ABSTRACT
I met Annemarie Carr one life-altering August day in 1997, and since then I have been convinced that she is epitome of perfection-an outstanding scholar and the kindest, warmest human being. Here I offer in her honor a study of Byzantine perceptions of perfection and ways of obtaining it. But there is more-the image I discuss, that of a symbolic ladder of virtues with monks climbing it and angels aiding them on one side, reflects my own relationship with Annemarie Carr: I as the monk laboring up the ladder and she as the ethereal angel lifting me when I am about to fall down.
