Living images and authors of virtue: Theodore of Stoudios on Plato of Sakkoudion and Gregory of Nazianzus on Basil

AbstractTheodore’s encomium for his uncle, Plato of Sakkoudion, is the most important source for the latter’s life. This article identifies Theodore’s extensive use of Gregory of Nazianzus’s Funeral Oration for Basil of Caesarea to characterize both Plato’s activities as well as Theodore’s own role as his uncle’s closest associate. From his upbringing and ascetic virtues, to his work as a scribe and calligrapher, to his role in founding monastic institutions, Plato is made to recall the example of Basil the Great, with Theodore playing the part of Gregory. The authority of the Cappadocians had been invoked by both Iconoclasts and Iconophiles, and Theodore’s encomium constitutes a claim to the contested legacy of the Fathers.