Kassia’s hymnography in the light of patristic sources and earlier hymnographical works

This paper examines Kassia’s use of patristic sources and earlier hymnography in some of her authentic poetic works. Her use of the sources is scrutinized in relation to three main themes developed in her poetry: a) the imperial theme, b) the anti-iconoclastic polemic, and c) the ascetic ideal of life according to nature.