after St. Sabas; 3) no text reproducing the original and authentic Typicon has yet been found; 4) for the development of the Typicon, the various historical Typica (i.e., those of the founders of monasteries) are very important because they lead to the complete Typicon of the 12th century.