An 18th-Century Greek Triplex modus praedicandi Treatise

The manuscript entitled Skiagrafiai, found in Cod.Ath. 1196 in the National Library in Athens, offers a fascinating glimpse into the cross-cultural activities of late 17th- and early 18th-century Greek intellectuals. Skiagrafiai, attributed by V. Bombou-Stamate and S. Harakas to Vikentios Damodos (1700-1752), contains a graded series of instructions and exemplars designed to provide Orthodox clergy with a systematic approach to sermon composition. There are in all, twelve "sermon sketches" (a fair rendering of the Greek title) provided, each on a different sermon theme, in which Damodos (if he was in fact the author—on this, more in due course) gives step-by-step directions on how to construct, compose, and deliver sermons of various types: "In order to begin, you must . . ."; "After you have given the first argument, make a transition as follows . . ." "Turn now to the audience and say . . ."; "Now, to bring your sermon to a successful close...." These represent very explicit prescriptions to the aspiring preacher. ¹