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Nikephoros Chrysoberges

1160 – 1201

Byzantine rhetorician

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About Nikephoros Chrysoberges

Lived 1160 – 1201 (aged 40–41). Nikephoros Chrysoberges was a Byzantine rhetorician and eastern Orthodox priest.

Nikephoros Chrysoberges (; ca. 1160 – probably after 1213) was a Byzantine rhetorician and metropolitan bishop of Sardis.

He was born most likely ca. 1160, or, according to a different view, in 1142. As a protégé of Constantine Mesopotamites, he succeeded in being appointed teacher (didaskalos) at the Patriarchal School of Hagia Sophia ca. 1186. In the 1190s, he apparently fell into disgrace, but recovered his position with his appointment to the senior post of magistros ton rhetoron ("master of the rhetoricians") in 1200, a post which he held until ca. 1204, when he succeeded his uncle as metropolitan of Sardis. He died probably after 1213.

In his capacity as magistros ton rhetoron, he produced official panegyric speeches in honour of emperors Alexios III Angelos (r. 1195–1203), Alexios IV Angelos (r. 1203–04), and the Patriarch of Constantinople John X Kamateros. According to Alexander Kazhdan, "both his political views and literary principles were traditional and conventional. He praised imperial power but [...] remained unimpressed by military prowess". The Byzantines' troubled relation with the Italian maritime republics plays an important role in Chrysoberges' rhetoric.

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Important facts

Born
1160
Birth century
Died
1201
Occupation
Rhetorician, Eastern Orthodox priest
Nationality
Positions held
Metropolitan
Also known as
Nicephorus Chrysoberges, Nicephorus Chrysoberga

People in Nikephoros Chrysoberges's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Nikephoros Chrysoberges's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Nikephoros Chrysoberges?

Byzantine rhetorician

When was Nikephoros Chrysoberges born?

Nikephoros Chrysoberges was born in 1160.

When did Nikephoros Chrysoberges die?

Nikephoros Chrysoberges died in 1201.

What was Nikephoros Chrysoberges's occupation?

Nikephoros Chrysoberges was a rhetorician and eastern Orthodox priest.

What nationality was Nikephoros Chrysoberges?

Nikephoros Chrysoberges was Byzantine.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Nikephoros Chrysoberges

· Wikidata: Q18353438

· DBpedia: Nikephoros Chrysoberges

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Nikephoros Chrysoberges. https://biography.guide/nikephoros-chrysoberges/

MLA: "Nikephoros Chrysoberges." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/nikephoros-chrysoberges/.

Chicago: "Nikephoros Chrysoberges." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/nikephoros-chrysoberges/.

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