Abstract

The article offers the first edition and study of a poem of 33 verses by the well-known poet of the Palaeologan era Manuel Philes. The poem, which is contained in six codices, is a metrical preface to the homily on St. Nicholas by Emperor Leo VI. Its first part focuses on a literary evaluation of the homily, while in the second part the poet addresses his favourite saint. The poem is placed within Philes' poetical production and its authenticity is upheld on the basis of metrics and a significant number of parallels from his oeuvre. The poet's special veneration for St. Nicholas and the genre of the poem are also commented upon.