John Geometres
John Geometres or Kyriotes (2nd half of 10th century), was a Byzantine poet, soldier, and monk. He is one of the main literary figures of the Macedonian Renaissance.
Also recorded as Iōannēs Geōmetrēs
John Geometres
- Born
- 935. · Constantinople.
- Died
- 989.
- Nationality
- Byzantine Empire.
- Occupation
- poet, monk, writer, scholar and mathematician.
- Fields
- Byzantine literature, Christian poetry, Christian literature and Byzantine poetry.
- Languages
- medieval Greek and Ancient Greek.
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
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Documentary summary
John Geometres or Kyriotes (2nd half of 10th century), was a Byzantine poet, soldier, and monk. He is one of the main literary figures of the Macedonian Renaissance.
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John Geometres (born 935) was a mathematician, monk and poet, among other activities and a national of the Byzantine Empire. The mathematician was born in Constantinople.
John Geometres worked in Byzantine Empire. The mathematician was active in Byzantine literature, Byzantine poetry and Christian literature. Languages used include Ancient Greek and medieval Greek.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 01 October 2026
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wikidata · Q3172469 · wikipedia · John Geometres
In this article
Biography and work
Biography and work
John was probably of noble descent, but other relatives have not been identified. He was well educated and served in the Byzantine army before retiring as a monk. His career encompassed the eventful reigns of Nikephoros II Phokas (r. 963–969), John I Tzimiskes (r. 969–976) and the early years of Basil II (r. 976–1025). As a result, his poetry is full of references to the contemporary Byzantine conflicts with the Bulgarians and the Rus', as well as the rebellions of Bardas Skleros and Bardas Phokas. Among the Byzantine emperors, he singles out Nikephoros II Phokas for particular praise, while he denigrates his murderer and successor John Tzimiskes. He was previously erroneously identified with another John, Bishop of Melitene. John Geometres wrote both in verse and in prose. His works include epigrams, including a collection on monasticism called Paradeisos ("Paradise"), hymns to the Virgin Mary, an encomium to an oak tree, as well as prose works on rhetoric, oratory and exegesis.
Identity and origins
Identity and origins
The authorities additionally record the heading Iōannēs Geōmetrēs. His recorded languages were medieval Greek and Ancient Greek.
Career and activity
Career and activity
John Geometres worked in Byzantine literature, Christian poetry, Christian literature and Byzantine poetry. He worked at Byzantine Empire.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
935
John Geometres born at Constantinople.
989
John Geometres died.
Editions
The first edition of his poems was published by John Antony Cramer in 1841, based on the 13th-century Paris. suppl. gr. 352 manuscript, but his edition contained many errors. A revised edition with a translation in French was published by Émilie Marlène van Opstall in 2008. An edition and English translation of Geometres's prose Life of the Virgin Mary was published by Maximos Constas and Christos Simelidis in 2023.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Kazhdan (1991), p. 1059
- 2.Vasiliev (1958), p. 365
- 3.J. A. Cramer, Appendix ad excerpta poetica: codex 352 suppl., Anecdota Graeca e Codd. Manuscriptis Bibliothecae regiae Parisiensis, vol. IV (Oxford, 1841, repr. Hildesheim, 1967), 265–352
- 4.E.M. van Opstall, Jean Géomètre: Poèmes en Hexamètres et en Distiques Elégiaques, BRILL 2008 ,
- 5.Maximos Constas and Christos Simelidis, Life of the Virgin Mary, Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library 77 (Cambridge, MA, 2023)
Bibliography printed in the source article · 3
- Kazhdan, Alexander. John Geometres. The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Oxford University Press. 1059. 1991. 978-0-19-504652-6.
- Vasiliev, A. A. History of the Byzantine Empire, 324–1453, Volume I. THe University of Wisconsin Press. 1958. 9780299809256.
- Lauxtermann, Marc D. Byzantine Poetry from Pisides to Geometres: Texts and Contexts, Volume I. Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. 287–296. 2003. 978-3-7001-3150-2.
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