The office of the Twelve Troparia in the main Typica of the Studite Tradition

Abstract

This article examines the daytime service of Great Friday in the Studite tradition. It reviews both the main ancient textual evidence, as well as the academic literature devoted to this issue. What comes into focus, is the development and understanding of the Office of the Twelve Troparia in the Studite tradition. The meaning and structure of the “Royal” hours in the monastic Byzantine typica change in contrast to their original purpose. The core of the service remains in the form of chanting psalms, reading prophecies, the Apostle and the Gospel — all connected with the suffering of the Lord, as well as singing the ancient Jerusalem troparia in the number of twelve. However, the position of this service, its transfer to Great Tuesday in the Studite-Alexian Typicon, testifies to its borrowed character and to its treatment as a secondary service on behalf of the Byzantine monks.