S. Mary Pammakaristos, from the west.
To face page 138.
The legend cannot refer to the Emperor John Comnenus (1118-1143), for his consort was neither named Anna nor related to the family of Ducas. She was a Hungarian princess, who, on becoming the emperor's bride, assumed the name Irene. Mr. Siderides, therefore, suggests that the persons mentioned in the inscription were that emperor's grandparents, the curopalates and grand domestic John Comnenus and his wife, the celebrated Anna Dalassena, who bore likewise the title of Ducaena. In that case, as the curopalates and grand domestic died in 1067, the foundation of the church cannot be much later than the middle of the eleventh century. But whether the term φρόντισμα should be understood to mean that the church was founded by the illustrious persons above mentioned, or was an object already in existence upon which they bestowed their thought and care, is not quite certain. Mr. Siderides is prepared to adopt the latter meaning, and the architecture of the church allows us to assign the foundation of the building to an earlier date than the age of the grandparents of the Emperor John Comnenus. But while the connection of the church with those personages must not be overlooked, the building underwent such extensive repairs in the thirteenth century that the honour of being its founder was transferred to its restorer at that period. Pachymeres [217] speaks of the monastery as the monastery of Michael Glabas Tarchaniotes (τὴν ἰδίαν μονήν]). While the poet Philes (1275-1346), referring to a figure portrayed on the walls of the church, asks the spectator,
Seest thou, O stranger, this great man? He is none other than the protostrator, the builder of this monastery, the wonder of the world, the noble Glabas.
ὁρᾷς τὸν ἄνδρα τὸν πολὺν τοῦτον, ξένε; ἐκεῖνος οὖτός ἐστιν ὁ πρωτοστράτωρ, ὁ δημιουργὸς τῆς μονῆς τῆς ἐνθάδε, τὸ θαῦμα τῆς γῆς, ὁ Γλαβᾶς ὁ γεννάδας]. [218]
In accordance with these statements, Gerlach [219] saw depicted on the walls of the church two figures in archducal attire, representing the founder of the church and his wife, with this legend beside them:
Michael Ducas Glabas Tarchaniotes, protostrator and founder; Maria Ducaena Comnena Palaeologina Blachena,[219] protostratorissa and foundress.
Μιχαὴλ Δούκας Γλαβᾶς Ταρχανιώτης, ὁ πρωτοστράτωρ καὶ κτήτωρ; Μαρία Δούκαινα Κομνηνὴ Παλαιολογίνα Βλάκαινα, [220] ἡ πρωτοστρατόρισσα καὶ κτητώρισσα.
Michael Glabas was created protostrator in 1292, and acquired the right to appoint the abbot of the monastery before 1295. Consequently the completion of the repair of the church at his instance must be assigned to the interval between these dates.