end hangs down in front (from the left side), the other behind. It is then kept in its places with ornamented pins. The small omophorion is simply a curtailed form of the great one. It is worn from after the Gospel to the end of the liturgy, and for ordinations and other functions.[1] A bishop also wears a pectoral cross and a little medal containing a relic (ἐγκόλπιον). The Byzantine mitre (μίτρα) is a metal crown, gilt, ornamented with jewels and lined with red velvet.[2] Bishops carry a crozier (δικανίκιον), which is shorter than a Latin one and which ends in two branches curved round and ornamented with serpents' heads. Between them is a cross. These are the vestments used for the Holy Liturgy and certain other great occasions, such as the blessing of the waters on the Epiphany. On less solemn occasions, such as the Divine Office, the bishop wears only the mandyas (p. 340), kalemaukion (ibid.), and a smaller staff of wood with an ivory cross piece, like the letter T. For certain other services he wears the epitrachelion under and the small omophorion over the mandyas. To bless the people at the end of the liturgy he has in the right hand a triple candlestick with lighted candles (τρικήριον), and a double one (δικήριον) in the left. When a bishop is consecrated he stands on a small round carpet (ἀετός), on which are worked a city and above it an eagle surmounting the sun in its splendour.[3] The Priest's vestments are the sticharion, epitrachelion, girdle, epimanikia. If he is a dignitary of any kind he wears the epigonation too, and in Russia the Czar gives mitres to specially deserving priests. Instead of the sakkos he wears the Phainolion (φαινόλιον). This is a chasuble (pœnula, φαινόλης origin-
- ↑ The Uniate Patriarchs wear the Roman pallium on certain days as well as the omophorion.
- ↑ This mitre came into use after 1453 and was at first worn only by the Œcumenical Patriarch. The traditional story is that he took the crown of the Emperors when he was made the head of the Roman nation. It is certainly nothing but a copy of the old Imperial crown. I have an edition of the Roman History of Nikephoros Gregoras (Basel, 1562), with plates of Emperors in toga and crown (Palaiologoi and Komnenoi) and the crowns are exactly the Byzantine "mitre."
- ↑ In Russia this carpet is still used by the bishop for all functions. It is another relic of the Byzantine Court; the Emperors in my Nikephoros Gregoras are all standing on cushions embroidered with eagles.
