Biography
Kassia (also Kassiane, Kassiani, Casia, Ikasia, Cassia, or Eikasia; between 805 and 810 - bef. 867) was a Greek-Byzantine poet, composer, and hymnographer. She is one of the first medieval composers whose scores are both extant and able to be interpreted by modern scholars and musicians.
Approximately fifty of her hymns are extant and twenty-three are included in Orthodox Church liturgical books. The exact number is difficult to assess, as many hymns are ascribed to different authors in different manuscripts and are often identified as anonymous.
She wrote many hymns for the Christian liturgy; the most famous being the Hymn of Cassiani which is sung every Holy Tuesday. Tradition says that later Emperor Theophilus who was still in love with her wished to see her one more time before he died so he rode to the monastery where she resided. Kassiani was writing her Hymn when she heard the Emperor looking for her…
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